Chapter 74

Liam's expression was stormy, his eyes dark with barely contained fury. His breathing came in ragged gasps as he struggled to regain control.

Evelyn had never seen the usually composed general in such a state of distress. The sight froze her in place.

From the moment Liam burst into the hospital room, he hadn't spoken a single word.

Swallowing hard, Evelyn broke the silence first. "I should thank Adrian for arriving when he did. The doctors say I'll recover completely."

Still, Liam remained silent, his chest rising and falling rapidly beneath his uniform.

The intensity of his gaze made Evelyn shiver. An invisible aura of danger radiated from him, making the air feel thick.

Hesitantly, she raised her bandaged hands. "The attacker went for my heart with a knife. I had to block with my hands. The blade only grazed me - the doctor said it's superficial."

Liam's fists clenched at his sides, knuckles cracking ominously. The sound sent chills down Evelyn's spine.

This side of Liam terrified her.

The irony wasn't lost on her - here she was, the injured party, trying to calm her furious husband instead of receiving comfort.

Despite her attempts, his anger showed no signs of abating. Fear prickled along her skin.

Tears welled in her eyes as her voice dropped to a whisper. "I didn't mean to worry you... This wasn't my choice..."

Unable to contain himself any longer, Liam suddenly pulled her into a crushing embrace, his arms locking around her like steel bands.

Only when he felt the warmth of her body against his did his breathing begin to steady.

Evelyn gasped at the sudden contact, her hands hovering awkwardly in the air.

He'd never held her like this before - as if trying to fuse their bodies together through sheer force.

Through the thin hospital gown, she could feel every hard plane of his chest pressed against her. The contact sent her pulse racing.

Pain flared from her wound, but she bit her lip, too confused by his behavior to protest.

This level of intimacy between them felt foreign.

After what felt like an eternity, Liam's low voice rumbled near her ear. "Forgive me."

Evelyn's heart stuttered. The pain became unbearable. "Liam," she whispered, "you're hurting me."

He released her immediately, scanning her body with frantic eyes. "Where else are you injured?"

When she gestured toward her side, Liam reached for the hem of her gown.

Alarmed, Evelyn blocked his hand and recoiled. "What are you doing?"

"I need to see the damage," he insisted, his face etched with concern.

Heat flooded Evelyn's cheeks. "That's not necessary! The doctors already treated it. It's just a surface wound."

Liam pressed, "Did it affect your-"

"NO!" Evelyn cut him off, her face burning. "The doctor assured me there won't even be a scar."

The wound's proximity to more intimate areas made the conversation unbearably awkward. Recognizing this, Liam finally relented.

His voice turned deadly serious. "Spies are expected in an army of thousands. But whoever dared attack my wife on my own territory will pay with their life."

The possessive way he said "my wife" sent Evelyn's heart into a wild flutter.