Chapter 178

The masked attacker staggered, a bullet between his eyes before his body hit the forest floor.

But Ayleen didn’t care about him.

She scrambled towards Murat, tears blurring her vision. His skin was pale, his chest rising and falling in uneven breaths.

She grabbed his face, her fingers trembling.

His lips parted, his breaths shallow.

Ayleen pressed her forehead against his, tears slipping down her cheeks.

“Please…” she choked out. “Please, stay with ne.”

His blood seeped into the ground, staining her hands.

A sob escaped her.

The night air was thick with the scent of blood and gunpowder.

Ayleen couldn’t breathe. Her vision blurred with unshed tears as she pressed down on the gaping wound in Murat’s arm, her trembling hands slick with his blood. The warmth of it seeped into her skin, staining her fingers, her palms, her entire existence.

“Hey—hey, stay with me, okay?” Her voice cracked as she shook him lightly, her hear