Chapter 179

Even if it was one last time, he told himself, holding on to that thought like a lifeline.

One last time.

Just one last time.

It felt like it would be one of his biggest achievements if he reached to her on time before the devil decided to kill him, before Burhan’s merciless hands could make this moment impossible. Every movement was agony, every inch forward a battle against his own failing body, but the thought of her kept him going, fueled his desperation, and sharpened his focus like nothing else could. He had survived so much to reach this point, and now nothing could stop him from seeing her, from being close to her, even if only for fleeting moments.

A sob of happiness almost broke out through his chest when his eyes saw her face, soft and still in the dim light of the garden. Closed eyes. Peaceful. Just like the last time, hauntingly familiar, as if the years and the bloodshed had not passed at all. In the same place. More than a decade ago. When he w