Flash Marriage: In His Eyes-Chapter 326: Wrong Move

–Livana–

This time, it was entirely unexpected.

London.

I furrowed my brow as I watched the footage—Kai being shot from behind. The bullet had struck close to his spine, a vital place where fate becomes uncertain.

So many things could happen now.

He might die.

Or he might live the rest of his life unable to walk.

"Mama!" Sky shouted somewhere behind me.

I glanced back at him briefly.

"I’m working, baby," I said gently.

He pouted.

Then I heard Alyssa speaking to him softly, distracting him.

I sighed and placed my wired headset over my ears.

The live broadcast continued in my ear. Kai had been rushed to the hospital. Sophia was safe with Francis. Still, I had already deployed more Knights to the area.

The district should have been secure—protected from snipers and hired killers.

Yet this attack had been planned perfectly.

Executed perfectly.

And still, one question lingered in my mind.

Why didn’t they shoot Francis?

He had tried to shield Kai.

If the attackers were precise enough to strike Kai in the back... they could have easily killed Francis as well.

So what exactly was their motive?

The door opened.

Damon stepped in while speaking to someone on the phone. His voice was sharp, controlled. A moment later, he hung up.

"I’m going to London," he said, as if the matter were already decided.

I simply nodded.

We couldn’t send Kai—of course not. Damon and I had been careful about that. Kai couldn’t risk missing his wife’s labor.

Damon walked straight to the closet and began packing a few things into a duffel bag. He slid his laptop and tablet inside with practiced efficiency.

"Dada?" Sky followed him around the room. "We go?"

"No, Sky. You stay with Mama."

Damon picked up his coat and car keys before walking over to me. He lifted my chin and kissed my lips.

"I’ll be back quickly."

I nodded.

He then leaned down and kissed our son’s head.

"Stay with Mama, alright? Protect her."

"Okay, Dada." Sky wrapped his little arms around Damon’s neck.

Then Zayvier approached, and Damon kissed his head as well.

He gave Alyssa a quick kiss on the forehead.

"No wedding until I get back," Damon said.

Alyssa pouted dramatically.

"Just get back quickly!"

I sighed as I removed my headset.

"Aly," I called softly. "I’ll be taking Lore with me for a while. He’s going to miss school."

Her lips trembled.

"What’s going on?" she asked.

"It’s Kai. He’s been shot."

"Wh–what...? H–how?"

"A miscalculation in our protection plan," I said quietly.

Alyssa looked at me, her expression filled with disbelief. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"I don’t know how you can still sit there so calmly," she said softly. "I wish I could be like that."

I shook my head.

The truth was, I tried very hard to remain this calm.

But my heart ached terribly.

Part of me wanted to break down as well.

But I couldn’t.

Kai was like a brother to me.

Even when we were teenagers, he had always been kind to me—teasing me, pushing me toward Damon, protecting me from Tyrona.

We cannot lose him.

Sophia loves him deeply. And I had just told her that they could finally start a family.

That had always been their dream.

To start a family together.

Perhaps I should have told them to come home immediately after inspecting the manor.

Perhaps I should have insisted.

Because somehow... It feels like this was my fault.

–Sophia–

We stayed outside the operating room.

Francis never left my side.

It had been two hours.

Two long, suffocating hours.

What’s taking so long?

My heart was still pounding hard against my ribs, loud enough that I could hear it in my ears. I was worried. No—terrified. My husband had been bleeding so much, and from what I saw, the bullet had hit somewhere vital.

I couldn’t stop replaying the moment in my head.

I watched as more surgeons hurried into the operating room. Then I saw Dr. White enter.

My stomach twisted.

"Come on," Francis said, grabbing my arm gently but firmly. "We need to go."

"No." I shook my head immediately. "I’m not leaving until my husband walks out of that operating room alive."

I pulled my arm away from him and slowly sank down to the floor, my back against the cold wall.

We waited.

Minutes blurred together. I had no idea how much time passed before the operating room doors finally opened.

The doctors stepped out.

I jumped to my feet.

The first doctor who entered earlier approached me, Dr. White beside him.

"Your husband is stable now. We removed the bullets—"

"Stable?" My voice came out shaky. "He’s going to be alright, right? Tell me."

The doctor paused.

"I won’t lie to you, Sophia. The bullet went deep. Near the bone of his spine. He may not—"

Dr. White placed a firm hand on the doctor’s shoulder, stopping him.

"He may be paralyzed," she said carefully. "But we will try everything to make sure he recovers as much as possible."

My throat tightened.

I nodded slowly.

"Let’s go?" Francis asked quietly.

I nodded again.

Dr. White stepped closer to me.

"Don’t worry. We’ll protect him."

I nodded, though I wasn’t sure if I believed anything anymore.

Francis led me away, gripping my arm tightly.

"What’s going on?" I asked as we walked.

"They didn’t shoot me," he muttered.

I blinked.

Only then did I realize it.

"They didn’t shoot me," he repeated quietly. "Something is going on."

"I’m telling you this because you’re my friend."

I nodded slowly, following him as he led me down a hallway.

To the fire exit.

"Francis—"

He didn’t answer.

We stood by the stairwell while he checked both directions carefully. People were moving around the hospital floors. Nurses. Security.

Then he pulled out a tablet and plugged in a wired headset. He handed the second earpiece to me.

A voice came through.

"Francis," Damon said. "I already called backup. What happened?"

"I think there’s already a bounty on my head," Francis replied quietly. "And whoever set it wants me alive."

My eyes widened as I stared at him.

"I don’t think it’s wise for you to come here," Francis continued.

"I should be there," Damon said stubbornly. "He’s my brother."

That was when it clicked.

Why they wanted Francis alive.

A whistleblower.

Information. Data.

He knew things about how Damon operated.

And that was exactly what someone wanted.

They talked for a few minutes longer, planning things I only half understood.

But one thing became clear.

Francis wasn’t a traitor.

He was on our side.

After that, we went to the VIP floor.

Kai was still in intensive care.

I stood outside the glass wall, watching him.

His body was wrapped in braces to support his back. Tubes ran from machines into him. He looked peaceful from where I stood—but I knew the truth.

He was in pain.

So much pain.

"I called the team," Francis said beside me. "They brought our things. The room nearby is ready. Go wash up."

The hospital belonged to Livana’s network, so they had prepared a private room close to Kai’s ICU. Doctors and nurses were stationed nearby twenty-four hours a day.

I hesitated.

But eventually, I followed Francis to the room.

The lights were bright. No dark corners.

He checked the cabinets. The bathroom. Every possible hiding place before stepping back and gesturing for me to go ahead.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

I opened the luggage and grabbed the most comfortable clothes I had.

Inside the bathroom, I removed my coat and shirt. Both were stained with Kai’s blood.

"I’ll take that," Francis said from outside the door. "Just toss it out."

I did.

I washed myself slowly, scrubbing the blood away until my skin felt raw.

Then I went back to the ICU.

Still behind the glass.

Still watching my husband.

"Do you want to go in?" Dr. White asked gently. "He just came out of surgery and—"

"It’s okay," I said softly. "I’ll stay here."

She nodded and walked away.

I stayed there alone, staring at him through the glass.

Waiting.

Hoping.

I just wanted him to wake up.

–Deanne–

I heard what happened.

But we didn’t leave the Braxton mansion.

The entire house felt tense, like the air itself was holding its breath.

Livana locked herself inside a room after the incident. She hadn’t come out since. Alyssa quietly sent her dinner and snacks, leaving them inside the room like offerings to a queen preparing for war.

Caine, my husband, had been pacing around the room nonstop. His phone rarely left his hand as he checked with Francis every few minutes for updates.

The soft thud of his footsteps against the polished marble floor echoed through the room.

I wanted to go out there too—to check on Sophia. She needed someone beside her right now.

But Livana had firmly ordered both me and Caine not to leave the mansion.

So here we are.

Waiting.

"Baby," Zayvier murmured as he wrapped his small arms around my round belly and kissed it.

Sky immediately copied his brother, pressing his little lips against my stomach too.

Their warmth made me smile.

"I think this little guy will be sleeping with us tonight," I said softly while running my fingers through Sky’s hair.

"He can sleep with the twins," Caine muttered while closing the balcony curtains, shutting out the dim city lights.

Before I could respond, a gentle knock interrupted us.

"Come in," Caine called.

The door opened slowly.

"Time for milk."

Ah.

We almost forgot Jane and Logan were staying here too.

"Sky and Zayvier can sleep with us," I told her.

Jane sighed.

"No," she said firmly, crossing her arms. "You spoiled him with heavy food at midnight before. We’re not taking that risk again."

I chuckled.

She wasn’t wrong. We did spoil Sky with food. And yes... that was definitely a terrible decision.

"Sorry."

Caine leaned closer and whispered under his breath.

"Take them."

I chuckled again.

Oh, I knew exactly what he wanted.

Pregnancy hormones were unpredictable. My cravings weren’t limited to food.

Sky kissed my belly one last time before climbing onto the sofa and planting a kiss on my cheek.

"Oh, that’s so sweet, baby."

Zayvier waved enthusiastically before running toward Jane, Sky following right behind him.

Jane closed the door quietly behind them.

She’s good with everything.

The kids listen to her.

Caine dropped onto the sofa beside me and ran a hand through his hair.

"Oh, damn it," he muttered. "That man better not be paralyzed. How is he supposed to make babies with Sophia if he’s paralyzed?"

I know he’s worried.

He just hides it behind jokes so he doesn’t spiral.

"Hey, don’t worry," I said calmly. "That man will still be hard if he sees Sophia naked."

Caine snorted softly.

The boys don’t know this, of course. But there are ways.

Livana has technologies most governments don’t even dream of.

The lab can help Kai.

Sophia probably forgot that part in her panic.

The original lab in Japan is no longer there anyway. Livana moved it somewhere else long ago.

That’s where she created her clone.

And no—we’re not making a clone of Kai.

Whatever Livana has in mind... it will be something different.

Something far more precise.

I know Livana.

And I’m certain of one thing.

She will do everything in her power to save Kai.

And when she’s done—

He’ll come back good as new.