Chapter 463

Since we broke up, I hadn't been this close to him. I hadn't even really looked at him. And now, here he was, right in front of me, badly hurt. The crash came flooding back, and it hit me—he'd shielded me, using his body to protect mine. That's why he was in such rough shape.

“Jace, talk to me,” I begged, my voice shaky. If I stopped, he’d just drift away.

“What…do you want me to say?” he mumbled.

“Anything. Tell me what you’ve been thinking since we broke up. Talk about Tanya, even. Or where you’ve been these last few weeks,” I blurted, desperate to keep him awake.

He went quiet, and I panicked, thinking he’d passed out. But then, his voice, barely a whisper: “Rea, I really do love you.”

I froze, staring at his pale, blood-smeared face. I couldn’t say anything.

“You were the only girl I ever really liked. Since I met you, no one else…even felt like a woman to me.” His words came slowly, each one hitting harder than the last. “There were women—business trips, some even tried climbing into my bed. I never told you, didn’t want you to worry…I knew how sensitive you were. I stayed clean, even in my head. Escorts at events? I couldn’t stand them. Touching them would’ve tainted you.”

He paused, then continued. “As for Tanya…I don’t know how I ended up in her mess. Maybe her act was too convincing. Maybe it was just fate trying to tear us apart…”

His voice faded, and he tried to look at me, but his eyes wouldn’t stay open. The Jace I knew was always so strong, so sure of himself. Now, he was broken, vulnerable in a way I’d never seen.

“Well, then I guess we just weren’t meant to be. If our love wasn’t strong enough, even fate couldn’t save us,” I said, following where his mind had gone.

Jace looked at me for a moment before closing his eyes again. “Yeah, I guess that’s why this is my punishment.”

“Why bring this up now?” I muttered, feeling his blood soaking through my clothes, sticking to my skin. If he kept bleeding like this, he wouldn’t make it.

I glanced outside. Just broken branches and scattered rocks. No sign of help. Had Hayden sent anyone? Jace had told me to call him, which meant Hayden was our only shot at being rescued. But now the phone was gone, and I had no way to reach him.

“Rea, I don’t think you really love Hayden. I know he’s a good guy, but…you’re only with him because of how he treats you, right?” Jace’s voice was faint.

Lost in the moment, waiting for any sign of rescue, I mumbled a soft “Mm-hmm” without thinking. As soon as I realized what I’d just agreed to, a sharp unease settled in my gut. I opened my mouth to clarify, but then I heard it—the distinct hum of a small helicopter.

My nerves spiked. I thought those people trying to kill us were back, scouting the area. Panic surged, and I instinctively pressed my hand over Jace’s mouth, whispering, “Don’t make a sound.”

He stayed quiet, and I held my breath, staring at the helicopter outside. It hovered for a few seconds, then lifted higher. A voice crackled through the air, “Are there people in the car? Is Keira Kay in there? If you’re there, please respond.”

Hearing my name, a wave of relief hit me. We were safe. Hayden’s people had found us. If they were here to kill us, they wouldn’t know my name.

I started banging on the car window, trying to signal the helicopter. It wasn’t a full rescue chopper—just a military-grade drone with a small transmission device. The voice came again, “The trapped individuals have been located. Rescue efforts will begin immediately.”

Emotion overwhelmed me. I turned to Jace, my voice filled with hope. “They’re here! We’re going to be okay. You’ll be fine.”

But Jace’s expression didn’t change. His eyes blinked slowly, and his lips barely moved as he whispered, “Rea…can you hold me? I’m so cold…”