Chapter 1666

Austin groggily opened his eyes, but his heavy eyelids quickly closed again. He lost track of time; it felt like a year before he opened them once more. He saw a wooden roof instead of the stark white ceiling. A closet, desk, chair, and the bed he lay on, all covered with a soft blanket, came into view. Everything felt warmer and more yielding than before.

Almost instinctively, he slapped himself. "Ouch, that hurts!" He was relieved to feel pain. "This isn't a dream!" He had escaped, finally free from that hellish place.

He tried to get out of bed, but the moment his feet touched the floor, weakness overcame him. He would have fallen had he not braced himself.

"What are you doing? Are you trying to kill yourself?"

The voice was familiar yet strangely distant, as if a century had passed since he last heard it. He slowly turned, fearing a hallucination. He saw a wrinkled face, impatient yet kind. Tears welled in Austin's eyes.

"Granduncle..." he whispered, his voice trembling.

"Don't you fucking cry!" Dominic snapped. "You're a grown man, crying like a baby. Aren't you ashamed?"

Austin hastily wiped his tears. "I—I won't. I won't cry!"

Despite his resolve, the tears flowed freely.

"You idiot!" Dominic chided, but he set down a tray, retrieved a packet of tissues, and tossed it to Austin. "Don't stain my blanket."

"Yes, yes," Austin mumbled, dabbing his eyes. He finally regained his composure. "Granduncle Dom, did you save me?"

He looked down, surprised to find himself in fresh clothes, his wounds bandaged. He had no idea how long he'd been unconscious or how he'd gotten there.

Dominic placed the tray on the desk, picked up a bowl of steaming herbal soup, and approached. "Why the hell did you race your car until it flipped? You could have died if my men hadn't found you!" He flopped into a chair, crossing his legs.

"Race my car?"

Austin's confusion cleared. His car must have crashed before Dominic's men found him. He'd expected the police, not to wake up at Dominic's. Dominic always put on a tough act.

He saved me and pretends not to care, Austin thought, overjoyed. His survival was no small miracle.