Chapter 418 Will You Shed a Tear for Me

Meryl was oblivious to Chandler watching her from a distance. She fished Dalton’s phone out of his pocket and dialed 911 with surprisingly steady hands. After giving the dispatcher their location, she answered a series of questions about Dalton’s condition.

“Keep talking to the patient,” the dispatcher instructed. “Try to keep him awake. We’ll be there shortly.”

“Understood,” Meryl replied.

For the agonizing fifteen minutes it took for the ambulance to arrive, Meryl held Dalton in her arms, careful not to move him. The dispatcher had stressed that Dalton shouldn’t be moved. With that vast knife sticking out of his chest, the slightest movement could hasten his death.

As she looked down at Dalton, Meryl’s mind drifted to Chandler. Over a decade ago, Chandler’s chest had been violently pierced, too. Back then, she’d used acupuncture needles to block specific pressure points, slowing his blood flow and buying crucial time for treatment. Now, without any needles at hand, Meryl had no way to help Dalton in the same manner.

Noticing Dalton’s eyes starting to flutter shut, Meryl gently patted his cheek. “I know you’re in a lot of pain, but you need to stay awake,” she urged. “The ambulance will be here any minute. Just hang in there a little longer, Dalton.”

A pale smile tugged at the corners of Dalton’s lips.

“Meryl, I thought you hated my guts,” he rasped. “Figured you’d be thrilled to see me bite the dust.”

This gentle, caring side of Meryl was something Dalton had never dared to hope for.

“I do hate that you kept me locked up for so long,” Meryl admitted. “But I never wanted you dead.”

Meryl’s emotions were a tangled mess. No matter how she felt about him, the fact remained that Dalton had just taken a knife meant for her. If he hadn’t jumped in front of Zane’s blade, she’d be the one bleeding out right now. There was no way she could abandon him.

“Try to take some deep breaths!” Meryl coached, noticing Dalton’s labored breathing. “Nice and slow. Don’t pant like that.”

“Meryl,” Dalton gasped, “if I die saving your life… will you shed a tear for me?”

Dalton’s Adam’s apple bobbed as tears slid from the corners of his eyes. “God, it hurts, so bad,” he thought. His lips were pale as snow. Each word felt like it drained every ounce of strength from his body. But he was determined to seize this moment, to have a real heart-to-heart with Meryl. There was so much he needed to tell her. He was terrified that if he missed this chance today, he’d never get another.

Meryl was caught off guard by his question. She furrowed her brow and said, “What’s the point of asking something like that?”

“It matters, Meryl. Please, just answer me. It’s important to me.”

Meryl fell silent for a moment. “Maybe I would. But even if I cried for you, it would only be because…”

Dalton reached up with one finger, pressing it gently against Meryl’s lips to stop the word “guilt” from escaping.

“Just tell me you’d cry for me. That’s enough. The reason doesn’t matter,” Dalton said, a satisfied smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Meryl didn’t say anything more to Dalton. She could see he was fooling himself, living in a fantasy world of his own making. Meryl’s only focus now was finding Chandler as quickly as possible. She gripped Dalton’s phone tightly and dialed a number.

Dalton watched her but made no move to stop her.

Within seconds, a phone rang not far behind them. Meryl instinctively turned around, her eyes locking with Chandler’s. She was stunned to realize Chandler had been right behind her all along.