Chapter 17

Faith's parents froze for a moment, stunned that someone had actually walked into the ward and openly admitted to being the man at the center of it all. When Faith turned her head and saw Kyle standing there, her eyes widened in disbelief. She tried to sit up, but her injuries made every movement agonizing. Worry consumed her face as she struggled to speak.

Anthony quickly pieced things together. This had to be the man—the one Faith had risked everything to protect.

Kyle ignored Anthony's glare and moved straight to Faith's bedside. Seeing her battered face and bruised body, he felt a wave of guilt and fury crash over him. "Kyle," Faith whispered hoarsely, her voice filled with panic. "Why are you here? You need to leave! Go! I told you to leave town. Get as far away as you can!" Her voice cracked as she shouted, each word drenched with fear.

Faith's mind raced. She knew how dangerous Peter could be; he had already nearly killed her. If Kyle stayed, he'd be walking into a storm he couldn't handle. Kyle's heart clenched as he saw Faith's desperation. Even in her condition, she was more worried about him than herself.

He crouched beside her bed and spoke softly, his tone steady and calm. "Faith, this happened because of me, and I'm going to make it right. I'll make him pay for what he's done to you."

Tears streamed down Faith's face as she shook her head violently. "No, you can't. You don't understand—they'll kill you. Please, Kyle. I'm begging you, don't do this!"

Before Kyle could respond, Anthony stormed forward, his face a mask of anger. The moment he saw Kyle, he felt a flicker of recognition. Now, he finally remembered who it was. But that didn't matter. What infuriated him even more was seeing Kyle and Faith holding hands, their reluctance to part obvious. They were blatantly flirting right in front of him. If Peter found out about this, he'd hold the entire Curtis family accountable.

"So, it's you!" he spat. "Didn't you go to prison? If I remember correctly, you were Belle's husband, weren't you? And didn't she already divorce you? Now you're here trying to seduce my daughter?"

"You can forget about it. Today, you're not walking out of this hospital ward. I'll call Peter right now—you're as good as dead."

Hearing this, Faith was overcome with desperation, struggling to move despite her pain. The slightest motion twisted her face in agony.

"Dad! Please, Dad! I'm begging you. Don't do this!" she pleaded, her voice breaking. "Don't tell Peter. Don't hurt Kyle. I'll do whatever you want—I'll marry Peter, and I'll agree to it no matter what he does. I won't ever see Kyle again," Faith pleaded desperately.

Faith sobbed, pushing weakly at Kyle. "Kyle, you have to go. Don't make this worse. Please!"

"Leave? You're not going anywhere," Anthony said, shaking his head, his voice icy. "My daughter ended up like this because of you. Even if Peter is willing to spare you, I won't."

At that moment, Anthony almost seemed like a father willing to fight for his daughter. But his performance only made Kyle feel disgusted. Mike had already told him the truth: Faith was being forced to marry Peter because of the Curtis family's problems. And now, as the head of the Curtis family, Anthony was persuading her to endure it and sacrifice herself for the family's gain instead of avenging his daughter. Was this what a father was supposed to do?

Kyle gently took Faith's hand and said softly, "Faith, do you trust me?"

Looking into Kyle's steady eyes, Faith hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Of course, I trust you."

Kyle nodded back. "Then don't say anything more. Focus on resting. I'll handle the rest. I promise you, no one will hurt you again."

For a moment, Faith found Kyle unfamiliar. As she watched him stand up and face Anthony, his silhouette radiated an unshakable determination.

Kyle turned to Anthony, doing his best to rein in his anger. "You're Faith's father. I don't want to hurt you, but I'm warning you—know your limits. You've traded your family for power, sacrificed your daughter, and now, when you see her beaten and broken, you don't dare seek justice. Instead, you take it out on her and insult her. You should take a hard look at yourself. If you can't protect her, then I will."