chapter1259

The moment Connor hit the ground, he grunted, the sudden jolt pulling at his wound. He barely flinched, just kept moving, picking up speed. There was no time to lose.

Finally, after what felt like forever, the people chasing them dropped out of sight. Connor only let himself breathe when the white building hidden deep in the pine trees came into view. Relief washed over him. They'd made it. Garrett was here.

He kicked open the lab door, cradling Lydia in his arms, and rushed straight down to the underground pharmacy. Garrett had been waiting for them, but he clearly hadn't expected this.

"What happened? Lydia!" Garrett's voice was sharp with worry.

"Garrett..." Lydia's voice was so soft it was almost gone.

Connor tried to steady himself, but his voice came out rough. "We were ambushed. Lydia's been poisoned. She needs the antidote, now."

Garrett nodded without hesitation. "You got here just in time. The third version of the antidote is ready. I just finished testing it."

Connor's relief was obvious. "Thank God."

All that effort, all those sleepless nights, and finally, there was hope.

He laid Lydia gently onto the examination table. Garrett hurried to the fridge, pulled out a vial glowing with a faint blue light, and got to work. As the cold medicine flowed into her veins, Lydia's eyes fluttered. Some of her strength was coming back. She reached out, searching for Connor's hand, and when she found it, she realized his fingers were even colder than hers.

"You idiot..." Her voice was barely a whisper, but there was affection in it. "Get the bullet out of you."

Connor bent down and kissed her forehead. "I'm fine. If you're tired, close your eyes. I'll be here."

The antidote worked fast. Sleepiness washed over Lydia and she nodded, letting her eyes drift shut.

Connor carried her to the lounge, settling her onto a soft couch before heading back to the lab. The lights overhead were bright, almost harsh, as Garrett carefully removed the bullet from Connor's arm.

"Do you know who sent them?" Garrett asked quietly.

Connor's eyes narrowed. "Two different groups showed up tonight. One was after Lydia, the other was after me."

Garrett let that sink in, shaking his head. When they were apart, things were dangerous enough. Together, it was twice as bad.

After finishing up with Connor's wound, Garrett spoke up. "It's too dangerous here. Take Lydia home. She needs real rest. With the antidote in her system, she has to recover so it works properly."

Connor nodded. "I will. What about you?"

When Lydia was better, he'd deal with the people behind this. He wouldn't let it slide.

Garrett hesitated. "There's something I still need to take care of. I'm staying a bit longer."

Connor frowned. "What is it?"

"Work stuff. I have one last experiment to finish. After that, I'll go back."

"Be careful," Connor said, his tone serious.

Garrett gave a tired smile. "I will."

When Lydia woke up again, she was

on

oor's private jet. The low h

of the engines was oddly

comforting.

content belon

Connor was right by her side the second her eyes opened. "You're awake. How do you feel?"

She took a moment to check in with her body. It felt lighter. She pressed her fingers to her wrist, checking her own pulse like it was second nature. The toxins were leaving her system Relief mixed with a strange uncertainty. She frowned, trying to sense that odd feeling she'd had before, but it was gone.

Connor watched her anxiously. Is the antidote working?" Lydia nodded. "Yeah."

She studied him, her eyes softening. "How's your arm?"

Connor didn't answer right away.. Instead, he pulled her into his arms, holding her close. "It's nothing. Just a scratch. I don't care about that As long as you're okay, that's all that matters."

He meant it. He never wanted to see her hurt again, not even a little.

Lydia hesitated, then asked, "Where's Garrett?"

Connor stroked her hair. He said he had one more experiment to finish. After that, he'll come home."

She frowned, something uneasy flickering across her face. "He never mentioned any of that before."

Connor shook his head. "I don't know the details either."