Archer extended his hand and helped me up, pulling me into a hug despite the pounding headache I was experiencing.
"Archer, normal people would just cry and grieve," I grumbled through gritted teeth.
"Hmm..." he mumbled, and I noticed Chad standing behind him, wearing a smile.
"Welcome back, Mark," Chad greeted.
"Thanks, man," I replied.
"Welcome back, Mark," more of the men chimed in. I waved dismissively, then placed my hand on my throbbing forehead. Eliza must have noticed my discomfort because she hurried to my side.
"We need to get him back to the hospital," she said.
"But you said he was fine," Archer said, furrowing his eyebrows.
"He's bleeding and has a headache. He needs..."
"Nothing that aspirin couldn't fix, right, Doc?" I interjected, glancing at Eliza, urging her to agree. She nodded.
"Let's get out of here," Archer suggested, while Eliza wrapped an arm around my waist to support me. When she attempted to open her car door, Archer added, "No way. Mark stays with me."
"What about my car?" Eliza questioned.
"Give your car key to him," Archer pointed at Chad.
As Eliza hesitated, I reassured her, "It's okay." She tossed the car key to Chad.
"What should we do with this one, boss?" one of Archer's men asked, pointing to Justin, as two others carried Venom away toward a black Prado Jeep.
"Shoot him," Archer casually replied.
"What?!" Eliza exclaimed.
"No, no, please! I won't say anything, I swear!" Justin quickly pleaded.
"He's just messing with you," I whispered to Eliza, who shot Archer an angry glare. He grinned.
"It worked, didn't it?" Archer chuckled. "Now he knows to keep his mouth shut."
"Since we're heading to the hospital, he should probably come with us," Eliza suggested. "I'll call Ivy to help—"
"No. No. I'm fine!" Justin interrupted, managing to get up despite his beaten appearance. "I'll go to another hospital."
"Are you sure?" Eliza inquired.
"Yes, I am!" he insisted. Eliza shrugged, and we continued toward another Jeep.
As we passed through the estate gate, I felt relieved to see the guards unharmed.
"Chad searched the whole town for you, Mark. We were surprised to find out you were here all along," Archer remarked.
"That's because I hid him. He was in a coma," Eliza explained.
"Hmm..." Archer responded, giving her a scrutinizing look before shifting his gaze to me. I shook my head, silently warning him not to say anything. He raised an eyebrow and looked away, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips.
"Why isn't Mark's sister here with you?" Eliza asked.
"She doesn't know..." Archer replied, locking eyes with me.
"I bet she'll be ecstatic to know he's alive," Eliza said, smiling at me.
"Yeah," Archer agreed, still holding my gaze.
"I missed her graduation," I confessed, feeling my heart tighten.
"I'm sure she'll understand," Eliza said in a gentle, comforting tone.
"How did she react... to my supposed death?" I inquired.
"She cried. She cried a lot," Archer answered, his accusatory stare piercing through me. The intensity of his emotions piqued my curiosity. Archer was never one to show empathy or any strong emotions toward anyone. Just looking at him now, it seemed as though he wanted to pummel me into a speck of dust for making Adele cry. Thoughts began to race in my mind, intensifying my headache. I cursed inwardly, realizing when I had started noticing the change in Archer Donovan.
"Stop the car!" I shouted, staring directly at Archer. He let out a sigh, confirming my suspicion.
"Why? What's wrong?" Eliza asked, her voice filled with concern.
"Archer, we need to talk. Outside!" I enunciated, ignoring Eliza's worried gaze. But before we left, I managed to control my anger enough to press a kiss to Eliza's lips and whispered, "I need to speak with him."
"But..." Eliza began to protest. We paid her no attention and stepped out of the car. We were close to town, and the lights shimmered on the horizon like fairy lights. We walked side by side, our strides matching each other.
"You slept with my sister? You slept with my sister?! What part of she was off the fucking limit didn’t you comprehend, Donovan?!" I said through clenched teeth.
"I love her," he replied. I halted in my tracks, stunned. Those three words hit me like a brick in the nuts.
"W-what?" I stammered.
Archer took a deep breath, exhaled, and continued, "She's gone back to Duport. She received a job offer... I made sure she got the best offer from one of my companies... I had to let her go. I had to let her be," Archer's voice carried a tone of torment that made me blink as if my mind was playing tricks on me.
"Archer..." I muttered, shocked. He retrieved his gun and offered the familiar gold-plated piece to me.
"Take it and shoot me. It won't change anything. I'm a damn criminal. I can't be with her."
"Oh, my God," I whispered, crouching down and clutching my head in my hands.
"We found your starter pack... why the hell did you leave her a starter pack, Mark? She needs you. You should have seen her... grieving for you. It was my undoing."
"I left her a starter pack because apparently, we think alike," I said, looking up at him before slowly straightening my posture. The anger I felt towards him moments ago had dissipated, replaced by pity. Archer's eyes reflected his anguish. It was the most bizarre sight I had ever witnessed.
"She needs you, Mark."
"Does she love you back?" I rasped with emotion, ignoring how my heart constricted at his words.
"Yes, she told me so. She is probably just confused—" he scoffed in evident pain.
"So you broke her heart?"
"What would you have me do, Mark? I can't give her the life I lead, with no assurance of her safety! I can't subject her to the constant fear and confinement that comes with it! I remember those few days she spent at my place, feeling trapped and unable to go out without security! She deserves... something better!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with anguish.
I stood there in utter shock. Silence hung in the air, and after a while, I spoke in a slow, deliberate tone, "I wanted her to have a normal life without me. That's why I left her the starter pack."
"So, you intentionally caused her pain for all these months?!" he questioned, his words dripping with disbelief and anger.
It was unfathomable to witness how fiercely he defended and protected my younger sister. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I averted my gaze from him. "I was in a coma for months, and when I woke up, I had forgotten who I was..."
"What?" Archer's voice conveyed his astonishment.
"That's one of the reasons the good doctor is so protective of me," I said with an amused smile.
"One of the reasons, indeed. I think she wants to keep you," he remarked. I chuckled. "I'm sorry," he added in a somber tone. "I wish I had been here to protect you more."
"You know what I wish?" I said, giving him a sideways glance. "I wish I had a damn camera to record how emotional you got upon seeing me again," I teased, playfully shoving his chest.
"Idiot," he muttered. We both chuckled and stood side by side for a few minutes. "You don't want her to know you're alive, do you?" Archer asked, letting out a sigh.
I want her to have a normal life, especially after what Venom just told me..."
"What did he say?" Archer asked, his tone filled with tension. I recounted Venom's words. "We can't really trust the guy," Archer added, but I could see his mind working through the possibilities.
"Do you think it's Jessica?"
"Jessica doesn't have that kind of manpower. I witnessed the massacre..."
"Your father then?"
"Why would my father want both you and Adele dead?"
"I don't know. You tell me, does he have a reason?" I asked, scrutinizing him closely.
"Victor Donovan wouldn't do anything to cause me pain," he replied. I believed him. Indeed, his father would rather burn the world down than harm Archer.
"Then who?" I pressed. Archer furrowed his brow and muttered, "Patricia." We locked eyes for a moment, pondering the possibility.
"That's absurd. I always thought she liked me, and she wouldn't want to upset the balance with your father."
"Yeah..." Archer said, a pensive frown forming on his face.
"My bet is on Jessica. That woman has plenty of motives," I grumbled.
“Trust me, it isn't her,” Archer said.
“What the hell did you do, Archer?”
“She was my first suspect,” he replied in a defensive tone.
“Christ! Way to go. Giving the witch more reason to detest me,” I said. He smirked.
"How did you find me?" I asked, worried that if he can find me so easily then whoever was after me can also do and then go after Adele.
"My dad. One of his mole told him someone here was trying to dig out your records."
"That was Trevor, an officer here, a brother to one of Doctor Eliza's colleagues. He was trying to help."
"I spoke directly to the guy and told him to let me know if anything else pops up, then he called to let me know someone took money from your account…"
I groaned, "That was me. I really hope Adele will be safe in Duport ...."
"I promised her protection. I was planning to send Chad and two others to shadow her there..."
"You would do that? Chad is one of your most trusted hands.”
“I will have Victor Donovan watch her if I can,” he said, holding my gaze.
“Man, you got it really bad,” I muttered in evident pity. He groaned, running his hands over his face and back through his hair. “Thank you. I would love if you do that. Once I'm done here, I'll head over to check on her, but I'll stay hidden," I replied.
"She'll kill both of us when she finds out," Archer remarked.
"You said 'when,' not 'if'," I noted, giving him a suspicious look.
"You clearly underestimate Adele, she will find out," he said with such pride that it brought a smile to my face. "Just remember that I won't hesitate to throw you under the bus," he said, making me chuckle. "By the way, I renovated your house," he mentioned, and my smile slowly faded.
"You bloody did what?!"
The devilish grin spread across his face, and he replied, "The next time you plan to disappear, Mark, remember that I can be quite vindictive."
"Son of a..." I grabbed his gun and pointed it at his forehead. The maniacal grin on his face remained unfazed. "Archer, I was in a fucking coma!"
"Doesn't matter."