Burn Me Right

Chapter 60

Autumn's features softened into a smile. She closed the door and stepped out, and as soon as she turned around, she was pulled into a tight hug. Zyler hugged her tighter than she had ever been hugged.

He buried his face in her shoulder, his lips brushing against her skin. "Thank you," he whispered. His sudden embrace caught her off guard, and she stiffened in his arms. "You're an angel," he murmured, squeezing her tightly.

"Your words comforted her," his hands rubbed her back. Her head was on his shoulder, and her hands hung loosely on her sides. "I haven't seen her sit and converse without crying or losing her mind." His embrace turned tight.

"I can't breathe," she strained, struggling to free herself. His hands around her loosened, and he stepped back, staring into her breathtaking eyes.

"I didn't do it for you," she breathed, her words clipped and precise. "I did it for her. She needs peace." She sidestepped him and walked to the edge of the room, gazing down at the city below, where people and cars scurried like ants. She felt a presence next to her.

He stared down at the city, his eyes cold and calculating. Then he turned to her, his voice low and menacing. "I won't lose her again," he quipped.

The arrogance in his voice was palpable, the same arrogance that had always made her uneasy. It was the arrogance of a man who believed he could do whatever he wanted without consequences. But now, his voice took on a darker tone, almost barbaric. It was the voice of a man willing to do whatever it took to get what he wanted. She felt a chill run down her spine.

"You can't let her suffer any longer," Autumn pleaded, her heart aching for Elaine. "The doctor said it's inevitable."

Autumn knew that Elaine wasn't at fault for her illness, but she was still suffering. And Zyler's determination to keep her alive was only prolonging her torment.

"That's not your decision to make," he snapped.

"Neither is it yours," she replied, her voice firm.

"Are you suggesting I kill her?" He towered over her, and she knew she had to choose her words carefully.

"When death is imminent, you don't gamble with someone's life just to prolong their suffering for your own sake. You must do what's best for them, even if it means letting them go." She didn't look at him, her heart aching for him. She wasn't suggesting that he forget his mother, but taking her to strange places and experimenting on her mind would only make things worse. He didn't understand that. How could he? She was his mother, the one he had lost and found again. She tried to put herself in his shoes, but she would still choose to keep her peaceful and let her have a good quality of life until the day she died.

She heard him inhale deeply, his mind racing. "I don't know what to do," his voice defeated. For the first time in his life, he felt out of control. He had money and power, but there were two things he couldn't have: her heart and his mother's life.

"We'll find something," she turned toward him, and he smiled.

"Be careful, darling. I might start to believe you're growing fond of me, which could be dangerous for my heart," he teased, leaning against the massive glass window and winking at her.

"In your wildest dreams," she replied, straightening up and walking away. But he swiftly caught her wrist, spun her around, and now she was facing him.

"I care about Elaine," she said, emphasizing "Elaine." She didn't care about him. The audacity of this man to think she would ever care for him.

"Will you ever care for me?" His teasing nature vanished, and his face turned serious. His expression was relaxed, but hers was twisted into a scowl of anger.