Chapter 5 - Don't Let Them Kill Me Again

Adrian's POV

One second she was climbing the stairs.

The next… she fell.

“Lilith.”

No response.

“Call the family doctor,” I ordered sharply. “Now.”

The servants scattered immediately.

I carried her upstairs myself.

Her body felt lighter than expected.

Fragile.

The thought irritated me instantly.

People shouldn't look at this as breakable.

By the time I reached her room, the servants had already pulled the blankets back nervously.

I laid her carefully on the bed while another maid rushed to remove her heels.

Still no response.

A few strands of dark hair fell across her face.

Unconsciously, I brushed them aside before immediately stepping back afterward.

Ten minutes later, the family doctor arrived.

An older man named Dr. Morrison who had worked with my family for years.

He examined Lilith quietly while I remained near the window.

“She collapsed from exhaustion,” he said eventually.

“That's all?”

Dr. Morrison removed his glasses briefly.

“She's weak right now. Stress, emotional shock, and probably lack of sleep…” He glanced toward her unconscious form again. “And judging by her condition, she hasn't eaten properly in at least two days.”

My expression remained neutral.

The doctor sighed softly.

“The wedding probably overwhelmed her.”

I looked toward the bed again.

She looked different when unconscious.

Softer.

Less guarded.

“You should make sure she eats when she wakes up,” the doctor continued. “And try to avoid additional emotional stress for now.”

That almost sounded ironic considering the situation.

Still, I nodded once.

“Will she recover?”

“Yes.” He packed his equipment calmly. “She just needs rest.”

“She'll wake up on her own?”

“Yes.”

After giving the servants instructions regarding her medication, the doctor finally left the room.

Silence settled immediately afterward.

I should have left too.

Instead, my gaze drifted back toward the woman lying unconscious.

My wife.

The words still felt strange.

I loosened my tie slightly before finally turning toward the door.

Then—

“Please…”

The weak whisper stopped me.

I looked back immediately.

Her eyebrows tightened faintly in her sleep.

“...please…”

The desperation in her voice sounded painfully real.

For one brief moment, I considered waking her.

Instead, I looked away again.

Emotions complicate situations unnecessarily.

That lesson had served me well for years.

So eventually, I left the room and headed toward my own bedroom.

---

The next morning, sunlight spilled across the floor as I adjusted the cuff of my watch.

Most of the mansion remained quiet this early.

After getting dressed for work, I stepped out into the hallway before pausing briefly outside Lilith's room.

I opened the door.

She still hadn't woken up.

The curtains remained partially closed while soft morning light quietly illuminated the room.

Lilith hadn't moved much since the previous night.

At least her breathing looked steadier now.

I walked farther into the room slowly.

Still asleep.

For a second, I wondered what kind of nightmare made someone cry in their sleep like that.

Then I dismissed the thought immediately.

Not my concern.

I turned toward the servants waiting near the doorway.

“Keep an eye on her.”

“Yes, Mr. Knight.”

“And when she wakes up, make sure she eats.”

The maids nodded quickly.

“I'll prepare something light for Mrs. Knight,” one of them said.

I adjusted my sleeve calmly before adding, “Don't leave her alone for long.”

The servants nodded immediately.

“Yes, sir.”

Satisfied, I finally left the room.

Outside, Xavier already waited near the entrance beside the car.

“Good morning, sir.”

I entered the vehicle without responding immediately.

Only once the driver pulled away from the estate did Xavier finally speak.

“How is Mrs. Knight?”

“She collapsed from exhaustion.”

“And now?”

“She's resting.”

Xavier nodded quietly and didn't push further.

The ride to the company remained peaceful afterward.

By the time I reached the office building, my schedule for the day had already begun piling up again.

Meetings.

Reports.

Contracts.

Work was easier than people.

Predictable.

Controlled.

Unlike marriage.

Hours passed quickly.

By noon, I was reviewing financial projections when the office door opened without warning.

My mother entered.

Of course.

“You came to work?” she asked immediately.

I didn't look up from the file.

“Was I supposed to stop?”

“She collapsed on your wedding night, Adrian.”

“And the doctor said she's fine.”

My mother sighed heavily before sitting across from me.

“I still think this marriage should've been called off.”

I signed another document calmly.

“It wasn't.”

“She clearly didn't want this.”

Neither did I.

But unlike Lilith, I understood duty.

“This marriage benefits both families,” I said flatly.

“And if it destroys her?”

I finally looked up.

“She's recovering.”

“That's not what worries me.”

I closed the file slowly.

“My marriage isn't your concern.”

Silence stretched briefly across the office.

Disappointment crossed my mother's face before she finally stood.

“You sound more like your father every year.”

The statement meant nothing to me.

Or at least… it shouldn't have.

Without another word, she left.

The second the door shut behind her, the office became quiet again.

Still… for some reason, concentrating became harder afterward.

I forced myself back into work anyway.

The rest of the day passed in meetings and endless paperwork until evening finally arrived.

By the time I returned home, darkness had already settled outside.

A maid approached me the moment I stepped into the mansion.

“Good evening, Mr. Knight.”

I removed my watch slowly.

“Has she woken up?”

The maid hesitated slightly.

“No, sir.”

My expression hardened faintly.

“She’s been sleeping all day?”

“Yes, sir.”

Something about that answer unsettled me immediately.

Not enough to show it, but enough to notice.

“The doctor said rest would help,” the maid added quickly.

I nodded once.

Another servant approached carefully carrying a tray.

“We prepared food for Mrs. Knight for when she wakes up.”

Soup.

Tea.

Small portions.

Without fully thinking about it, I held my hand out.

“I'll take it.”

The maid blinked in surprise before handing the tray over immediately.

“Of course, sir.”

I carried it upstairs myself.

The mansion remained silent around me as I walked through the hallway.

But the moment I reached Lilith's bedroom door, something felt wrong.

I pushed the door open carefully.

And immediately saw her trembling on the bed, her face glistening with sweat while quiet cries escaped her lips in her sleep.

“...no…”

Another tear slid down her cheek.

“...please…”

I frowned instantly and set the tray down nearby.

“Lilith.”

No response.

Her body shook harder beneath the blankets like she was trapped inside some kind of nightmare.

“...don't…”

I walked closer immediately, set the tray aside, and grabbed her shoulder gently.

“Wake up.”

The second I shook her lightly, her eyes snapped open.

Panic filled them instantly.

Real panic.

The kind that came from genuine terror.

Before I could say anything… she threw herself toward me.

Her hands clutched tightly onto my shirt while her body shook violently.

“Don't let them kill me again…” she whispered brokenly through tears. “Please…"