He Chose His Adopted Sister, So I Left the Mafia Chapter 09

He Chose His Adopted Sister, So I Left the Mafia Chapter 09

When I regained consciousness, the low hum of a private jet filled my ears. 

I was strapped to a stretcher, and every injured 

part of my body hurt. 

A man sat beside me. His eyes were bloodshot, and his shirt and arms were covered in blood. 

“Erin, don’t fall asleep.” 

I struggled to open my eyes. 

“Lucas…” 

Lucas Carter took my hand. 

“I’m here. We’re going to Toronto. The hospital there already has everything ready for you. You 

don’t have to think about anything. Just stay alive.” 

I tried to move my legs. 

Nothing. 

I couldn’t feel them. 

Tears spilled from my eyes. 

“Lucas… am I never going to walk again?” 

He was silent for two seconds. 

“The doctors said there’s still hope. Even if there’s 

only a one percent chance, I’ll fight for that one percent for you.” 

As soon as the plane landed, I was taken straight to a hospital in Toronto. 

Then came surgery after surgery. 

At my worst, I couldn’t even sit up by myself. 

During my first rehabilitation session, I gripped the parallel bars and managed to stand for only two seconds before collapsing. 

The physical therapist didn’t help me. 

“Get back up on your own.” 

I lay on the floor, the pain so intense that my vision briefly went dark. 

Lucas stood nearby. He started toward me, then forced himself to stop. 

The therapist said, “If she wants to live 

independently again someday, she has to learn 

how to fall and get back up on her own.” 

I gritted my teeth against the pain and slowly 

pushed myself upright with my arms. 

That day, I fell seven times. 

That night, while my dressings were being 

changed, I saw the bloody marks his own nails 

had left in his palms. 

I didn’t let him know I’d noticed. 

Six months later, I could finally walk from one end 

of the rehabilitation roorn to the other with 

crutches. 

Every therapist in the room applauded. 

I turned around. 

Lucas was standing in the doorway. 

He lowered his head and raised a hand over his 

eyes, but his shoulders were still trembling 

uncontrollably. 

I slowly made my way over to him. 

“Lucas.” 

He suddenly pulled me into his arms. 

“I’m sorry. I never should’ve left you alone in 

Chicago.” 

I froze. 

His voice dropped. 

“When I left back then, it wasn’t because I was 

tired of you. It was because I realized what I felt 

for you had stopped being brotherly a long time. 

ago. We aren’t related by blood, but I was still 

scared. Scared you’d be disgusted by me. So I 

left.” 

My eyes started to burn. 

“You stayed away from me for three years 

because of that?” 

He didn’t answer. 

I lifted my arms and hugged him back. 

“Lucas, I was never disgusted by you.” 

His entire body went rigid. 

I rested my head against his shoulder and said 

softly, “I always thought you were the one who 

didn’t want me anymore.” 

A long time passed before I heard him let out a 

quiet laugh. 

For the first time, there was no tension in it.