Substitute Wife For The Blind CEO

Chapter 185 - 185: Don't Let Her Die

Stefan's hands burned from the heat as he fought against the stubborn knots. The smoke was so thick now that every breath felt like swallowing fire.

Ruby's body was limp, her head hanging forward, her wrists red and raw from the ropes. The sight made his stomach twist painfully. He couldn't think about what it meant — he just had to get her free. That was all he could think of.

"Come on… come on…" he rasped, yanking hard until the last rope finally loosened. He wasted no time; he scooped her up into his arms, holding her close to his chest. Her head rested against his shoulder, her face frighteningly still.

The heat from the flames seared his skin, and the roar of the fire was deafening, but he forced himself toward the door, coughing so hard his chest felt like it might split. The smoke clawed at his eyes, blurring his vision, but the weight in his arms grounded him. Ruby. She was the only thing that mattered. He needed to get her out. He needed to rescue her.

When he stumbled back into the hallway, the sudden rush of fresher air almost knocked him off his feet. Nurses and orderlies gasped at the sight of her, their eyes going wide.

"She's unconscious!" someone shouted. "Get her into a ward, now!"

Two nurses rushed forward with a gurney, while the firemen continued to try to quench the fire.

Stefan laid her down gently, his hands shaking as though he'd been holding back an earthquake inside himself. His eyes never left her face — pale, lips tinged with blue.

"Ruby… please," he whispered under his breath as the nurses wheeled her away.

Rayna caught up, breathless and wide-eyed. Ethan and Officer Walter appeared seconds later, the two of them soaked in sweat from the heat and sprinting. The sight of Ruby made Ethan's face harden instantly.

"Oh my God! I can't believe Ivy can be this heartless as to burn her own sister alive," Ethan said, his whole body shaking in anger, grateful that they'd at at least caught her.

"The sight of her tied up… inside that fire," Stefan said, his voice hoarse, almost unrecognizable. "If I'd been even a minute later…" He didn't finish. He couldn't. His throat closed up, a lump forming there. He felt like crying but the tears wouldn't even drop.

The gurney disappeared into one of the wards, and a familiar figure hurried toward them — Doctor Noreen. Her brows were drawn tight, her voice brisk and urgent.

Don't tell me she was in that fire," she asked when she saw

long she was in there — but she wasn't moving when I found her. Will she be alright? She has to be,

she called to her team

the pain Stefan must be feeling having the woman he loved battling for her life. Not to mention his mother that

nurses blocked him. "Please, sir, you can't be in

side,

now? Didn't they

arm. "She's in good

God's hands right now," Stefan murmured,

out. The hallway suddenly felt colder, emptier. Stefan leaned against the wall, staring at the floor, his mind replaying the image of her pale face over and over. His stomach churned so hard it felt like he might be

crawled by like

had pulled her mask down, but the serious expression on

me she's going to be okay," he said immediately, stepping toward her. "Tell me you can save

broke him. "She's inhaled a dangerous amount of smoke," she said. "We've stabilized her for now, but there's

face tightened, his hands gripping his own arms to keep them from shaking. "So what does that

next few hours. But I promise you — I'll

like a blow to the chest. For a second, he couldn't breathe. The idea of losing her — losing them — was something he couldn't wrap his mind around. It wasn't supposed to

forward, his jaw set. "You'll

step of the way," Noreen assured

the four of them for a moment. Stefan stared at the closed ward doors as though he could will them open, will Ruby to walk out smiling like nothing happened. Like all this was just

who caused this whole mess is still out there. I should've run after Ivy when we saw her. As long as she is, this isn't

Ruby, he'd forgotten to give them the

blinked. "What do you