-ˋˏ ༻Chapter 13༺ ˎˊ-

Layla reached his side quickly and knelt down beside him, her hands fluttering around him, not quite sure what to do. The sight of him hunched over, coughing painfully, tears pricked at her eyes, her heart aching at the sight.

"What the hell are you doing?! You shouldn't be here!" She exclaimed, her voice was a strangled mix of fear and concern.

"Let's go back and get you treated first!"

Sean's coughing finally subsided slightly, and he leaned heavily against the railing. His eyes met Layla's, his expression a mix of pain and annoyance.

"Cough— haah... hah... treat what..?"

He rasped, his voice hoarse and laboured. The cold night air made him shiver but he refused to move, not wanting to go back to that room.

Layla's eyes were wide with worry and frustration, her hands still hovering over him, desperate to do something to help.

"Sean, you're obviously still sick! You shouldn't be up here, you need to get back in the room and let the doctors take care of you!"

She looked at him pleadingly, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Please, you're just going to make yourself worse!"

"So what!?" Sean retorted

"Just... leave me alone... cough!"

Layla flinched at his cold response, his words a stark contrast to the pain and fatigue etched on his face. She was at a loss, her heart aching at the sight of him struggling but refusing help.

"How can you say that! You can barely stand, you're in so much pain. You need medical help!"

Her hands reached out to take his arm, her touch gentle but firm.

"Please, let's go back now..."

Sean pulled his arm away from her grip, his eyes narrowing.

"I don't need your help, or the doctors'. I just want to be left alone..."

His voice was hoarse but firm, a hint of resignation in it. He looked away, staring into the distance as if the city below held all the answers to his problems.

Layla's eyes filled with despair, her heart breaking at his words. She knew he was hurting, both physically and emotionally.

"Sean... please... you can't handle this alone..."

Sean turned back to face her, his eyes cold and resolute.

"I don't need your care. I just want—"

He broke off, another coughing fit taking over his body as he hunched forward again and fell on his knees, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

"cough! cough! gasp! cough-ack!"

The sight of the blood startled Layla, her face turning to shock and horror. She immediately knelt down beside him, panic welling up inside her.

"Sean!?!"

She gently tried to support him, her hands fluttering helplessly over his struggling body.

"You need to go back now!" she exclaimed in panic and trying to support him to stand and walk

The sight of him, coughing up blood and hardly able to breathe, was terrifying. Layla's hands were shaking as she held onto him, trying to get him to move but it was like he had given up, his body limp and resigned.

"Sean, please, you have to get up! You need medical help, you're bleeding!" Her voice was frantic, tears falling from her eyes.

Sean continued to cough heavily, his gasps for air becoming more desperate. The blood stains on his shirt were getting more pronounced, the cold night air made their sight even more chilling.

His eyes were half-lidded, his gaze unfocused, completely out of it. He didn’t respond to Layla's pleas, his body was starting to tremble from the cold and his weakening condition.

As Layla desperately tried to get him to move, tears streaming down her face, she felt her own panic rising. He was too heavy for her to lift on her own, and his weight pulled her down to the ground.

She cried out, screaming for help, hoping that someone would hear her and come to their aid.

"Help! Please! Anyone!" Her voice echoed through the empty rooftop.

The sound of Sean coughing and struggling for air echoed in her ears, fueling her panic. She looked down at Sean, who was still coughing violently, blood staining his lips and clothes.

"NoNoNo... PLEASE HELP!!!" She continues to cry for help, so loud that her throat start to hurt.

Amidst the chaos and pandemonium, Sean called out, his voice a weak gasp.

"Lay...la... stop..."

His voice was hoarse and laboured, each word an effort to get out. The cough continued to tear through his body, the taste of blood bitter on his tongue.

Layla stopped for a moment, her eyes widening at the sound of his voice, so weak and strained.

"Sean...?"

She knelt by his side, her hands gently supported him to lean on her, tears streaming down her face.

"Don't talk... Just... hold on, just hold on-!"

Sean slumped against her, his body trembling and weak. The coughing continued, each gasp for air more painful than the last, his face turning paler by the second.

Layla held him tightly in her arms, her sobs mixing with his ragged breathing. She felt helpless and scared, the weight of his limp body against her was a painful reminder of how dire the situation had become.

"You know..." Sean muttered weakly

Sean's weak voice barely above a whisper, but the words reached Layla clearly. She looked at him curiously, through her tears.

"W-what...?"

"Haah... cough! I always... wondered... cough-"

Sean's words were cut off by another coughing fit, his body heaving as he struggled to speak. He took a moment to catch his breath before speaking again, his voice now hoarse and tired.

"Cough- If you ever once... love me. Why you.... cough-"

His words were cut off by another violent cough, his body convulsed as he struggled for air. Layla's heart ached at the sight, tears streaming down her face.

"Sean... don't-" She tried to speak, her voice thick with tears, but he kept going.

With coughing blood and breathing heavily, he finally continued, his words laboured and pained.

"Cough- why... you always dispised... me- cough! What have I... done— cough! Hah... you said... I'm just a toy to you— cough! Are you sad... bcoz this toy of yours.... is broken now?"

Between each word was a sharp gasp or cough, his body shaking with the effort and pain. His eyes, now dull, looked into Layla’s, filled with a mix of pain and accusation. She couldn't hold it in anymore, her shoulders shook as silent tears streamed down her face. The accusation in his voice hit her like a dagger to the heart.

"No, no..! Never, I-" She tried to speak, to defend herself, but the words got stuck in her throat.

"I didn't..." She whispered, her voice breaking, her eyes wide with guilt and pain.

"I've never.... meant it..."

Sean's breathing was ragged and pained, each gasp for air a struggle. Yet, he was far from finished. There was anger in his eyes and in his voice as he looked at her, the harshness of his words a stark contrast to the pleading, weak figure he was.

"Bullshit... Cough.. did you forget... how you treated me.."

He continued, his words still weak but the anger behind them were clear.

"Cough! You always... treated me.. like a punching bag... a lowly being... cough! gasp!"

Layla's heart ached with each word, her tears falling faster and her hands trembling. She tried to speak, but the words caught in her throat, replaced instead with a deep pang of guilt and shame.

"I... I-I'm sorry... I really didn't mean to-" She finally managed to croak.

Sean's laughter cut her off, a harsh and bitter sound, mixed with his coughs and gasps for air.

"Cough- No... you never at fault... cough! You were right... cough- $10B is indeed too expensive for the likes of me..."

It was the amount of debt Layla had paid for him in their contract marriage. His voice was strained but the bitterness was evident in his tone. He looked at her but his gaze was unfocused, his breaths coming in short gasps.

Layla's eyes widened, guilt and pain etched on her face. She had used that debt as a way to control and belittle him, just like he said.

"No... no- listen- I-" she tried to speak, her words choked with tears.

Sean continued, his voice getting even weaker.

"Cough- never thought... cough... a coldhearted woman like you... could be so worried... cough- you... never actually cared for me... did you- cough!"

His words were bitter and cold, yet the pain in them was undeniable. She could hear the hurt in his voice, the resentment and bitterness coming to the surface.

Layla's tears fell faster, her heart aching in her chest. She wanted to reach out to him, to console him, but she felt frozen, the weight of her own actions pressing down on her.

"No... please.. I-" She tried to speak, to explain, but the words died on her lips.

The coughing fit seemed to get worse, Sean's body wracked by the violent spasms. He heaved, his breaths ragged and labored, and when he finally leaned back, another stream of blood poured from his mouth.

His breaths were short and pained, his face even paler than before, his body trembling from the effort.

Layla's eyes widened in horror, her heart filled with dread at the sight of his worsening condition. She screamed out of her lungs once again.

"NoNoNo... S-Sean... HELPPPPP!! Somebody!!"

Her scream echoed through the rooftop, her voice filled with panic at Sean’s worsening condition. But the night was still and quiet, and it seemed like no one could hear her calls for help.

Sean's breaths were laboured and pained, his body shaking with each cough, and the pool of blood in front of him seemed to growing bigger. Layla was at a loss, tears streaming down her face as she held him, trying to offer what comfort she could in this terrifying situation.

Just when she was about to scream again, she heard the sound of footsteps from the staircase.

Her ears perked at the sound, hope and relief mixing with the fear and worry in her eyes. The footsteps got louder and louder, someone was heading up to the rooftop.

She looked down at Sean, her heart aching at the sight of him, his body limp and struggling.

"Hold on.. Just hold on.." She whispered to him, her voice quivering with fear.

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