Page 89 of Sweet Obsession

His breath catches. I can feel it, even through the haze. The weight of his gaze is unbearable. I want to tell him it’s okay, that I’m okay. That I’m not going anywhere.

But my body is still heavy, still slow to obey. I can’t open my eyes. I can’t speak.

I can only hope he feels me. I hope he feels that I’m still here.

Hours Later...

I don’t know how much time has passed. The darkness seems to stretch on forever. And then the words reach me.

“She might not recover completely.”

The words are soft, almost lost in the pounding of my heart. I want to scream, to fight against them, but I can’t. It’s like the walls are closing in, suffocating me again.

I can feel my breath catch in my chest, my pulse picking up. No. No, no, no. This can’t be happening. I can’t let this happen.

I don’t know what’s worse, the idea of losing him or the thought that he might lose me.

I want to fight. I want to wake up, to show him that I’m still here. But the darkness is pulling at me again, promising me peace, offering a way out.

But I won’t take it. Not yet. Not if it means leaving him behind.

Chapter 12

MISHA

The house felt too still, as though every corner held its breath. But it wasn’t just the silence that made me uneasy, it was Luna. She was lying there, pale and fragile, her breathing shallow and uneven. She hadn’t moved in hours, and every time I looked at her, a gnawing fear tightened in my chest.

I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t lose her. Not like this. I wouldn’t survive it.

The door to the room opened, but I didn’t need to look to know who it was. I could feel the coldness in the air before he even stepped inside.

My father. He was sick, pale, frail, his movements slow and deliberate, as though each step was a battle. He stopped beside me, eyes flicking toward Luna’s still form.

“Is she...?” His voice was hoarse, the illness in him evident.

I didn’t answer. My eyes stayed on Luna, my throat tight. I couldn’t even speak without sounding like I might break.

He sighed, but didn’t say anything for a moment, just stood there, watching her like I was, his gaze narrowing.

“I hear about the war,” he said, the words thick in his chest. “I came to fix it.”

I turned on him sharply, frustration and anger flaring inside me.

“Fix it?” I hissed. “You let it happen, Father. You let it all spiral into this mess. The Volograd estate, the families, the bloodshed, you let it all go too far. Now, because of it, she’s lyinghere, unconscious, and I can’t do anything but watch her waste away.”

My voice cracked as I finished, but I didn’t care.

His cough rattled through him as he shifted on his feet, a grimace twisting his face. “I know,” he rasped. “And now I’m here to fix it. I’ve already arranged a meeting with the other five bratva families. A vote. We’ll decide once and for all who will be the Packahan—the boss of all bosses. You... or Chernov.”

I froze at the mention of Chernov’s name. Of course, it had to come down to this. A vote. A battle. Whoever wins the vote would take everything: Luna, the estate, and the power that came with it.

“I’m not leaving her side,” I told him firmly, my voice steel. “She’s mine.”

His tired eyes held mine, a flash of something cold flickering in them before he spoke again, his voice weaker, quieter. “I’m not asking you to. But I’m telling you this, Chernov’s injured. The Odessa family is angry. You’ll need to handle them carefully. And you need to get the vote done.”

I stepped closer to him, gritting my teeth. “Why do I even need the vote? You gave the Odessa family everything, otherwise, Chernov of all people wouldn’t have the mind to come for what belongs to me plus he was the one who started this war.”

He coughed again, a harsh, wet sound. “Can we leave the past in the past? It was a mistake I regret every day. But once you become a Packahn, you can easily crumble them. Misha, There’s no time to argue. I’ve arranged the ceasefire for one week. You need to be there, at least for her. For this war to end.”