Betrayed By Husband, Stolen By Brother In Law
Chapter 319: Instinct

Chapter 319: Instinct

’Melanie’ opened her eyes slowly, wincing at the dull, persistent pain that radiated through her entire body. Every limb ached, and even the simple act of blinking felt like an effort. She had been slapped, shoved, and thrown out of the car after the accident- and it had taken every last ounce of strength, sheer willpower, and desperation to stumble her way to the hospital before collapsing just inside the entrance.

Now, as her vision adjusted to the sterile white of the hospital room, her gaze swept the space cautiously, her heart picking up speed at the unfamiliar surroundings. Then her eyes landed on something-someone- that made it skip altogether.

Adam.

He was sitting there, right next to her bed, his head tilted forward, eyes closed, as if he’d been keeping vigil for hours. His presence caught her off guard and yet warmed her as she realized her situation. It had ben spur of the moment thing. When those people had asked for her name, her intuition had somehow warned her... It was such a stroke of luck.

As she stared at him, she wanted to say something, ask him why he was there, how long he had been sitting like that and where Melanie was, but her throat was far too dry, and the words died before they even reached her lips.

A faint sound escaped her anyway and somehow, Adam seemed to sense it immediately. His eyes opened sharply, focused on her in an instant. Without a word, he reached for the water jug on the side table, poured a glass, and brought it carefully to her lips, guiding the straw so she could drink. His movements were quiet, gentle, but practiced—almost like he’d been waiting for her to wake up.

She sipped slowly, her eyes never leaving his face as she came to a realisation... He thought she was Melanie...

She sipped slowly, her eyes never leaving his face as she felt the butterflies in her stomach at his care. All she’d wanted was to take place Melanie’s place in his life. There were so many nights she had only thought of that... and now that could be true. This was fate. It had to be. That is why when questioned about her name, she had said her name was Melanie. To the kidnappers and to the hospital staff.

When she had drunk enough, she let the straw fall from her lips and she watched as he moved his hand away. To make sure that what she was thinking was, in fact true, she quickly reached out with trembling fingers and wrapped her hand around his wrist.

She hald expected him to throw her hand away, but then, he turned his hand around, and held hers... She was exhilerated.

In the next moment, she pulled herself up suddenly and without warning threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. Her body shook with sobs as she clung to him and she felt excitement run through her. She was holding him. Adam, the man she had fallen for was hugging her.

Realizing that she was trembling with excitement and that it might make his suspicious, she held him close and whispered, "I was so scared. I didn’t know if I’d make it... I thought I was going to die, Adam..."

Adam froze for a second, clearly taken aback by the sudden outburst. His arms hovered for a moment before one tentatively moved to her back, more out of reflex than comfort. He opened his mouth to say something and reassure her instead of teasing her the way he would, but was interrupted by a firm voice from behind.

"The visit is over. Mr Collins. You already have been informed..."

Adam turned his head and nodded at the officer who had been standing quietly in the corner of the room as the man stepped forward with an impassive face.

Melanie seemed to have not heard the man as she clung to him tighter, as if unwilling to ler go. Adam looked down at Melanie, whose fingers were digging slightly into the fabric of his shirt as though she didn’t want to let go. He hesitated, then gently reached down and began to peel her arms away from his waist with care. She resisted, just for a second, but then finally let go as her hands dropped back to her sides, her eyes brimming with tears.

Adam gave her one last glance as something unreadable flickered across his face before he stepped back and nodded silently to the officer, leaving the door.

As the door closed after him, Melody felt a trace of worry. She was going to be questioned by the police. And now, if she said she was Melody and not Melanie... they would ask questions.. She took in a deep breath, trying to control her fear. No.. by now, Melanie must be with him, if she was right.

And if she was with him, there was no way she would return. Which meant that from this day forward, she would be Melanie.

She shifted slightly, her back pressing against the pillows as she tried to appear calm. But her fingers gripped the blanket a little too tightly, and her chest rose and fell with the nerves she was trying to bury.

The officer pulled a chair closer to the side of the bed and sat down, pulling out a small notepad. His face was unreadable, his voice calm and controlled as he spoke.

"Let’s start with your name."

Her breath caught for the briefest second. She hesitated and then took a deep breath, steadying herself.

"Melanie," she said, forcing a weak smile, "Melanie Collins."

The officer studied her, his pen pausing above the notepad for a second too long before he nodded once and scribbled something down.

"All right, Melanie," he said. "Can you walk me through what happened? From the beginning. Anything you might remember from the moment, your car crashed into the vehicle ahead."

Melody nodded and then said slowly," But before that, officer, can you tell me where is my sister?"

The officer paused and then nodded," Your sister was taken away by the attackers. And this is why I want you to think hard, because anything you might tell us will help us in finding her.."