"Too late!" Her emotions erupted. "What gives you the right to say you were wrong after destroying everything?"
"I understand." I took a deep breath. "I know no apology can heal your pain. But I must tell you—"
I dropped to my knees.
Noelle stared in shock, eyes wide.
"Kholod! You—"
"I'm sorry." I bowed my head, voice breaking. "Noelle, I'm sorry."
"Get up." Noelle stammered.
"I shouldn't have doubted you." I raised my reddened eyes. "Shouldn't have believed Isabella's lies, shouldn't have been deceived by fabricated evidence, and I never should have... hurt you like that."
"Kholod, get up..."
"No." I shook my head. "Noelle, I must apologize on my knees."
"Kholod Morozov!" She raised her voice. "Get up!"
"Not unless you forgive me."
"Never!" She pounded the bed rail in fury. "You think kneeling erases what you did? I would never—"
She stopped mid-sentence, her face flushing red, breathing becoming rapid again.
"Kholod! You promised you wouldn't hurt her anymore!"
Lorenzo burst in, shoving me aside and quickly placing the oxygen mask over Noelle's face. He glared at me with blazing eyes.
I'd messed up again. My fists clenched until my knuckles went white. Once again, I'd hurt her.
Lorenzo hauled me to my feet and drove his fist into my face. The impact sent me staggering backward, my lower back hitting the wall.
"You bastard!" He landed another punch to my stomach. "You promised you wouldn't hurt her again!"
Nausea churned through me. Instinctively, I raised my fist to retaliate—
But seeing Noelle struggling to breathe on the bed, all fight drained from me.
It was me.
I did this to her again.
I unclenched my fist, dropping all resistance.
Lorenzo hesitated momentarily, then unleashed even more violent punches.
One, two, three...
My lip split, blood poured from my nose, my eye socket swelled. Each blow carried his hatred. I didn't dodge or defend, just let him vent his rage.
"You know how much she's suffered!" He roared. "And now you do this to her again! She's lying in a hospital bed, you bastard!"
Another punch struck my face.
"Do you know what she—"
