When Life Takes a Turn – Chapter 1143

Zayn’s piercing eyes bore through Mr. Hyde’s. When he spoke, his somber tone hid an undercurrent of pleas.

“Please. Help me this one last time.”

Mr. Hyde watched the young man before him as his entire being trembled. An apocalyptic battle of emotions was raging in his head.

His whole life had been dedicated to his Lady Hayley King. His life was hers to command. She commanded him to protect and take care of her only son a long time ago, and that had been his raison d’étre, his entire point of existence, ever since.

But now he had to watch the object of his life’s mission die before his eyes, and there was nothing he could do about it. He was that helpless, that wanting of power. No one could understand the pain this whole thing was causing to him.

Mr. Hyde burst into tears.

He had felt despair before. When he faced Diego with what he had thought was his last stand, Mr. Hyde had felt despair but not sorrow.

He did not even blink, but now, he was crying. He was weeping so much that it surprised him how long his eyes had not gotten wet.

“N-no, Young M-Master, I…” his voice cracked and faltered.

Zayn felt a small lump in his throat. He did care about Mr. Hyde. After all, he was one of his first acquaintances in life, and the one who had taught him how to fight. Mr. Hyde was his master and teacher in a sense that he had been the one who introduced him to this side of the world.

He took a deep breath and squeezed out a smile.

“I’m really sorry, Mr. Hyde, but I really need you to help me with this. Time’s running out. I need you to ensure that I didn’t do all of this for naught, okay?”

The older man lowered his head, having lost any courage to look into the eyes of his failure.

He winced as he nodded, as though the act brought him pain, before squeezing a couple of words out of his clenched jaw. “Y-yes, sir.”

Zayn’s small smile widened into a beaming grin. He turned to Faye and called out, “Go back with Mr. Hyde, honey.”

The conversation between the men had not been muted to Faye. Now, upon knowing what he had done for her, she was sobbing to herself too, before throwing her arms around Zayn and shrieking, “I’m not going! I don’t want you to do any of this! I don’t want you to be gone from my life!”

The lump in Zayn’s throat grew even bigger. He had to force it back from unfurling into tears so that he could face her with a smile.

Ruffling Faye’s hair gently, he replied, “You’re being silly again, Fifi. I told you I’ll be fine, didn’t I? Why do you think I’ll be gone? Now, go back to the hospital and wait for my return, alright?”

Faye’s face was marred with violent tears. “No! No! I’m not going anywhere, never!” she cried while shaking her head.

“You’re lying to me! I heard every word you two said from here. I know people are hunting you down to k-k-kill you! And all of them are those stupidly powerful types and you’re not gonna beat them, and you’re gonna die because of this. Y-you!”

Her rant faltered as she choked on her overflowing tears.

She pummeled Zayn’s chest over and over in hysterical grief, hurt that this was even happening, livid that he was doing it for her. “You s-selfish piece of prick! Why did you do this?! Why didn’t you ask me before making this s-stupid *ss decision, why?! I should be the one to die!”

“What makes you think you can just… exchange your life for mine?! I hate you, Zayn Larson, I hate you!”

Zayn clenched his teeth tightly. He said nothing. He did not even move away from her.

Then, his hands moved in and held hers. “Fifi.”

“Listen to me. Do not tell anyone about what happened today, not even Mom and Dad. Not a word to anyone,” he said, his eyes unflinching.

“Should… should I fail to return later, give me a year’s time. If I’m still gone within that time frame, then don’t wait for me anymore. Let me go in your memories and live, okay?”

Faye was sniveling and weeping so hard that everything that came out of her lips was slurred.

Her knees would have given out and crashed to the floor if she did not have the Aeon Karpos’ unbridled vitality circulating within her veins.

Nevertheless, Faye hated how energetic she felt. She hated the fact that her cells were coming alive. She wanted no part of it, not at Zayn’s expense.

Zayn could sense Ezra’s aura from several kilometers away. The most dangerous man was coming.

There was no time to waste. Cupping her cheeks, Zayn’s lips met Faye’s cherry-red slices as hard as he could for three seconds. Then, he pulled away, steeled himself, and knocked her out in the gentlest way possible with his superhuman skill.

He placed the young woman into the car as smoothly as he could and helped put on her safety belt.

“It’s time, Mr. Hyde. Do what you gotta do Don’t let me down,” he said.

Mr. Hyde knew that nothing he said could change Zayn’s mind, so he simply stared deep at him before replying gravely, “You have to live, Young Master. I will wait for your return!”

Zayn flashed him a breezy smile.

“I plan to.”