Twisted Ties of Love

Casey's words made Izabella forget all her fear. She looked at him blankly, her eyes like cracked crystals, as if they would shatter into a pool of water with the slightest movement. "Do you remember?"

Casey unlocked the chains binding Izabella's wrists, his hand trembling slightly with emotion. He cradled Izabella's wet face, gently brushing the strands of hair from her face behind her ears. "I remember," Casey said hoarsely. "I remember Bella, the Cry Baby who could only be pacified with cotton candy. I remember the promise to carry you home."

Izabella blinked, hot tears falling from her eyes. She didn't want to cry, but she couldn't control her tears.

"Ryker."

"Hmm."

Izabella cried out with a sob.

"It's me. It's always been me." Izabella called, and Casey answered, gently wiping the tears from her face. "My Cry Baby, how can you still be so tearful when you've grown up?" Izabella shook her head. Now was not the time to dwell on the past.

The man she loved had finally come to take her away. They both had to survive and get out of here safely. Izabella thought of Nathaniel's words and tightened her grip on Casey. "We need to leave quickly, it's dangerous here."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Nathaniel's voice could be heard. "Where do you think you're going?"

Casey tensed, cradling Izabella in one arm, his eyes scanning the room.

He had a feeling there was an ambush waiting for them since before they entered, but he didn't care about the danger as soon as he saw Izabella tied up.

Izabella bit her lip, hearing the sounds of fighting and even gunfire outside. She looked at the door just a few steps away. They could escape if they ran a little bit more, but it seemed so far away. Nathaniel was surrounded by eight or nine burly men, each one tall and menacing, radiating a lethal aura.

They were armed with knives, metal rods, and syringes.

Izabella looked at Casey, their eyes met, and their fingers intertwined.

They didn't speak, but they understood each other perfectly. From each other's eyes, they only saw one thing - they wanted to go home safely.

"If we can make it home safely, Bella, will you marry me?"

Tears welled up in Izabella's eyes again. She nodded, her nose red.

Casey smiled.

Izabella cautioned, "Be careful of the syringes they are holding."

Seeing their clasped hands, Nathaniel's expression darkened. The commotion outside was getting louder, and people would soon be rushing in. He had to act quickly. "Attack!"

Casey took a deep breath, his eyes blazing. He moved quickly, protecting Izabella while fighting the men.

Casey was fast and ruthless, like a pouncing leopard, dodging the men who attacked him.

But he was outnumbered, and he had to protect Izabella. He took punches, his clothes were cut by knives, the blades grazing his skin.

Izabella was terrified. This was even scarier than when she had been kidnapped. This scene was too familiar - Casey, Nathaniel, and herself, unable to move, it was just like seven years ago.

She didn't want Casey to get hurt because of her. They had agreed to get out of here alive, but she was the first to back down.

She looked at the hand holding onto his tightly, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nathaniel's malicious gaze. Following his gaze, Izabella looked to her right and saw a man swinging a metal rod at Casey.

Casey was dealing with the men on his left in order to protect Izabella, and he wouldn't be able to dodge the incoming rod.

Izabella immediately let go of his hand, trying to push him away. Casey had sensed her intentions - the moment she let go of his hand, he held on tighter. "Casey, let go of me. You'll get hurt."

"I won't let go. Not in this lifetime. Not even in death."

Casey kicked a man away, his eyes bloodshot, full of murderous intent.

The man with the metal rod was just a distraction. The real threat was the man with the syringe, aiming for Izabella's neck.

Casey noticed out of the corner of his eye. He pulled Izabella into his arms and turned his back to the threat.

"Izabella!"

With Casey's shout, Izabella felt dizzy, her brain unable to keep up with the speed of her body. She was pulled into Casey's chest, her face buried in his torso.

Izabella felt Casey's grip on her tighten slightly, and she heard a muffled grunt from him. Izabella felt a pang in her heart and looked up at Casey, who was always protecting her. He was frowning, looking at her with concern. "Are you alright?"

Izabella was still somewhat dazed, not knowing what had just happened. She was about to shake her head when she saw Casey's pale face. A syringe was stuck in his shoulder, filled with a small amount of red liquid.

Izabella's mind went blank.

Nathaniel's words from before echoed in her ears.

A contagion more potent than HIV, transmitted through saliva, blood. Nathaniel had originally planned to inject the drug into Izabella's body, to control her and keep her from being with other men.

But after hearing Izabella's threats, Nathaniel had a change of heart. He planned to inject the drug into Casey.

He knew how deep Izabella and Casey's feelings for each other were. Izabella loved Casey and wouldn't leave him even if he was infected. Because of Casey, she wouldn't "defile" her body. Similarly, Casey wouldn't touch Izabella if he was infected. He would stay away from her.

With this obstacle in their way, they loved each other but couldn't be together. If Casey died from the infection, Izabella would live a life of guilt and loneliness.

That's what Nathaniel wanted. He wanted Izabella to lead a lonely life, so that Bella would be "clean".

Izabella stared blankly at the syringe still lodged in Casey's shoulder. Her eyes were moist and tears were falling graciously, she didn't even know when she started to cry. She managed to murmur "Casey," her voice hoarse and uncomfortable, as if a prickly pear was stuck in her throat, each breath so painful it brought a tremor to her fingertips.

This jab was nothing to Casey, neither painful nor uncomfortable, but he couldn't comprehend why his beloved Izabella was crying so sorrowfully.

The substance in that syringe was obviously a bad news, Izabella had warned him not to touch it.

Nathaniel quickly provided an answer, "The substance injected into your body is a contagious virus, if you don't want Izabella to die, you better let her go."

Nathaniel's smile was sinister and malicious, he enjoyed scenes of parting and despair, indeed the most torturous thing was heartbreak.

Izabella was right, if he couldn't have her, he would destroy everything. Why should she find happiness in another's body after Bell's death?

Upon hearing Nathaniel's words, Casey's pupils contracted sharply. He felt a chill creeping in his body, as if a hand was slowly squeezing his heart.

The hands that held Izabella all this while suddenly let her go.

"Casey!" Izabella grabbed his sleeve, "You promised you wouldn't let go."

Casey's voice was soft and calm, "I might have been infected with the virus Nathaniel mentioned, Izabella, don't touch me."

"I will die from viral infections!"

"Izabella, I don't want you to die."

Casey's voice was hoarse, he didn't know how lethal this virus was, or how contagious, the only solution he could think of was to keep distance from Izabella. But Izabella's grip on his sleeve tightened. When Izabella heard Casey, she felt as if each bone in her body was being crushed one by one, her ears stinging. She didn't catch what Casey was saying afterwards, her eyes focused on his lips, she leaned in, hooked her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Casey froze for a moment, then started struggling fiercely, his eyes redder than before.

Izabella clung to him, bit through Casey's lips, deepening the kiss until she tasted a strong flavor of blood, then she let go.

Izabella's lips were also broken, mingling saliva and blood.

"The virus can be transmitted through blood and saliva!"

"I know." Izabella interrupted Casey as soon as he began speaking, a smile appeared on her lips, "It's contagious, it's fatal, Casey do you think I could live without you?"