Inferno Hearts | Xu Minghao

84. Fading Hope

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Four agonizing hours passed before Minghao finally reached home. His mind was a chaotic whirlwind after parting ways with Nabi, and in the depths of despair, he convinced himself that life held no more meaning.

Determined to escape the torture, he accelerated his vehicle to its limits. However, a haunting question pierced through his despair: Who would be there to save Nabi?

This singular thought compelled him to head back to his members, rather than leaving them to receive a somber call from the police announcing the discovery of his lifeless form.

A palpable fear gripped the members as they saw Minghao's agony upon his return home, anticipating the ordeal he carried from the maison.

When Minghao, summoning the last reserves of his strength, recounted the harrowing events, a stifling silence enveloped them, unbearable in its weight, shattering their hearts.

"I...I can't believe it's real," Hoshi uttered, his voice barely audible, his head shaking in disbelief.

"She couldn't have been telling the truth, right Minghao?" Seungcheol asked, a hint of fear threading through his words.

But he remained silent. His gaze fixed downward, mind adrift, his heart shattered.

"But she appeared so sweet... It's hard to believe someone like her could commit murder," Mingyu mused.

"That's true, hyung. Recall when we visited her apartment? It was all so whimsical—plushies scattered everywhere, cat and dog food for the strays she cared for. I find it hard to believe she could do such a thing," Dino expressed, shaking his head in denial.

"But we're familiar with the current Nabi, not the person she used to be. Let's not overlook the fact that she endured so much because of her father. Maybe she was genuinely desperate to escape, and it just...happened. As she said, it wasn't intentional. But an accident," Wonwoo voiced his reflections with a contemplative tone.

"That seems like a plausible scenario. However, she didn't recall anything until now. What could be the reason for that?" Woozi chimed in.

"Let's not jump to conclusions, guys. Remember, she's still in Kim Sunghoon's clutches. It's likely she was forced to say that," Joshua interjected, observing the emotional conflict each member was in.

"But you didn't see her face, hyung. You didn't hear the tremor in her voice or see her trembling form, the pain etched in her eyes," Minghao barely whispered, his voice hoarse from the cries and screams, his gaze still fixed downward.

As the members turned their gaze towards him, Dokyeom couldn't contain the silent tears streaming down his face, a poignant moment mirrored by Seungkwan.

Minghao lifted his gaze to meet Jeonghan's, finding the elder already looking at him.

"I'm sorry, hyung. I didn't trust you. I truly believed she wasn't responsible for...my sister's death," he admitted with a heavy heart.

"What if she did it to protect you?" Jeonghan inquired, drawing closer to him.

"If you want my honest opinion? I can't bring myself to believe she did it, even after everything she went through because of me. I simply can't trust her guilt," he stated.

Jeonghan commanded the attention of every member, including Minghao and a bewildered Keeho, who, unaware of the full story, wore a look of utter confusion.

"Now, we must devise a plan to rescue her," Jeonghan declared with urgency.

"Keeho," Minghao rasped, his voice echoing through the silence. Keeho met his gaze, and Minghao began. "Gather all your men. I have a plan, but I need more people," he instructed.