"Fucking disgrace!" the booming voice rips through my sleep like a thunderclap, startling me awake. My eyes snap open, and my muscles tense instinctively as I remain lying on the hospital bed, my back turned to Logan. Every fiber of my being is frozen, my heart lodged in my throat.
From behind me, I hear my beloved reasoning with a hint of desperation, "Father, please. There are others in this hospital."
"Ah my ever-heroic son, always prioritizing others!", Mr. Cross's sneer emanates from the phone, dripping with venomous disdain. "Are you going to sacrifice your own future for their sake as well?! Why don't you consider becoming a measly trainer since you keep plummeting to fucking zero?!"
My hands curl into fists as I listen in on their conversation. "I take full responsibility for the oversight.", Logan asserts. "I should have personally scouted the location and assessed the targets instead of relying on the incomplete information provided by Nexus."
The retired hunter scoffs condescendingly, "Of course, you should have." There's a moment of heavy silence before he demands, "I expect a commission report first thing in the morning."
"Yes, father."
"It's evident that you're incapable of steering your trajectory toward success, so I'll have to take over the reins! Get off your ass; your vacation is over! You're getting discharged tonight."
"Understood.", Logan replies, his voice tight with suppressed emotion.
"Good. And your pathetic partnership isn't sailing anywhere.", Mr. Cross continues with contempt. "I'll present you with three potential candidates to switch partners with, in an hour. Review them and finalize one by the time of your discharge."
My heart stops for a split moment and the blood in my veins turns to ice. With bated breath, I await Logan's reply, my mind racing with a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. A part of me clings to the belief that he could never do that to me, that our bond is unbreakable. But deep down...I know the limits of my beloved, the extent of the pressure he's under...and the fear of losing him threatens to consume me whole.
"Switch partners?", Logan repeats, his shock palpable in his tone. "I don't require a new partner, father."
"As if you know what you require!", his father's retort is sharp, his frustration evident in every syllable. "If you truly understood what's best for you, you would've achieved the gold tag months ago instead of dragging that dead weight with you!"
"Please refrain from speaking ill of Collen.", the male interjects, his tone a hint sharper now, "He has contributed his utmost to our partnership."
"What does that fuck face even have to contribute?! Other than perhaps his ass to those monsters..."
"Father!" I involuntarily jerk in response to the sudden rise in my love's voice. In an instant, Logan's hand rests on my head, his fingers gentle as they weave through my locks in an attempt to comfort me in my 'sleep'. Transitioning to a more composed demeanor, he adds, "I'm not abandoning Collen."
There's a tense silence that stretches on for what feels like an eternity, and for a moment, I dare to hope that perhaps Mr. Cross has relented. But then his enraged words erupt like a searing roar through the phone once more, "You Fucking piece of shit dared raise your voice at me?! And since when do you have the audacity to deny me?! Have you forgotten who you're addressing?? Have you forgotten how you used to cower at my feet, whimpering and begging for mercy?? Perhaps it's high time you were disciplined once again!"
Agony grips my chest as memories flood back, vivid and living. I see Logan's face contorted in agony, his dilated pupils locking onto mine with desperate pleading.
