YELLOW

PART 21

My thoughts were racing, and tears blurred my vision as I lay on the leather backseat of the Range Rover. What had just happened? The echo of the bullet tearing through Robert's head haunted me, and the image of his blood filled my mind.

What had I done? I had promised myself I wouldn't become what Robert wanted, but in the end, he succeeded. Even though he was the one who died, I felt like the failure.

"Marcus, you're a free man," Garrett said, stopping the car in front of the hospital where Olivia was. I sat up slightly, looking at him through the rear window. "What do you mean?" I asked, confused since the USB was still with me.

"Flávio knew it wasn't over. He updated the file online and sent it to all local authorities, announcing you're no longer a man on the run," Garrett explained. I turned to look at the large hospital building. I had been on the run for so long that freedom seemed like just a word.

My phone rang, and I pulled it from my pocket. Anastasia was calling insistently. I hoped she made it out of the building safely, but my priority was finding out how Olivia was doing.

Anastasia's moans filled the room as she moved on top of me while I lay on the bed, gazing out the window. She bit my lip until it bled, her groans intensifying. I wrapped my hand around her throat, my fingertips pressing into her neck, almost suffocating her as I made her look at the lustful expression on my face reflected in the window.

Anastasia was wild. We explored so many things together, things I never imagined existed. She kept me both intrigued and on my toes.

I remembered her standing by the stove, playing AC/DC songs, her hair a wild mess. The wooden floor creaked as she danced.

It felt different from what I was used to. Olivia had always embodied a certain classiness, and my attraction to her felt akin to being drawn to the moon after having loved the sun so deeply.

She approached me, fork in hand, with some pesto pasta on it, whispering, "Open up, be a good boy." I smiled, took a bite, and crossed my arms, nodding in delight. "How much longer do I have to love you?" I joked, prompting Anastasia to roll her eyes. "That depends on how much you plan to please me today," she replied, grabbing my hands and pulling me closer, letting my palm rest against her chest. She truly was the wildest girl.

We had lived together for a while, and even though we hadn't officially labeled our relationship, there was an undeniable connection between us. Yet, she was the kind of person who avoided naming things, keeping everything ambiguous.

I glanced down at my phone as Anastasia called. I stared at it for a moment before turning it off and walking into the hospital. Even in that moment, Olivia remained the most important person in my life, even if she didn't seem to recognize or care about it.

As I entered, nurses and doctors bustled through the corridor until I reached the reception desk. "Hi," I greeted, but the man in front of me chewed his food so loudly that it grated on my nerves.

"How can I help you?" he asked, his tone almost sarcastic.

"I'm looking for Olivia Bougeris. I heard she's been hospitalized here," I responded.

After typing a few details into his computer, he looked up and said, "She's fine—out of danger." A wave of relief washed over me.

"You're here for the baby?" he continued, glancing up at me. I looked around before nodding. "The baby is in the nursery next to Olivia's room, Room 101," he instructed.

The baby?...

I dragged my feet toward the room he had mentioned but paused at the nursery. Standing by the glass, I gazed at a tiny baby swaddled in a yellow blanket, nestled in an incubator.