Chapter 11

A surge of anger flared up in Caspian as he charged forward, kicking the homeless men away. "Get out of here!" His eyes were filled with pain as he looked at the disheveled woman on the ground. Regret and guilt weighed heavily on his chest, suffocating him. It was so close. If he had been even a moment later, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Carefully, Caspian removed his coat and draped it over Shannon's exposed body. Trembling, he cradled her in his arms. "Shannon..." His voice quivered, tinged with a faint sob. Shannon struggled to open her eyes. Her voice was laced with bitterness as she asked, "Are you happy now, Caspian? Look at what I've become." Caspian stiffened, his face contorted with agony. "No, I just wanted you to cool down. I didn't know any of this would happen—" "You didn't know, but you didn't protect me either! If it weren't for your indulgence toward Elsie, how could she have done this to me?" Shannon weakly pushed against his chest, trying to