?Chapter 1023:


    Katie nced toward Aurora, who was now on the phone. “Come with me.”


    Dunn hesitated, his eyes locked on her right hand, which was buried in her bulging canvas bag. Every instinct screamed caution. He followed her at a deliberate pace, keeping a safe distance.


    But just as he focused on her concealed hand, Katie’s left hand shot forward, flinging a handful of dust into his eyes.


    In the instant before his vision blurred, Dunn caught a glimpse of Katie pulling a gleaming knife from her bag. Aurora had been watching from the car. The moment she saw Dunn in trouble, she bolted out.


    Katie wasn’t after Dunn, though. The realization hit him like a sledgehammer just as his eyes burned with searing pain.


    “Aurora!” he shouted.


    “You should worry about yourself first!” Katie snarled, lunging toward Aurora with the knife raised high.


    Aurora stumbled backward, her heart pounding like a war drum.


    Through the haze of pain, Dunn reached out blindly, his hand finding the strap of Katie’s bag. With all his strength, he yanked, pulling her off bnce. She hit the ground hard, coughing up blood, yet her twisted smile remained, full of sinister satisfaction.


    Aurora’s fear melted into resolve as she rushed to Dunn’s side, supporting him. “We’re going to the hospital right now!”


    Dunn didn’t want to leave things unresolved, but the sting in his eyes was a warning bell—if he dyed treatment, blindness could be the price.


    Grimacing, he dialed a close friend still on campus, telling him to find Katie and keep her restrained.


    Katie wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon, but Aurora, her eyes brimming with unshed tears, tugged urgently at Dunn’s sleeve. “Forget her, Dunn! We need to get you to the hospital—now!”


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    Relenting, he closed his burning eyes and leaned on her for support as she guided him into the car. The moment he settled into the seat, Aurora started the engine, her movements sharp and precise.


    Unable to see, Dunn focused on the sounds around him.


    “Hello? Emergency ophthalmology! I need an appointment immediately. This is critical! We’ll be at the hospital in a few minutes!”


    Dunn, despite the ache in his eyes, tried to reassure her. “Aurora, it’s fine. It was lime, and not much got in. I’ll be okay.”


    Aurora gripped the steering wheel tightly, her eyes locked on the road ahead. When the red light came into view, she hesitated for a split second before pressing the gas and running it.


    When they arrived, a team of doctors was already waiting at the hospital entrance. They whisked Dunn away for immediate treatment.


    The lime had burned his eyes, and though they managed to neutralize the worst of the damage, a faint sting lingered.


    Dunn’s eyes were wrapped in gauze, and the doctors rmended keeping them shielded from sunlight until he healed—temporary blindness was the price for his recovery.


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