"He's hurt real bad. Can you guys carry him inside? Then, get some hot water and clean towels ready. I will help him get the bullet out."

Gabriel quickly got someone to do it.

They brought Bradley up to a small room on the first floor. Freya took the clean towels and gently wiped his body. She made sure not to let the wounds touch seawater, as that could cause infection.

"Hang on, I'll get that bullet out for you. There's no anesthesia, so if it hurts, just bite down on this towel," Freya offered. She prepared to insert the towel into his mouth, but the man turned his head to avoid it.

Grabbing her slim wrist with his powerful, thin arm, he then said, "No need, I've got this."

"Okay, then try not to talk too much. It might strain the wound," Freya reminded him. She lowered her gaze to the gunshot wound on his back, furrowing her brows.

Bradley curled his lips. Did her words just now mean she was being concerned about him?

Seeing her frowning, Bradley suddenly felt like taking that bullet was worth it.

Freya knew he was watching her, but she was too busy with the gunshot wound to spare him any attention. Once she found the spot, she grabbed a dagger and aimed right at the bullet.

It's hard to say whether Bradley was enduring it well or he could only groan softly. His usually pale, handsome face now appeared almost translucent. Sweat dripped down his defined back, mixing with the blood.

Freya was also covered in sweat, but she remained entirely focus on her actions, and didn't let anything distract her.

Some hot beads of sweat fell directly on Bradley's exposed back skin.

…

Outside, a bunch of people were waiting anxiously, especially Gabriel. He looked super serious and couldn't sit still, pacing back and forth.

"Don't worry. Freya is really good at medicine, so this little surgery is easy for her. But there's no anesthesia on the ship, so Bradley has to bear a bit more pain."

After hearing what she said, Gabriel felt better and relaxed a bit, letting go of some of the tension he was feeling.

"Bradley can definitely handle this bit of pain. But with his skills, how did he end up getting injured so badly?"

Gabriel couldn't quite understand. Even if everyone on that ship were addicts, with Bradley's skills, it shouldn't have been difficult for him to escape unharmed. Yet he managed to get himself into such a bad condition.

This made him somewhat suspicious, wondering if he himself had leaked the information.

Two hours later, the door was opened, and Freya walked out from inside, looking exhausted.

Gabriel hurried over and asked, "How did it go? Is Bradley okay?"

Freya rubbed her forehead and said with a rough voice, "The bullet's out, but he has lost a lot of blood, and without anesthesia, he's pretty weak right now."

"Alright, I'll go in and check on him!" Gabriel stepped in quickly. At that moment, Bradley was lying on the bed, his face was extremely pale.

Closing the door softly, Gabriel then asked straightforwardly, "Tell me, how did you get hurt? With your skills, this kind of mistake shouldn't happen."

Holding his chest, Bradley smirked, "If I hadn't done this, how could I win that woman's heart?"

Yes, he could've dodged that bullet, but all he could think about at the time was figuring out if that woman really cared about him.

Therefore, he used his own back to shield her from that shot.

He didn't expect that Gabriel could read him so easily.

"Bradley, I can't believe you're actually gone insane, risking your life for a woman?" Gabriel found it ridiculous, even unimaginable.

Bradley used to do whatever it took to get what he wanted, but now he's lost his mind over a woman!

"When you truly fall for a woman, you'll go mad just like me!" Bradley laid on the bed, despite the pain, there was always a faint smile on his handsome face.

His fingertips lightly traced his lips, still carrying her scent.

When he was in intense pain just now, Freya kissed his lips like that. Even though it was a very gentle and soft kiss, it made him feel incredibly content.

Seeing him smile as he touched his lips, Gabriel felt a sense of utter horror.

In the past, when Bradley smiled, it meant someone was about to get hurt. But now, he smiled because of a woman.

"Seeing you act this crazy for love, I think I never want to fall in love. Life is much more important than any woman," Gabriel said, his face blank as if he recalled something. I just found out Freya is quite mysterious. Turns out she knows medicine too. Just now, she even jumped into the sea to save you. You two really seem like a couple who've been through a lot together."

"She was indeed a skilled doctor named Lexi. Maybe she has other identities I'm not aware of. But what did you just say? She jumped into the sea to find me?"

Bradley's heart trembled slightly. So, Freya had specifically come back to save him just now?

"Yes, she jumped without saying a word. I couldn't stop her." Bradley shook his head helplessly.

Bradley stayed quiet, but the grin on his face grew even wider.

Freya had gradually opened up her heart to him, letting him in step by step. Before long, he would completely capture her heart, and she would willingly remain by his side.

"Looks like women are all you can think about now. Forget it, I'm leaving," Gabriel said, turning to go.

"Wait," Bradley called out to him.

"Yes?"

"What about Herbie, did you catch him?"

"Don't worry, he's in our hands. I've got someone keeping an eye on him all the time, he won't run off," Gabriel glanced back at him. "And Wilson, I've also had him restrained. You can deal with him when you get back."

"Okay, you can go now," Bradley waved his hand.

Gabriel's mouth twitched.

What about our friendship?

At a critical moment, best friends are just tools to be used!

Gabriel didn't quite understand this saying before, but today he fully understood. No matter how tough a guy was, as soon as he met a woman he loved, he became as gentle as a lamb.

"Bradley, even if she's not a fool, like you said, she's got too many secrets, and maybe even other identities we don't know about. She's like a ticking bomb. Are you sure you want to keep her?"

Bradley knew he shouldn't ask this way, but he just couldn't bear to see his best friend go crazy for love, even risking his life.

While outside, Freya was just going to open the door, when she heard this and she stopped in her tracks.

She should've left, but for some weird reason, she leaned in closer to listen.

For some reason, she just wanted to hear Bradley's answer.

"She won't harm me," Bradley's voice lowered, his cold eyes narrowing as if contemplating. Suddenly, he felt a desire to confide, "She pretended to be clueless to get close to me, and at first, I was really angry."

"But then I realized, the more time I spent with her, the deeper my feelings grew. It got to the point where I couldn't control them anymore. I didn't just want her around, I wanted her to be mine forever, never able to escape from my grasp."