登入I stood outside the hospital room for a few seconds before pushing the door open again.The moment I stepped inside, Pierce looked up.“Got your bag?”I lifted it slightly.“Yeah.”His attention immediately returned to Leo.The room had settled into a quieter atmosphere while I was gone.Ford was leaning against the wall near the window with his arms folded across his chest.Hayes sat in the chair beside the bed, his phone in one hand while the other rested against the armrest.And Leo…My chest softened instantly.He was still asleep.I walked back toward the bed and sat beside him quietly.For a moment, nobody spoke.The steady beep of the monitor filled the room.Then Leo shifted.I sat upright for a second.His fingers twitched first. Then his eyebrows pulled together.A soft whine escaped him. “Mom…”I immediately leaned forward.“I’m here.”His good eye blinked open slowly.Confusion filled his face.Then his hand moved toward the bandage.The second his fingers touched it, he f
For one long second, neither of us moved.Then Dominic straightened abruptly.Too fast.Like being seen like this was the last thing he wanted.His hand dropped from his chest immediately while his shoulders pulled tighter, his expression shifting back into something controlled. Something composed.But it didn’t settle properly.Not fully.I could still see the strain around his mouth.The uneven rise of his chest.“I’m fine,” he said.His voice came out rough.The lie sat between us instantly.My eyes dropped briefly to his hand still gripping the edge of the car door.His fingers shook once before tightening harder around the metal.I looked away first.“I came for my bag.”Even to my own ears, my voice sounded distant.Dominic blinked slowly like the words took a second longer than normal to reach him.Then he nodded once.“Right.”He reached into his pocket for the keys.But the second he pulled them out, they slipped from his fingers.The keys hit the ground with a sharp metallic
The doctor cleared his throat softly while closing the file in his hand. “We’ll continue monitoring him for a few more hours. One of the nurses will come in shortly to administer another round of medication.”Hayes nodded once. “Thank you, doctor.”The doctor gave a small nod before finally leaving the room.The second the door closed behind him, the atmosphere changed.I felt it immediately.My eyes shifted instinctively toward Dominic near the door.He still hadn’t moved closer.Still standing there quietly.His gaze stayed fixed on Leo’s sleeping face so intensely that something uncomfortable twisted in my chest again.Then Hayes spoke.“You forcefully got a partnership with her for this?”The words sliced through the room calmly.Dominic slowly looked toward him.“To get close to her?” Hayes continued quietly.I felt the tension immediately tighten.Hayes’ expression remained controlled, but I knew him too well.That calmness was dangerous.“But that’s a matter for another day.” H
The door opened slowly beneath my hand.And for one horrible second, I couldn’t breathe.Leo was lying on the hospital bed asleep, his small body almost swallowed by the white sheets. A thick bandage covered his left eye and was wrapped carefully around his head. His tiny fingers rested limply against the blanket while the heart monitor beside him beeped softly in the quiet room.My chest tightened so painfully that my knees nearly weakened.“Oh my God…”The principal and one of Leo’s teachers immediately stood up the second we entered.“Mrs. Sterling,” the principal said quickly, her expression tense. “Please don’t panic. The doctor already checked him. They said the injury looks worse than it actually is, but they still need to monitor him properly.”I barely heard half of what he was saying.My eyes stayed fixed on Leo.The bandage.The dried tear marks still faintly visible near his cheek.My baby.Behind me, the room stayed strangely quiet.Then I realized Dominic hadn’t moved fr
The call ended, but my hand stayed frozen against my ear for a second.I couldn’t breathe properly.My heart was pounding too fast.Too loud.I grabbed my bag immediately from the desk with shaky hands before walking around the table quickly.“What’s going on?” Dominic asked instantly as he followed behind me. “Is everything okay?”I couldn’t answer him.I reached the office door and pushed it open too quickly.Mia wasn’t at her desk.Where the hell was she?“Hey,” Dominic called behind me as I walked quickly down the hallway toward the elevator.My legs felt weak.Unsteady.I could barely feel the floor beneath my heels properly.I just needed to get to the hospital.My baby.The thought alone nearly broke me.My fingers trembled badly as I reached for the elevator button.Then suddenly, my bag slipped from my hands and fell hard against the floor.“Aurelia.”Dominic’s voice sounded sharper this time.Before I could bend down, his hand wrapped carefully around my shoulder and turned
I walked through the lobby with my sunglasses still on despite the cloudy weather outside.I barely slept.Every single time I closed my eyes last night, I kept hearing Camille’s voice again.He said Kash had every right to me.My chest tightened painfully at the memory.I used to think what I went through at the Mercers’ house was hell.But Camille…God.What she survived was something else entirely.The thought alone made something heavy settle deep inside me again.It was terrifying how cruel people could become behind closed doors.How someone could smile in public while destroying another human being privately.Camille was still asleep when I left home this morning with Leo.Before leaving, I made sure Lily stayed around in case Camille woke up uncomfortable or needed anything.The elevator doors slid open softly in front of me.I stepped inside and pressed the button for my floor before leaning lightly against the wall.The ride upward stayed silent.But my mind didn’t.By the t







