LOGINEvander walked Elena to her room to rest, but they were both on edge. Alistair was watching them from a distance."Maybe you should come inside with me," Elena said as Evander was about to turn away at the threshold. "I don't want Father to get suspicious if we sleep in separate rooms."Evander froze, looking at her with uncertainty."I don't want to impose. It's alright if you're not comfortable with it. I can just sleep by the fireplace later," Evander said awkwardly.Elena watched him. He seemed clumsy and couldn't meet her gaze, even as they stood facing each other. She glanced over Evander's shoulder and saw Alistair smiling at them while chatting with Bram and Emily."Father is still watching us," Elena said, looking up at Evander. Their eyes met, only a few inches apart.Evander was silent, swallowing nervously."Aren't you going to do something?" Elena asked, her voice low.Stunned, Evander stared at her."I just don't want to make you angry again," he admitted frankly.Elena
Elena had just woken up when Emily walked into her room. She winced, feeling a throbbing pain in her head.“Good morning, Ma’am,” Emily greeted cheerfully, carrying a tray with chocolate toast and a glass of warm milk.“I just woke up, Emily. You can’t expect me to eat right away,” Elena said with a soft chuckle, her eyes not yet fully open.Emily laughed lightly in response. “It’s okay. Today you need to wake up and get all dressed up,” she said, poking her own cheek with her index finger in an adorable gesture, like a girl from a Korean drama.Elena laughed, charmed by her antics. “What’s the special occasion? Did Bram propose to you?” she asked.Emily let out a small huff. “Ah, Ma’am, you went straight there,” she grumbled, her face turning bright red.Elena giggled. “Why? Haven’t you two been dating for a long time? Don’t think I don’t know,” she teased, throwing back the covers and swinging her legs over the side of the bed.Emily's face turned an even deeper shade of crimson, li
“Hazel!”Hazel stopped and turned around.Bram was walking toward her. He stopped just a few steps away, and they stood facing each other.“Can I talk to you for a moment?” Bram asked.Hazel froze, but then she nodded. Bram gestured for Hazel to lead the way, and he followed a step behind her.The hospital cafeteria was quiet that night, with only a few nurses and staff members still there, finishing their shifts. Bram and Hazel headed to a quiet corner, away from the sparse foot traffic.“Here,” Bram said, pulling out a chair for her.Hazel would normally have been cold and proud, but her heart was too fragile at that moment. The small gesture of kindness felt deeply significant. It made her choke back a sob, and she began to cry silently.Bram turned away for a moment, walking to the counter to order drinks for them both. He gave her some space, and by the time he returned, Hazel had calmed down enough to take a sip of the warm, sweet tea he’d brought her.“What did you want to talk
Hazel helped Evander clean up the remains of his dinner, moving the tray near the door to make it easier for the staff to collect.“How are you feeling now?” Hazel asked, watching him closely.“A little better, but everything is still too blurry to see clearly at night like this,” Evander replied, blinking.“The shrapnel injured your retina, so you’ll need time to recover,” Hazel said.Evander fell silent, resting his head back on the pillow, his eyes staring blankly at nothing. Hazel let out a long sigh. She knew what he was thinking about.“What are you going to do next?” Hazel asked, sitting beside him and gently rubbing his arm.Evander took another heavy breath. “I’m going to find Noah. After this, it will probably be easier for me to leave my job,” he answered, half lost in thought. “It seems my prayers were answered. God gave me this injury so I’d have a good excuse for my superiors,” he continued with a bitter laugh.“I can’t see clearly, Hazel,” Evander said again.Hazel pres
Elena felt as if her feet were floating, her steps weightless and her mind a complete blank. The only thing she could see was Noah's face. After so many years apart, after a long and agonizing search, she had been just a breath away from holding her son again. Yet, God had blocked her path, placing Dom squarely between her and Noah.The man had refused to grant Elena any access, not even a simple glimpse of her son.“Ma’am…” Emily sobbed softly, looking at Elena. She could feel the woman’s heart shattering after what had just happened.“What am I supposed to do now, Emily? My life is meaningless if I can’t hold Noah again,” Elena said. Her eyes stared blankly into the distance, her face cold and stiff from the tears that had long since dried.“Don’t give up, Ma’am! We have to keep trying to convince Mr. Dom to give you a chance to see Noah!” Emily said, wiping her own tears away as she held onto Elena, who seemed to be walking without a soul.Emily then guided Elena to a small stone b
Evander winced against the glare as the doctor removed the bandages from his eyes."Don't force it just yet, Sir," the doctor advised.Evander nodded. His eyes still felt sore and painful, though it had subsided slightly now that the metal fragments were gone."Try to open your eyes slowly," the doctor said, "and then tell me what you see."Evander blinked slowly, gradually opening his eyelids, allowing the light to filter in as his retinas adjusted.Finally, his eyes were fully open. Evander looked around, his gaze scanning the room."Can you see the object over there?" the doctor asked, pointing to a painting of flowers on the wall.Evander followed the doctor's finger, but his gaze fell on Elena. He could see her standing there, watching him. Only..."It's a little... foggy," Evander said softly.They all exchanged glances. The doctor understood Evander's condition immediately."It seems there's a slight visual impairment. We'll conduct further examinations later," the doctor said.







