Lahat ng Kabanata ng After I Died, He Truly Panicked: Kabanata 361 - Kabanata 370

Regina’s POVIf I thought the kids wouldn’t mind being left behind, I was sorely mistaken.Mia pouted the entire way to school that morning, her little arms crossed and her bottom lip sticking out in the most dramatic display of defiance she could muster.“It’s not fair,” she muttered, kicking at the back of my seat from her booster. “You and Daddy get to go on a trip, and we have to stay home. That’s mean, Mommy.”I sighed, forcing a patient smile as I glanced at her through the rearview mirror. “It’s not like that, sweetheart. It’s not a fun trip. Mommy and Daddy have work to do there.”“But you always say work can be fun if you love what you do,” she argued, parroting back my own words to me.I almost laughed, almost, but then she slumped into her seat with a huff, and guilt hit me like a dull ache behind my ribs.When we reached the school gates, Maxwell was already there with Ivan, standing just a little ways off near the black SUV that always looked too sleek for school drop-off

Regina’s POVThe sky was still dark when I left the house.The clock on the dashboard read 6:37 a.m., too early for thoughts, too early for emotions. And yet my mind was already spinning.Mia was half-asleep, clutching her little plush dragon.Ivan was supposed to be at the Veyron estate this weekend. The plan had been set days ago, Maxwell and I had both agreed it was better for the kids to spend time together while we were gone.But when I’d texted Maxwell thirty minutes ago to check in, there had been no reply.I glanced at the phone again at a red light, the silence of the road stretching long and thin. Delivered. Not read.I forced a smile into my voice when I spoke to Mia. “I’m sure Ivan’s still sleeping, sweetheart. You know he loves to stay in bed late on Saturdays.”Mia mumbled something unintelligible, her cheek pressed against the window. I brushed her hair back gently. “Go back inside, okay? Grandma’s up, and she’ll make you pancakes.”Mia nodded reluctantly. “You’ll call

Regina’s POVI froze when I saw Joshua Beck through the peephole.The sight of him standing there, casual, self-assured, as if he belonged anywhere he pleased, made my pulse skip a beat.Of all people to be knocking on my door in Brimworth, he was the last one I wanted to deal with.“Wait,” I called out before he could knock again. My voice came out sharper than intended. “Just—wait a second.”He didn’t reply, but I could almost sense the smirk on his face through the door.My mind raced. The last thing I needed was for anyone to see Joshua at my door, especially after the morning’s argument with Maxwell.Gossip had a way of multiplying like wildfire on business trips, and Joshua Beck’s presence anywhere near me was a spark I couldn’t afford.I quickly threw off my bathrobe and scrambled into the first pair of jeans and a sweater I could find. My hair was still damp, curling slightly around my shoulders.I caught sight of myself in the mirror and sighed. There was no fixing the exhaus

Maxwell’s POVThe drive back from Brimworth was long, but unlike the tense silence that had filled the morning journey, this one was lined with quiet reflection.I leaned back in my seat, my mind still circling around everything we’d seen, the cracked stonework, the tired arches, the history embedded in every inch of the town. It had been a good trip, I thought. Productive. At least, from a work perspective.Clara sat in the passenger seat beside me, typing something into her tablet. Her hair was tied up neatly, though a few strands had slipped loose from the drive and now framed her face in the dim light from the dashboard.“This trip was worth it,” I said, breaking the quiet. “At least now we know how to approach the designs. We can’t treat Brimworth like a new build—it’s a restoration, a conversation with history.”Clara smiled faintly, not looking up from her screen. “I agree. We’ll need to retain the core structure, preserve the facades… it’ll be a balance of restraint and innova

Regina’s POVThe drive to Saint Mary’s felt like it would never end.The city lights blurred against the windshield, my hands trembling so hard on the steering wheel I could barely keep the car straight.Every few seconds I glanced back at the backseat where Mia lay limp against my mother’s lap, her small face ghost-pale in the dim light. Her lips moved faintly, like she was trying to say something, but no words came.“Mommy’s here, sweetheart,” I said, my voice cracking. “We’re almost there, okay? Just—just stay with me.”My mother’s voice broke behind me. “She’s burning up, Regina.”“I know, I know,” I whispered. I pressed harder on the accelerator.When the glowing red letters of Saint Mary’s Private Hospital finally came into view, I felt my throat close up. This was the same place she had been saved last time. The same place Alexander had handed over a part of himself so she could live.We’d thought we’d beaten this. We’d thought we were past the nights of terror and waiting room