บททั้งหมดของ Beneath His Cold Vows: บทที่ 51 - บทที่ 56

Alicia's POVI woke to the sterile quiet of the hospital room, the faint hum of machines blending with the slow tick of the wall clock. Morning light spilled thinly through the blinds, pale and sharp. I pressed my face against the crisp pillow, wishing I could disappear into it.My body ached in ways I hadn't known possible. Every muscle burned. My stomach felt hollow, raw, like the space where something had once lived. I hadn't moved when the nurse checked on me last night. I hadn't wanted to. I still didn't.Friday. I remembered the day only because of Lily. She was supposed to have her infusion today, probably the last one. I hadn’t been there yesterday. I hadn’t even called when she texted me. Now my body refused me. My head spun with the memory of that sharp, relentless pain, of my body giving out, of being caught just in time.I tried to sit up, but the room tilted violently, forcing me back onto the bed. My hands clawed at the sheets for some purchase in the world. I wasn't wea

Edward's POV Saturday morning slid past the windshield in soft, washed-out colors. Gray sky. Muted buildings. Trees along the road held their pale green leaves, swaying gently in the quiet breeze, like reluctant witnesses. The world looked drained, as if it had absorbed something it didn’t want to carry.Alicia sat beside me, angled toward her window. Her reflection—pale, fragile—floated faintly in the glass. She hadn’t spoken since we left the hospital. Hands folded in her lap, trembling just enough to see if you were looking closely.I kept my eyes on the road. Gave her that silence. Gave her the choice to look away. For several minutes, I let her stay at that distance, occupying her own space untouched. Then, slowly, I allowed myself a glance at her reflection, not a stare, not a lingering observation, just the first moment I actually looked at her.Her eyes lifted. Met mine for a fleeting second. Enough to catch the concern I hadn’t voiced. Then she turned back to the muted morni

I didn’t have the luxury of hesitation. The board demanded a response before evening, and only one solution remained—Alicia would speak.Five minutes. Maybe more. That was all I needed.If she dressed well, if she stood beside me, if my hand stayed firm at her back, steady enough to anchor her, no one would notice how fragile she really was. Optics first. Truth could wait.I pushed from the desk, reviewing the timeline again. Crisis posts had doubled since morning; the gala video had crossed a million views. PR kept sending drafts. None usable. The pattern was clear: nothing would land unless she appeared.I grabbed the phone. “Leo. Get over here. Finalize the setup downstairs—crew, lighting, and every detail. Neutral backdrop. Make it seamless.”A barked acknowledgment came through the line. I hung up, fingers tapping the desk. A beat of silence stretched as I pictured it: lights adjusted, crew in place, every frame under control, nothing to make her look off.Then the phone rang aga