Semua Bab LOVE BUILT IN BLOOD : Bab 11 - Bab 14

The air in the office went instantly thin.I stood frozen in the doorway, my hand still resting on the frame, my heart slamming violently against my ribs. The sheer absurdity of the image in front of me took a full five seconds to process the sterile white walls, the smell of antiseptic, Dr. Peter sweating through his white coat, and Ronan Siren sitting like he owned the entire wing.Which, I reminded myself with a sudden, sickening jolt, he practically did."What are you doing here?" My voice came out lower than I intended, rough with the exhaustion of a twenty-four-hour shift and laced with outright hostility."Quinn," Dr. Peter interjected quickly, his hands hovering nervously over the file on his desk as he looked between us. "Please, step in and close the door. We were just discussing your mother's case…""He has no business discussing my mother's case," I snapped, stepping into the room and letting the door click shut behind me. I kept my eyes locked on Ronan. "I asked you

"Quinn? What is it? What happened?"Neha’s voice cut through the ringing in my ears, but her face felt blurred, far away."It's nothing," I lied, my tone totally flat as I forced my hand to drop away from the phone. "Just... news from the hospital.""Good news or bad news?" she asked, leaning over the desk to try and read my face. "You look like you've seen a ghost.""Good news," I said, forcing a faint, tight nod that felt entirely fake. "They found a grant. A non-profit foundation stepped in to clear the debt and put Mum on the priority donor list."Neha blinked, taking a small step back in surprise. "Wait, really? That fast? Quinn, that’s incredible.""Yeah," I muttered, staring past her toward Chief John's closed office door. "Incredible.""Which foundation?" she asked, her investigator’s eye instantly sharpening. "Was it local?""I don't know," I lied again, turning my face toward my computer screen to break eye contact. "It was just an automated notification. I haven't talked to