Chapter 101: The Encounter

Zara's POVI sit in the hard plastic chair, my hands clasped so tightly my knuckles ache. Liam is inside with the doctors. More blood, more tests, more waiting. The fluorescent lights hum overhead, too bright, too cold. I can hear the soft murmur of voices through the door—the doctor’s calm tone, a nurse’s quiet instructions, and Liam’s small voice asking questions I cannot quite make out. I press my ear closer for a second, just to hear him, just to make sure he is still talking, still present. The fear sits heavy in my chest. The doctor’s earlier words refuse to leave me: We need to monitor him closely. The markers are still elevated. I lean back against the wall and close my eyes, trying to breathe. I can’t fall apart here. Not while he is on the other side of the door. I need to be strong for my baby.Suddenly, I feel chills climbing up my back, and a shift in the air. I look up, and Valerio is standing at the end of the corridor. His face is pale, his jaw tight, his eyes fixed

Chapter 102: The results

Zara's POVThe hospital room is too quiet. The only sounds are the soft beeping of the machines and the shallow rise and fall of Liam’s chest. I sit in the hard plastic chair beside his bed, my hand wrapped around his small fingers. His skin is pale. His dark curls are damp against the pillow. He looks smaller than he did two days ago. I have not slept in two days.I have not eaten anything that stayed down. Every time I close my eyes, I see the doctor’s careful expression and hear the words "elevated white blood cell count" and "further testing required." The fear sits in my chest like a stone, lodged somewhere I can’t cough up. The doctor said they would have the results by this evening. The bone marrow evaluation tests. The piece of paper that will tell us whether my son is going to be okay or whether the worst is yet to come.I press my palm to my own chest, trying to steady my breathing. The tears are there, pressing hard behind my eyes, but I force them back. I can’t fall apa

Chapter 103: The Diagnosis

Zara's POVI can’t sleep, even if I wanted to.The hospital room is dark except for the soft glow of the machines and the pale light filtering through the blinds. I sit in the hard plastic chair beside Liam's bed, my hand wrapped around his small fingers, eyes fixed on his pale face. His chest rises and falls in a slow rhythm while the numbers on the monitor flicker, steady but too slow for my comfort.I have not closed my eyes in thirty-six hours.Every time I try, I see the doctor's careful expression. I hear the words: “bone marrow abnormalities…treatment needed…months or longer.” The fear of opening my eyes and finding him gone keeps me awake. So I watch. I count his breaths and memorize the exact shape of his face in the low light. When he stirs and whispers "Mommy," I lean in immediately. "I’m right here, baby. Mommy is not going anywhere."***The morning light filters through the blinds, and I am still sitting in the same chair, still holding his hand, still watching his che

Alle Kapitel von Valerio's Secretary: Kapitel 101 – Kapitel 103

Chapter 101: The Encounter

Chapter 102: The results

Chapter 103: The Diagnosis