Chapter 344

Matthew didn't respond at first, and a sudden chill ran down my spine. Without thinking, I reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Matthew... Matthew..."

He finally took a heavy, ragged breath, then slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was distant, unfocused. "Rea... I almost didn't wake up just now."

My heart raced. "I'm getting the doctor."

But before I could move, Matthew, weak but determined, caught my hand. "No need to panic. I'm fine. This isn't the first time—it's just sleep paralysis."

Sleep paralysis? I'd heard of it before, usually in a casual, "freaky dream" kind of way. But in his condition—severe cancer—this felt far from ordinary. My gut told me it was a sign something deeper was going wrong.

I wasn't a doctor, but I wasn't clueless either. And with Lena, my best friend, being a nurse, I'd picked up more than just the basics.

"Matthew, let's get the doctor to check on you anyway. I won't feel right unless we do," I insisted, my voice firm. I wasn't taking any chances.

A doc