Chapter 44

Laura's POV

After a few moments, the doctor stepped in, offering me a brief update. No change. No improvement. Just the same waiting game I’d been playing for months. I nodded, thanked him, and stepped out of the room, my heart heavier than before.

The walls of the hospital felt suffocating, so I turned to the guards. “I need some air. I’ll just take a walk.”

They exchanged hesitant glances but followed at a respectful distance as I stepped outside.

My mind was elsewhere…on the choices I’d made, on the ones I still had to make.

Would I survive this? Or was I only prolonging the inevitable, fighting a battle that would eventually consume me? The thought gnawed at me, filling my chest with a deep, aching uncertainty. It felt like no matter what I did, I was always running in circles, always stuck in the same place, waiting, hoping, fighting.

Was I just sacrificing my life for hers?

A part of me didn’t mind. My mother had given me everything, even when the world had given her nothing. I owed her my life.

I slowed my pace, staring up at the sky. The city lights drowned out most of the stars, but I still searched for them, longing for something that felt like hope.

I remembered the first time she had held my hand. I had been a scared little girl, alone and unwanted, shuffled between places that never felt like home. And then she came. She had the softest voice, the kindest eyes. “You don’t have to be afraid anymore,” she had told me. “You are mine now.”

And I had believed her.

She wasn’t just the woman who had taken me in, she was my mother in every way that mattered. She had fought for me, protected me, given me a world where I belonged. And now, as she lay trapped in that hospital bed, it was my turn to fight for her.

But how much longer could I do this before I lost myself completely?

I let out a slow breath, my fingers tightening around the edges of my coat. I had no answers. Only the gnawing fear that one day, I wouldn’t be strong enough to keep going.

Before I could sink further into my thoughts, I turned the corner, and suddenly, I saw a familiar face. My heart nearly stopped.

"No way…" I breathed, my eyes widening in disbelief.

It had been years, but I would recognize him anywhere. His sharp features had matured, his once-boyish charm now refined with an undeniable confidence. He was talking to someone, his voice rich and smooth, but the second he caught me staring, he turned toward me.

Panic surged through me, and I instinctively started to walk away.

"Laura?" His voice rang out, clear and unmistakable.

I froze, my pulse hammering in my chest. Slowly, I turned around, forcing a wide smile onto my face as if I hadn't seen him earlier.

"Carlos?" I pretended to be unsure, keeping my voice light, almost too casual. "Wow, long time no see."

His lips curled into a grin, his eyes filled with appreciation as he took a step closer and gave me a once over. "Yeah, it really has been a long time. You’re a sight for sore eyes."

I laughed, the sound feeling foreign even to myself. "You flatter me."

He studied me for a moment, his gaze lingering. "What are you doing here?"

I was still in the hospital car park.

I hesitated, my carefully constructed mask threatening to crack. "Just… visiting someone."

His expression softened, as if he understood more than I was letting on. "Can I walk with you?"

I glanced at my guards, who were watching us like hawks. For once, I didn’t want to be reminded of the world I lived in right now.

I remembered how that man had chased me back home like he wanted to keep me away from seeing something or someone. Since he wanted to keep me out, then I should stay out. I needed some sort of normalcy in my life right now, so I nodded. "Sure."

We walked together, his presence a strange but welcome distraction. The easy way he spoke, the way he smiled, it was like stepping into a forgotten memory, one untouched by pain and responsibility. He had been my high school crush.

As we reached the edge of the parking lot, he pulled out his phone. "Let me get your number? I'd love to catch up properly."

For a brief second, I hesitated. Then, deciding I deserved this small moment of normalcy, I recited my number. He typed it in with a satisfied grin.

"I’ll text you," he promised, slipping his phone back into his pocket.

Before I could react, he pulled me into a hug. It was warm, familiar, but I stiffened, instantly aware of the guards standing nearby. My stomach twisted, would they report this? Would it cause problems?

I forced myself to relax, patting his back lightly before pulling away. "It was good seeing you, Carlos."

"You too, Laura."

I nodded, giving him one last glance before heading toward my car. As I slid into the seat, I exhaled sharply, reaching for the seat belt.

One moment of escape. That’s all it was.

But why did it feel like I had just started something that I couldn’t control?