Chapter 72 - Family Ties

Isabel’s POV

The hospital loomed ahead. The taxi ride had been a blur, a whirlwind of fear and guilt that gnawed at my insides. Every turn of the wheels felt like an eternity. As we pulled up to the entrance, I threw some cash at the driver and stumbled out. I was still in my gown from last night. My heels clicked sharply against the pavement.

I rushed through the sliding doors, my heart pounding in my chest. The fluorescent lights above buzzed, casting a harsh glow on everything they touched. My eyes darted around, searching, hoping, dreading.

Finally, I saw him—Michael, Emerson’s secretary—pacing anxiously outside the emergency room. His usually composed demeanor was nowhere to be found. Instead, he looked like a man on the brink of collapse. When he spotted me, it was as if he had seen a lifeline.

“Miss White!” Michael’s voice trembled as he hurried over. The relief in his eyes was palpable. But it was mixed with something else—desperation. “Thank God you’re here. I didn’t know who