chapter 115

The steady beep of the heart monitor was the only sound that punctuated the silence, a relentless reminder that Emily was still lying there, pale and fragile, connected to IV lines that dripped slowly into her veins.

Her brothers hadn’t left her side since they’d arrived. Each of them took turns pacing the small space, their worry palpable in the tense set of their shoulders and the occasional, exchanged looks. The weight of the situation bore down on them like a physical presence, filling the room with an anxiety they couldn’t shake.

Xender stood by the window, his arms crossed tightly over his chest as he stared out at the parking lot below. The darkness outside mirrored the mood inside the room, the overcast sky seeming to mirror the somber emotions they all felt.

“She’s been through so much,” Xender muttered, more to himself than anyone else, his voice tight with frustration and worry.

Chris, who had been sitting in the chair beside Emily’s bed, looked up. He was tired, dark circl