Chapter 38

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Emily's peaceful slumber was abruptly shattered by the intrusive sound of her alarm clock. Groaning softly, she tried to shake off the remnants of sleep, but her mind felt muddled, as if shrouded in a fog, why wouldn’t be she consumed three pills.

Blinking away the haze, Emily noticed uncomfortable warmth enveloping her body beneath the blankets. She tossed and turned, attempting to find a cooler spot, when her gaze suddenly landed on something unexpected.

There, lying beside her, was a figure she couldn't quite comprehend at first. His face, framed by tousled hair, seemed too real to be part of her waking world. For a fleeting moment, she wondered if she was still trapped within the confines of a dream.

But then he stirred, Panic surged through her veins like an electric shock, jolting her awake with a sudden intensity. With a gasp, she sat up in bed, the duvet slipping off her shoulders in her haste. And there he was, his upper body exposed and vulnerable in the dim lig