Chapter 38

SARAH

I woke up in a stark, sterile room. The white walls and ceiling seemed to close in on me, making me feel small and disoriented. The beeping of machines and the faint smell of antiseptic filled the air. I blinked, trying to make sense of where I was.

I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in my side made me wince and fall back against the pillows. I took a deep breath, trying to calm the rising panic in my chest. How did I get here? The last thing I remembered was collapsing in Marco’s arms.

My eyes darted around the room, searching for clues. There was an IV drip attached to my arm, a heart monitor beeping steadily next to the bed, and a few chairs against the far wall. A hospital. I was in a hospital. But why? How?

My head pounded as I started to recall fragments of the most recent events. Viktor’s face flashed in my mind, and I muttered to myself, trying to piece everything together. “Viktor… rooftop… Marco…” The images were blurry, but they slowly started to form a coherent sequ