Chapter 83.

STACY.

An hour passes, dragging painfully as I sit in the cold waiting room. My mind swings between the urgent prayers for Liam and the nagging worry about Jason.

I can’t help picturing both alone, facing their worst fears…

Each time a door creaks or footsteps echo in the hallway, my heart leaps, but it’s not any of the people I'm currently worried about. Only doctors, nurses, and strangers passing by—no sign of Jason or news about Liam.

Finally, just as the first light of dawn starts to seep through the hospital windows, the doors to the ER swing open. I’m on my feet instantly, heart pounding, but instead of a doctor, I see a familiar figure—tall, broad-shouldered, moving with that calm, lethal confidence I know so well.

Jason steps into the waiting room, his clothes rumpled, but not a single scratch marks on his skin. His gaze sweeps the room, finding mine, and for a moment, relief floods through me. I didn’t even realize I was holding my breath.

But as he walks closer,