Emma rested her head on James’s chest, her breaths soft and steady. The physiotherapy session had drained her, leaving her weary but strangely at peace in his arms. The sterile hospital room felt less cold when she was wrapped in his warmth. The faint hum of the air conditioning filled the silence, a steady backdrop to the rhythmic beating of his heart. James brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, his fingers lingering longer than necessary. The bruises on her body had faded, but the invisible scars remained. She didn’t talk about the pain anymore, but he could see it in the way her eyes clouded over at times, as if revisiting some dark memory. He wondered if his presence helped her, even a little. Her hand rested on his chest, fingers curling lightly, when his phone buzzed on the nightstand. He glanced at the screen, and his stomach tightened. Lenox.“Sorry,” he murmured, kissing her hair as he gently shifted her off him. “I need to take this.” Emma opened her eyes, her

Maxwell paced his room, restless. the events of the evening weighing heavily on his mind. After returning home, he’d taken a long shower, hoping to wash away the stress and clear his thoughts. He changed into clean clothes, but the sense of unease lingered. He glanced at his phone and, after an hour of deliberation, he dialed Alfred.The call was brief but informative. Alfred confirmed that Marcus was safe and unharmed, though the news wasn’t without its cost. “One of the guards was killed during the escape,” Alfred said .The guard’s death was the final straw. Lenox and his uncle Alphonse had crossed a line. He was enraged and wanted to act but retained his calm exterior. “Prepare the car, We’re going to Marcus’ house,” he said to Jackson who was helping himself to some coffee.Jackson nodded without question, his stoic expression a reflection of his loyalty. The drive was tense, the silence in the car was only broken by the hum of the engine. Maxwell stared out the window, his min

Richard tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his knuckles pale against the leather. The usual hum of the city streets around them felt oddly muted, drowned out by the mounting tension that had been building inside him since this morning. The hospital was just ahead, its white walls gleaming in the soft morning light. He flicked a glance at Fiona, who was rifling through her purse, her brow furrowed. “I hope Abigail is on duty,” she said, absently pulling her phone out and scrolling. “Emma always says she’s the best nurse around. I swear she knows how to make her laugh even on bad days.” She paused, her lips curving slightly into a distracted smile, but the sound of Richard’s phone ringing shattered the moment. The dashboard lit up with the caller ID: Chief of the Medical Board. Fiona barely looked up, but Richard’s gut clenched. Calls from the hospital outside of routine check-ins were rare—and never good. Keeping one hand on the wheel, he picked up the call. “Doctor? Is e