Chapter 23

Gabriella

I rushed into the hospital, my breath coming in heavy gasps as if I'd just completed a marathon that lasted nine hours. My lungs felt clogged, and my mind raced with unpleasant thoughts. I prayed fervently that what I had heard wasn't true or that, at the very least, the worst was behind us.

Approaching the nurse at the reception, I must have looked like I was on the brink of collapse, judging by the cautious raise of her eyebrows. She greeted me politely, offering a glass of water, while her colleague hurried to fetch it.

"I need to see my relative. He was brought in here about an hour ago after a car accident," I managed to say between breaths, downing the glass of water she handed to me.

"His name?" she inquired. Saying it aloud felt surreal and incomprehensible.

"M... Martin Deville," I replied, my voice trembling. Her expression soured as she read something on her computer screen.

"You�