Chapter 27

The pain that once burned like fire had faded into icy numbness. Black crept into the edges of her vision, and the only sound she could hear was her heartbeat—amplified by the monitor beside her. Her breath came in ragged, shallow gasps. Seconds passed as she lay there, the doctors doing everything they could to save her life. They swarmed around her, desperate to keep her from dying.

Where was he?

She wanted to say goodbye. She wanted to kiss him one last time—maybe even tell him to marry Layla once she was gone.

Her eyes met Layla’s tear-stained face. She fought to keep her eyes open. She wanted to speak, but her mouth wouldn’t move. Her body wouldn’t respond. She couldn’t feel anything anymore.

Surely Layla knew it was too late. Yet still, they tried. Despair lingered like a storm cloud in the theatre, the kind that once took away the people she loved. Now, she would be joining them. She would finally be free from the pain.

Her eyelids fluttered clos