Chapter 257. The Poor Baby

Ellis’s POV

“The poor baby,” CC murmured softly, her voice breaking the heavy silence that had settled over the hospital room. “I’m not used to seeing her like this.”

Neither was I.

Solara lay in the bed, so small beneath the white sheets that seemed far too large for her fragile body. Machines hummed quietly around her, their steady beeping both a comfort and a curse. Each sound reassured me that she was alive, still here—but it also reminded me of how close I’d come to losing her. My chest felt tight, like I couldn’t quite draw in enough air.

I stayed seated beside her bed, unwilling to move, unwilling to leave her even for a second. My hand rested over hers, my thumb brushing slow, repetitive circles over her knuckles as if the motion alone could anchor her to this world.

“I