Chapter 82. Anguish

Liam

Witnessing Cecilia faint in my arms was like watching time slow down before my eyes, a surreal experience for which I wasn't prepared. I felt her sudden weight as I held her, struggling to process the reality of this moment. Carefully, I laid her down on the couch in the therapist's office, whose expression reflected the same perplexity and nervousness I was feeling.

"What's happening?" Miss Braga asked, her voice trembling. "Is she okay, Mr. Ricci?"

I understood her anguish perfectly, as I was feeling something even more intense at that moment, but the question seemed completely out of context given the circumstances. I had no idea what was happening with Cecilia, and anxiety consumed me as I tried to wake her, gently shaking her arm, and searching for any response in her closed eyes.

Every second seemed to stretch to its limit, each beat of my heart resonating like a deafening echo in my ears. I was desperate, unable to comprehend what was happening, a