Chapter 538

Isabella’s POV

I paused just outside the study door, pressing my back to the wall. Logan’s voice carried through the crack, sharp and commanding.

“What are you saying, Mark? Are you sure of what you saw?”

Mark stammered, his words jumbled but clear enough for me to catch the gist. My heart froze as he said the one name I dreaded to hear.

“Miss Layla, sir. I’m sure it was her. She’s alive.”

The blood drained from my face, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. Layla? Alive? No. That’s impossible. My hands trembled as I gripped the edge of the wall for support. The very idea sent a wave of panic crashing over me.

Inside the study, Logan’s voice was low but laced with disbelief. 

“Layla? Alive? That’s ridiculous, Mark. She’s gone. She’s been gone for years.”

“I know, sir,” Mark said, his tone pleading. “But I swear it’s her. She’s in the hospital. I overheard the nurses talking about a patient who ju