Chapter 82. Hospital Visit (2)

Vanessa's POV

The room feels colder than I expected, the air sterile, sharp with that lingering smell of antiseptic. I could barely focus on the white walls as I sat there next to Andre, my hands trembling in my lap. I’m trying to keep it together—really, I am—but everything feels like it’s spinning too fast for me to keep up.

My mother’s in the private ward, and I should be thinking about her—about her getting better since she's finally getting good treatment, but my mind is a jumbled mess of confusion, fear, and the stifling panic that has been slowly creeping in since the doctor’s call.

I looked at Mr. Garcia beside me, his presence so much larger than mine. His silence is comforting. I lean into the side of the chair, trying not to show how much my curiosity was killing me.

“Ms. Williams,” the doctor finally spoke, his voice calm, but somehow it feels like his words carry a weight too heavy to ignore. I focus on his face, trying to read t