Chapter 91

Chloe’s POV

Morning came too fast.

I barely slept, my mind restless, my body heavy in a way that felt unfamiliar. I forced myself out of bed, showered, dressed, moved like a machine running on obligation rather than will. There was only one place I needed to be.

The hospital.

The drive there was quiet. Too quiet. I watched the city pass by, people living their lives without knowing how fragile everything could become in one night, one mistake, one betrayal.

When I stepped into the hospital, the smell hit me immediately. Antiseptic. Clean. Cold. It always made my chest tighten. I signed in, nodded at the nurses who now recognized me, and walked down the familiar corridor toward Hilda’s room.

Each step felt heavier than the last.

I pushed the door open gently.

She lay there exactly as I had left her. Still. Peaceful in a way that hurts to look at. Machines surrounded her, their steady beeping the only proof that she was still here