POV: Claire
The hospital smelled like antiseptic and despair. It always did, no matter how many times I walked its sterile hallways, but today it hit me like a physical weight, pressing down on my chest, making it difficult to breathe.
I walked behind the nurse, my heels clicking against the cold tiles, each step echoing ominously. I kept my head down, hands clenched in front of me, because I wasn’t ready—couldn’t be ready—to see Sophie like this.
When the nurse opened the door to the consultation room, I froze.
Sophie sat on the examination table, hair messy, skin paler than I had ever seen it. Her eyes, once so vibrant, were dull, shadows lingering beneath them. And Ryan… Ryan stood just behind her, leaning against the wall, jaw tight, fists clenched, his entire body taut with suppre
