By the time everything finally settled, Gabby’s condition had stabilized.
The bleeding had stopped completely, her breathing had grown steady, and the faint tremors that had once wracked her fragile body were now nothing more than lingering aftershocks of pain and fear. The atmosphere in the room no longer resembled that of an emergency ward suspended on the edge of collapse. Instead, it had transformed into a fragile stillness—the kind that followed catastrophe, when everyone was afraid that even breathing too loudly might disrupt the hard-won calm.
At the instruction of Charles Bennett, several world-class chefs quietly entered the adjoining preparation area. These were individuals whose services were typically reserved for heads of state, old-money dynasties, and closed-door banquets
