AMBER POV
The silence in the room was unbearable, like a weight pressing down on my chest. Alan stood at the foot of my bed, his broad shoulders tense and his jaw clenched tight. His usual calm demeanor was nowhere to be found, and for the first time, I could see the cracks in his carefully constructed armor.
He was struggling—really struggling—to tell me whatever it was that had haunted him for so long.
“You deserve to know,” he repeated, his voice quiet but firm. His eyes flickered to Aaron and Alek, who both looked away, their guilt almost palpable in the air.
“Then tell me,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. My fingers clutched the thin blanket covering me, holding onto it like it was the only thing keeping me grounded. “No more secrets, Alan. I want the truth.”
He hesitated
