Chapter 67
VANESSA
I stared at the tree, my heart shattering into a million pieces like delicate glass crushed beneath an iron heel. Mary's limp form slumped against the trunk, her body as still as a lifeless doll. The thought of losing her was a dagger twisting in my chest, and I felt a wave of anger wash over me, mixed with a deep-seated fear that threatened to consume me whole.
I slowly rose to my feet, my legs trembling beneath me. Tears burned my eyes, blurring my vision and leaving trails behind "Mary..." I gasped, my voice a mere whisper, a desperate plea to the universe to spare her life. I couldn't lose Mary, not now, not ever. The thought was unbearable, a weight that crushed me beneath its oppressive yoke.
I took another step forward, my eyes fixed on Mary's still form, m
