Erin Walker pressed her forehead against the glass wall of the Seattle Children's Hospital ICU, watching the steady beep of the monitor beside Liam's bed. The post-op period had been rough—Liam's blood pressure spiked overnight, triggering alarms that sent Dr. Chen and the CICU team rushing back to his side. Now, at 6:45 AM, her exhaustion weighed like cement in her bones.
Leon Black appeared at her shoulder, dark circles under his eyes mirroring her own. He handed her a travel mug of coffee, steam swirling in the cold morning light.
“You need to drink this," he murmured.
Erin took it with a grateful nod. “Thank you." She wrapped her hands around the warm cup. “How's he now?"
Leon glanced at the vital signs—heart rate 110, blood pressure stable, oxygen saturation 99%. He exhaled. “Impr
