Half a world away from everything, I dragged my consciousness awake.
Winter had arrived here far earlier than back home, and soft, steady snowflakes drifted down outside my window with a gentle pitter-patter.
I stared blankly, counting them one by one. I had no idea when someone had stepped to my bedside.
Cole Garrison tucked an extra thick blanket around me, his voice clipped and unsoftened, "His company is about to crumble. We'll let him live for now. Once you're back on your feet, you can deal with him yourself. My family has your back. You don't have to be scared."
I turned my head to look at him. "Where's Uncle?"
The man's brow drew tight in a heavy frown. "When he heard what happened to you and your mother, his heart gave out. He's still in the ICU."
I froze, then immediately p
