As Derek drove away from Lisa's apartment, a heavy sense of loss settled over him. He knew he might have just lost the one person he truly cared about, and the thought was almost too much to bear. But there was no time to dwell on it—he had to get back to Cassandra, back to the tangled mess he had to deal with.
Meanwhile, Cassandra sat alone in Derek’s apartment, her mind racing. She glanced at her phone, wondering if the job at the hospital had been done. The waiting was unbearable, but she had no choice. She had set events in motion, and now all she could do was wait for the consequences.
She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. She needed to focus, to keep up appearances. Derek would be back soon, and she couldn’t afford to let him see how shaken she was. She straightened
