The question from the officer hung in the air like a death sentence.For a split second, the ICU suite was deathly silent.“None of them moved,” the lead officer observed, a sardonic grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “What’s the matter? I thought Griffin blood was thicker than iron bars.”The panic was instantaneous.Adeline, who had just been crying at her brother’s bedside, scrambled backward so quickly she nearly tripped over a medical cart. Her hands flew up in a gesture of frantic surrender.“No! No, you misunderstood!” she stammered, her voice high and thin. “I’m not—I’m not saying I want to go! I was just… thinking of the medical protocol. I have no intention of interfering with the law!”Tina was even faster to distance herself. She stepped away from the bed, her face a mask of cold, sharp terror.“We were just worried about the liability,” she said, her voice trembling but resolute. “As citizens. We wouldn’t dream of standing in the way of a criminal’s transfer. Isn’t

Persis nodded, her mind racing through a thousand terrifying possibilities despite the lack of panic in Bianca’s tone.“What is it, Bianca? What happened?” she called out again, not waiting for an answer this time.Sudden, frantic energy took over as Persis stepped out of the tub, ignoring the trail of water left on the marble floor.A lightning-fast rinse under the showerhead washed away the lingering bubbles and the lavender scent.Trembling slightly, she grabbed her thick silk bathrobe and tied the sash tightly around her waist. The bathroom door flew open, steam billowing into the bedroom behind her.Bianca was standing right there, her hands clasped tightly to her chest.When Persis glanced down at her, she saw that Bianca’s eyes were wide, shimmering with an intensity that made Persis’s breath hitch.“Bianca, talk to me. What is happening?” Persis demanded, her hands gripping Bianca’s shoulders.“His hand…” Bianca whispered, her voice trembling. “I was reading, Persis. I was ju

Clicking the intercom off, Thomas turned back to the trio on the bed, facing a mixture of fierce loyalty and newfound hope. “They’re coming, sir. We’re going to make sure everything is exactly as it should be.”Persis kept her hand locked in Tedmond’s, eyes following the quiet mansion as it began to stir with the distant sound of the medical team racing down the hall. The bubble of their private reunion was about to burst, yet for the first time in five days, the noise felt like a welcome sign.“I’m fine, Thomas,” Tedmond insisted, voice a bit stronger, though still pale against the pillows. “You don’t need to scramble the whole city. I just need a moment to catch my breath.”Doubt lingered in Thomas’s gaze. Standing like a sentinel at the foot of the bed, he kept his eyes fixed on the heart rate monitor, as if sheer willpower could keep Tedmond awake. “With all due respect, sir, you have been unresponsive for five days. You will be ‘fine’ when the experts say you are, and not a s

“A movie,” came the decision, his voice softening. “Let’s just watch a movie. I want to sit somewhere comfortable and just… be with you both.”The three of them drifted into the media room and settled onto the massive velvet couch, its plush cushions easily accommodating them all. Tedmond took the center, Bianca curling into his side while Persis leaned against his shoulder. When the film began, a bright, animated feature Bianca had chosen, the warmth of the room and the steady hum of sound wrapped around them like a lullaby.Within forty minutes, exhaustion claimed its victory.Persis’s breathing slowed into a deep, even rhythm against his chest, her hand still resting over his heart. On his other side, Bianca slept soundly, thumb tucked near her mouth, her small body rising and falling in perfect peace.Tedmond remained still in the glow of the screen, savoring the weight of them—proof that they were real, alive, and here.Carefully, slowly, he shifted.Once confident his legs wo

Evelyn’s heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird. Her fingers trembled so violently that she nearly dropped the device before sliding the answer icon.She rose to her feet, her movement so sudden and jagged that the plotting voices of Frank and Harold died in their throats.“Doctor?” she gasped. Then her voice rose into a frantic, panicked scream. “Doctor, answer me! Did something happen? Did they— is it my children?”The voice on the other end was calm, a sharp contrast to the hysteria in the room.“Mrs. Griffin, please breathe. I’m calling with news. Maxine has opened her eyes. She’s awake.”“She’s awake!” Evelyn shrieked, the sound tearing through the drawing room like a siren. “My baby is awake! Maxine is back!”The announcement hit the room like a physical blow.Frank, Harold, and Tina froze, their talk of biotech prototypes and bridge loans instantly forgotten.They swarmed her, their faces masks of stunned disbelief.“What? Maxine?” Frank demanded, grabbing Evelyn’s