Serena’s POV

The sterile smell of antiseptic filled my nostrils as I slowly opened my eyes. The light from the hospital window was harsh, cutting through the fog in my mind, but I blinked against it, forcing my body to adjust. My entire body ached, every limb screaming with pain, but the most agonizing part was the emptiness in my chest—the gnawing sense that everything had changed while I was unconscious.

Ross and Richard were there immediately, their faces etched with exhaustion and worry. Ross’s hands were warm on mine, his thumb brushing lightly over the back of my fingers. Richard, usually so composed, sat at the edge of the...