Serena’s POV

The sunlight pierced through the half-open curtains, casting a warm glow across the room. My body ached from head to toe, every muscle screaming in protest as I tried to sit upright. The hospital room was quiet, save for the rhythmic beeping of the machines I had grown to hate—and yet, they were proof that I was alive. Alive. Against all odds.

Richard and Ross had been by my side almost constantly, their worry etched into every line of their faces. I had wanted to tell them everything—about Penny, about Don—but the words wouldn’t come. Not yet. My mind was too focused, too consumed by the fire that...