The evening sun cast long shadows across the hospital corridor. Adrian leaned against the wall outside Leviana’s room, his arms folded tightly across his chest. He had been there for hours, restless, his mind tangled in knots he could no longer ignore.

When Deviana approached, her calm footsteps echoing faintly, Adrian straightened. Their eyes met, and for a moment, silence thickened the air between them.

“You’re still here,” Deviana said softly, her voice steady though her heart trembled.

“Of course,” Adrian replied, a touch too sharply. “Leviana needs me.”

Deviana’s lips pressed into a thin line. She had expected that answer, yet it still pricked at something tender inside her....