<em>Chapter 530 Alone Time </em>


    <em><b>“</b>You’re worn out, Preston. Stay here with Daphne for a while.” </em>


    <em>Dominic understood what was going on. </em>


    <em>Preston did not need words to soothe him. </em>


    <em>He needed some quiet time alone. He needed a moment to breathe. </em>


    <em>His mother had just been taken by a sudden ident. </em>


    <em>If Dominic stood in his ce, he would never have held it together. </em>


    <em>If his own mother had died like that, he knew madness would have taken him. </em>


    <em>Dominic turned to leave. </em>


    <em>Then Preston’s voice cut through the silence behind him. </em>


    <em>“Mom went out today with ir and K. What happened to them? Are they okay?” </em>


    <em>Dominic stopped and looked back at him. “My mom is still in surgery. The doctors warned she might lose her leg. K … her face was destroyed. She hasn’t woken up yet.” </em>


    <em>Preston’s chest trembled as his words fell apart. </em>


    <em>“Why did this happen? Why did it have to happen?” </em>


    <em>Dominic could not answer him. </em>


    <em>Neither of them knew they were being overheard. </em>


    <em>Tilda stood hidden in the shadows, listening to every word. </em>


    <em>She wore a brown wool coat with a gray cashmere hat pulled low over her dark sses. Her pale legs were wrapped in ck tights, and her steps were quiet in her leather shoes. Both hands stayed buried in her pockets. Her lips were set in a cold line, sharp and severe. </em>


    <em>The dark corner swallowed her figure whole. </em>


    <em>No one would notice her unless she wanted them to. </em>


    <em>“So ir and K got dragged into this too … ” she whispered, her eyes narrowing. </em>


    <em>It was not what she nned. </em>


    <em>Yet she decided it was nothing but justice. </em>


    <em>She pulled out her phone and typed a quick message to Dane. </em>


    <em>“Dane, I have a few more things to check. I’ll be backte. Keep working on the food without </em>


    <em>me.” </em>


    <em>“The menu for tonight is on the fridge. If you can’t figure it out, wait for me.” </em>


    <em>She sent the message, tucked the phone away, and faded back into the dark. </em>


    <em>Later, Dominic gathered with the others. </em>


    <em>He was the one who broke the news of Daphne’s death to Russell and the family. </em>


    <em>The words turned the hallway into stone. </em>


    <em>Silence pressed down on every chest. </em>


    <em>Russell’s voice finally broke, ragged and weak. “How could this happen?” </em>


    <em>A woman who had been so alive, so close to them, was gone. </em>


    <em>She had been ir’s dearest friend, like family to the Jensons. </em>


    <em>“Dad, boys, you have to stay calm. Take care of yourselves,” Dominic said, though his own voice shook. </em>


    <em>“She’s gone, and all we can do now is honor her memory. What matters most is the family still alive.” </em>


    <em>His words tried to soften the grief, but sorrow still weighed down the air. </em>


    <em>Daphne had watched them grow up. </em>


    <em>She had been so close to ir that she nearly became their godmother. </em>


    <em>To lose her this way cut deep. </em>


    <em>The light above the surgical ward flickered off. </em>


    <em>Before anyone could gather themselves, the doors swung open. </em>


    <em>Russell lunged forward, his shirt damp with cold sweat. “Doctor, my wife … Tell me she’s safe!” </em><fnff40> Chapters first released on Find1Novel</fnff40>


    <em>tell me she’s alive. </em>


    <em>“Mr. Jenson, calm down. We did everything possible. We saved her leg. She will not face </em>


    <em>amputation.” </em>


    <em>? ?? ? </em>


    <em>Russell’s heart soared. “She’s safe? Truly?” </em>


    <em>Relief swept through the family like a burst of air in a suffocating room. </em>


    <em>That was the one good thing out of this mess. </em>


    <em>But the doctor’s face grew grim. “I have to be honest. We saved the leg, but only just. </em>


    <em>“Walking will be difficult for a long time. She will need years of therapy and support.” </em>


    <em>Russell’s pulse stumbled. The smile froze on his face. “Doctor, what are you saying?” </em>


    <em>“If her recovery goes well, she may walk again within five years, though she will never run. </em>


    <em>“If it does not, she will spend her life limping.” </em>


    <em>The words were gentle, but the weight behind them was crushing. </em>


    <em>The harsher truth meant ir might need crutches or even a wheelchair. </em>


    <em>The shadow of permanent disability hung heavy in the air. </em>


    <em>The Jensons stood still, as if lightning had struck them all. </em>


    <em>Their thoughts refused to move. </em>


    <em>Russell was the first to speak again. “Can I see my wife now?” </em>


    <em>“She must remain in the ICU under close watch. </em>


    <em>“Only one visitor can enter, in full protective gear. You will have five minutes. The rest of you can watch from outside.” </em>


    <em>Russell nodded quickly. “Then I’m going in.” </em>


    <em>In moments, he was suited up and stepping into the sterile white room. </em>


    <em>There shey, her body covered in tubes, her thigh bound tight inyers of bandages. She looked fragile, her beauty hidden under bruises and wires. </em>


    <em>Russell’s eyes filled with tears. The sight cut his soul open. </em>


    <em>He wanted to gather her into his arms, to hold her, but he dared not touch her broken body. </em>


    <em>“ir … I’m sorry,” his voice cracked as the tears fell. “I promised your parents I would protect </em>


    <em>you </em>


    <em>all my life. And now you’re lying here, broken, because I failed you.” </em>