Chapter 207

Serena's POV I jerked awake to the harsh ring of Ryan's phone, my sleep-addled brain struggling to make sense of the late-night intrusion. Through half-lidded eyes, I watched his face transform as he listened to the caller—his features hardening, jaw tightening, a storm brewing behind those steel-blue eyes. "What's happened?" I murmured, pushing myself up on my elbows. Ryan ended the call, his expression grim. "Grandmother's in the hospital. Critical condition. They're trying to save her." The fog of sleep vanished instantly. "Critical? What happened to her?" While I'd kept my distance for self-preservation, I still held a complicated affection for the old woman who'd once shown me kindness. Despite her manipulations, Evelyn Blackwood had been the closest thing to a grandmother figure I'd had since losing my own. "They don't know yet," Ryan said, already throwing off the covers. "I need to get to the hospital. You should stay and rest." I shook my head decisively. "I'm coming with you.