Chapter 117

With her uninjured hand finally free, Avery clutched her chest, digging her fingers into the hospital gown. Heat surged under her skin, blood roaring in her ears. The monitor beside her bed shrilled again and again in frantic beeps, flashing warnings. Her complexion, already pale from the surgery, flushed a blotchy red. “How can you even compare us?” she gasped, breath trembling. “I’m your mother. I raised you. Was all of that just so you could treat me like this?” The alarm spiked. Damon’s face drained of color. He spun toward the hallway. “Doctor! Someone, please!” A team rushed in. They adjusted the bed, checked her vitals, and administered medication to stabilize her pressure. Damon stepped aside as nurses worked, shoulders tense, jaw rigid, guilt quietly needling at him. He hovered near the wall until they finished. When the room finally emptied, he approached, movements stiff, like someone doing something unfamiliar and uncomfortable. “Mom… how do you feel now?” He reached out an