#Chapter 240: Repentance

Audrey I stepped through the doors of the children’s ward, and the weight of the world settled on my shoulders. The room was quiet except for the soft hum of machines and the occasional murmur of low voices, the lights dim and surprisingly peaceful. And then I saw her. At the far end of the room, cradled by her parents’ arms, their faces streaked with tears, was Ivy. The little girl from the charity gala. She looked so small in that bed, her tiny body dwarfed by the stark white sheets, her face pale and drawn. Her parents sat on either side of her, clinging to each other, grief etched into every line of their faces. They had clearly been there for hours, days maybe, watching their daughter fade away. “I-Ivy?” I whispered, taking a hesitant step forward. Her mother snapped her head up first, her swollen eyes meeting mine across the dimly lit room. There was a moment of recognition—her mouth parted slightly in disbelief, her lips trembling.