When the phone was pressed into my hands, they shook so violently I could barely hold it. Thorne, without a word, reached out and wiped my tears away, then opened the recording app and even pressed the button for me, making the video himself.
Thirty seconds. That was all I had. I stammered through my lines, declaring I wouldn’t hold anyone accountable, that everything was merely an accident. When I handed the phone back, my voice was weak as I asked, “Can we… finally operate on my father now?”
He looked at me for a long moment before nodding. “Go ahead…” he said.
But before I could even process the word, a scream pierced the air from the operating room. “Ah! My head… I feel so dizzy!” Lilith collapsed, utterly helpless.
Thorne’s composure shattered instantly. He dashed toward her, lifting her into his arms as if the world depended on her alone. The doctors followed, leaving my father unmoved on the bed, alarms wailing around him. I screamed, “No! Save my dad! Please, Thorne, you promised!”