Chapter 57

• The hospital room was filled with the antiseptic scent and soft beeping of equipment. Liana lay in bed, her small body thin against the white blankets. Her eyes were closed, her breathing shallow and pained. Amara sat beside her, her hand clasping Liana's, her own eyes red-rimmed from tears.
• Leo entered the room quietly, his heart dropping at the sight of his daughter. The school had called him in a panic—Liana had suddenly come down with a high fever and was vomiting. The doctors diagnosed her with a severe case of the flu when Leo got to the hospital.
• "Hey," Leo said softly, his voice echoing through the silence.