Alpha's Private Plaything (Elsa and Drake Stone) novel Chapter 236

“Three days? Lechoed, the words hollow in my chest. I dug my fingers into my thighs, feeling dizzy. “That’s… that’s not enough time. There has to be something else. Some experimental treatment. Anything.”

“The silver has compromised most of her cardiac tissue. The life support system can only do so much.” He leaned forward. “I’m sorry, but

you need to understand without a matched artificial heart within the next 72 hours, we’ll have to discontinue life support.”

I stood on wobbly legs, knocking over my chair with a loud clatter. “Can I see her?”

He nodded and led me back to the ward. Through the glass partition, I could see my mother–once so vibrant and strong–now small and

fragile in the hospital bed. Silver tubes snaked from machines into her body, and silvery veins had spread across her pale skin, mapping

the poisoning’s progress.

“Oh god, Mom,” I whispered, pressing my forehead against the cold glass. My breath fogged the window in irregular patches as I struggled

to control my breathing.

“She regained consciousness briefly this morning,” the caretaker said softly beside me. “She said to tell you that her only wish is for you

to find true happiness.”

I pressed my palm against the cold glass, tears streaming down my face, snot running freely now. I wiped it away with my sleeve, not caring how I looked. True happiness seemed impossible now, with my mother slipping away and no way to save her.

Unless…

The realization hit me like a physical blow. Only one person could procure a specialized heart implant within three days. Only one person had the connections and power within the Black Obsidian Pack to bypass the waiting list for the pack–controlled medical technology.

Drake.

“Fuck me,” I whispered, closing my eyes as the inevitable truth settled over me like a shroud.

Despite the hatred burning in my chest, despite the humiliation that would come with begging him for help, I knew what I had to do. For my mother, I would swallow my pride once more. For her, I would crawl back to him on my hands and knees if necessary.

I turned and walked back toward the hospital entrance, each step feeling like I was marching toward my own execution. My fists clenched and unclenched at my sides, my jaw so tight it ached.

One more deal with the devil. One more piece of my soul to trade.

I burst through the hospital doors, my mind spinning with desperation. The torrential rain hit me instantly, soaking through my thin blouse and plastering my golden hair to my face. I didn’t care.

“Fuck this,” I muttered as I stomped forward, rain pelting my skin like tiny needles.

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10:35 Wed, Apr 22 d

Chapter 236

A black sedan idled at the curb, its engine purring quietly. Taylor stood beside it, rushing forward with an umbrella as soon as he spotted

1. me.

“Ms. Hale, please, you’re getting soaked-”

I shoved his arm away with enough force to make him stumble, barely registering his concerned expression. My eyes were fixed on the figure in the back seat. Drake sat there, phone pressed to his car, his face impassive as he conducted business as usual while my world was crumbling. The sight of his calm demeanor made bile rise in my throat.

1 planted myself in front of the cat, rain streaming down my face, my clothes clinging to every curve of my body. I stared at him through the window, refusing to move, challenging him to acknowledge me. My chest heaved with each ragged breath, fingers trembling not from

cold but from rage and desperation.

Drake finally glanced up, his golden eyes narrowing slightly as he observed my drenched state. He lowered his window, a mocking smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

“Standing there for a reason? Planning to work as the hospital doorman?”

My hands clenched into fists at my sides, nails digging crescents into my palms. “My mother’s silver poisoning has gotten worse,” I said, my voice surprisingly steady despite the chaos inside me. “It’s reached her heart. They say she needs a specialized artificial heart or

she’ll…” I couldn’t finish the sentence,

the words sticking in my

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