Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 260

"Willa! Oh my god... how are you? Where does it hurt?"

Sophie was babbling incoherently. She wanted to touch Willa but was too terrified to actually make contact, her hands hovering in the air, trembling violently.

Willa gave Sophie a faint shake of her head, trying to tell her not to worry.

But the very last shred of strength keeping her tethered to consciousness vanished the second she knew she was safe.

Sophie's tearful screams, the low murmurs of the police officers, the distant wail of ambulance sirens...

Every sound, every image began to spin, warp, and stretch, pulling further and further away.

Willa's senses slowly shut down. She didn't even have time to offer Sophie a reassuring smile before her last thread of awareness faded into an endless, empty void.

Her head dropped to the side, her body completely limp, and amid Sophie's sudden, piercing shriek, she plunged back into total darkness.

When Willa finally woke up again in the hospital, her vision was blurry, and her throat was too raw to make a sound.

She turned her head and saw a figure sitting in the chair beside her bed. She froze for a second.

She let out a bitter, self-deprecating scoff. What on earth was she still hoping for?

Corbin seemed to sense her gaze. He set his phone down and looked up at her.

"You're awake?"

"The baby..." her voice was so weak it was barely a whisper.

"Safe. The doctor said you had a high fever and slight dehydration, but the baby is perfectly fine." He stood up and poured her a glass of warm water. "Your throat needs time to recover. Try not to speak for the next few days."

Willa's tightly strung nerves finally began to loosen, and she gave a slow nod.

Corbin asked her, "Should I have Randal come over now?"

Willa flinched, panic flashing in her eyes as she shook her head frantically. She strained her damaged vocal cords, trying desperately to speak, but only managed a few broken syllables.

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