The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 848

"Where... where's my mom?" I forced the words out. My throat burned dry, and my voice sounded rough and grating, like sandpaper scraping against stone.

But I didn't care about any of that. I only wanted to know how Lucille was doing.

Where was she?

Was she... still alive?

"Mom is in The ICU," Ferris said, his words sending my heart plunging into a bottomless abyss.

But his next sentence yanked it right back out. "However, she's out of danger now. She just needs to be kept under observation for a little while. Don't worry, she's going to pull through."

The suffocating knot in my chest abruptly loosened, and I slumped back against the pillows. Only then did I realize my entire body was drenched in cold sweat.

Ferris noticed it too and immediately suggested changing my clothes and the bed linens.

I nodded weakly, letting him scoop me into his arms and carry me out of bed.

I closed my eyes, my heartbeat pounding steadily in my ears. Resting against Ferris's chest, enveloped in his familiar cedarwood scent, I finally found a sense of safety and allowed myself to completely relax.

But as soon as the tension left my body, I slipped back into unconsciousness.

This time, I didn't dream of the gruesome blood or of Lucille lying within it. Instead, I dreamt of the past.

I dreamt of when I first arrived at The Hayes Residence. Lucille hadn't been so harsh with me then. The very first night she brought me back from the police station, she bathed me herself. She gently and carefully washed my hair, praising me for being as sweet and fragrant as a little cupcake.

For a long time after that, Lucille would stay by my side until I fell asleep. I suffered from terrible nightmares every night, haunted by cold, terrifying memories. It was Lucille who would hold me, coaxing me softly and soothing my fears.