Valerie's POV
The waiting room was cold.
Not because of the air conditioner, but because time felt frozen there.
I sat on a gray plastic chair, my back slumped against it, my eyes fixed blankly on the closed operating room doors. A small red light above them was still on.
In progress.
My hand throbbed. My left palm was wrapped in thick white bandages, already stained with a dull reddish-brown. The smell of antiseptic still clung to my nose.
I didn't know how long I had been sitting there.
I only knew one thing, Max was behind that door. And all of this… happened because of Luke.
Hurried footsteps echoed from the end of the hallway.
I didn't need to look up to know who it was.
"Val."
His voice sounded breathless. Unsteady.
I turned my head.
Leo stood a few steps in front of me, his face pale, eyes tense, hair slightly messy like he'd rushed here without fully preparing himself.
He walked straight toward me.
