)

Grayson and Alison pushed open the heavy hospital doors, their footsteps echoing in the empty corridor. As they entered, they spotted Shea, sitting on a bench, tears streaming down her face. She was wearing a white scrub, covered in blood, and her short honey blond hair was a mess.

"What's going on?" Grayson approached Shea, while Alison followed closely behind.

Shea glanced up and her eyes widen as she noticed a girl standing behind Grayson. "Is that Alison?" she asked, her voice shaky.

Grayson nodded, and Shea rose from her seat. She reached out, gently clasping Alison's hands in her own, holding them tightly. Alison shivered at her touch, unsure who Shea was.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Shea said, her voice filled with genuine warmth. "You can call me Shea. I'm William's... girlfriend."

The pieces started to fall into place for Alison. She glanced briefly at Grayson, and an unexplained pang of guilt washed over him. Grayson tried to distract himself by asking Shea once again about what had happened.

Shea let go of Alison's hands and turned to face Grayson. Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke, her voice trembling. "I don't know," she admitted. "I work as a nurse here, and I got a call from William. He asked me to send an ambulance." She choked on her tears before continuing, "They found William and Hudson in a car crash nearby. The doctors suggested they might have been drunk and crashed into a building, but I know that's not true-"

"Where are they?" Alison interrupted, her voice soft but cold.

Shea met Alison's gaze and nodded, guiding them down the hallway. They arrived at a room just around the corner, and Shea paused for a moment to compose herself before opening the door.

Inside the room, William lay on a hospital bed, his arm connected to an IV. Bandages covered his ribs, and a cut marked his lip. Shea walked towards the bed with gentle steps, running her fingers through William's hair. Tears streamed down her face again as she spoke, holding William's hand close to her lips. "I did everything I could," she sobbed. "The doctors say he'll be asleep for a long time."

Alison moved closer to her brother; she appeared calm, but Grayson noticed her hands tremble ever so slightly. She looked down at William, tenderly caressing his cheek and tracing a cut on his face. Grayson stood by the door, silently observing Alison's gentle care for her brother, like she would care for her precious roses.

"Where's Hudson?" Alison asked, her voice polite but guarded. Shea pointed towards the room next door, unable to talk as she struggled to control her tears.

Alison took a step back from William's bedside and started walking towards the door. But then, she hesitated and stared at it, lost in her thoughts. Grayson, being considerate, opened the door for her. But Alison remind still, facing the open doorway, her face emotionless.

"Thank you," she suddenly said, her words lingering in the air, loud and clear. Grayson couldn't tell if she was thanking him, Shea, or both.

As Alison stepped outside, Grayson followed closely behind, and they moved on to the next door.

Alison's hands trembled slightly as she struggled to open the door. Grayson placed his hand gently over hers on the doorknob, and together they turned it.

As the door swung open, they were greeted by the sight of Hudson peacefully sleeping, with Jolene curled up beside him.

Alison wrapped her arms around herself, her expression still calm.

Hudson suffered graver injuries than William, his broken arm, head bandaged, and various tubes connected to his body. Grayson understood Alison's unease; he would feel the same way if it were his own brothers in such a condition.

"Grayson?" Jolene noticed their presence and swung her legs off the bed, rubbing her tired eyes. Her gaze shifted to Alison, who stood beside Grayson. "You must be Alison Emrys," Jolene yawned. Alison responded with a soft smile before her attention turned back to Hudson.

"What happened?" Grayson asked Jolene, wanting to know the details since Shea didn't have any. Jolene's face filled with sadness as she looked at Hudson, her hand softly touching his forehead. "Mason Valentine," she simply said. Grayson had expected a reaction from Alison, yet she simply ignored Jolene's words. With deliberate steps, she approached Hudson, oblivious to Jolene's vigilant gaze tracking her every movement.

As Alison reached Hudson's side and went to touch his face-"You did this." Jolene's voice hissed with accusation, freezing Alison's hand in mid-air.

Grayson cautiously approached the end of the bed, sensing the tension in the room. Despite only knowing Jolene for a few hours, he had never seen her so angry. Her fiery red hair seemed to match the fury within her. "If you weren't such a bitch, maybe your parents would still be-"

"That's enough." Jolene's harsh words were abruptly halted by Grayson.

Jolene's attention shifted to Grayson, but his silver-grey eyes silenced her, forcing her gaze back to Alison. Alison looked up at Jolene, her hand retreating to her side. A faint, serene smile graced her lips as she softly asked, "And who might you be?"

A brief spark of fury flickered across Jolene's face. She raised her hand, ready to strike Alison, but Grayson swiftly stepped in, halting her before she made contact.

"You're just as worse as she is," Jolene sobbed, tears streaming down her face as she looked up at Grayson. "You've shattered the lives of everyone around you. You think I don't know about Emily Laughlin?" Her voice quivered with a mix of anger and sorrow. "You killed-"

Grayson's voice cut through the tension in the room, his words firm and unwavering. "Alison, can you please wait outside?"

Alison's blue eyes darted to Grayson, silently pleading for him to let it go, but Grayson's silver gaze held firm. He couldn't ignore Jolene's accusation, especially when it involved Emily. Alison reluctantly walked past him and made her way outside.

Grayson met Jolene's eyes, his own silver gaze unwavering. He couldn't help but notice the similarity between her eyes and Jameson's, a resemblance that tugged at his heart.

"Jolene," Grayson began, his voice steady as he adjusted his cuffs, trying to regain his composure. "I'm not here to defend any mistakes, whether they are Alison's or mine. But your accusations are unfounded and misplaced."

His words hung in the air, and for a moment, silence enveloped the room.

"Unfounded? Misplaced?" Jolene scoffed, her voice laced with bitterness. "You don't know what she's done, what she's capable of."

Grayson's frustration mounted, his veins visible as tension coursed through him. He took a deep breath, his voice calm and cold. "Do you honestly believe that Alison would harm her own family? Her own brothers?"

"Do you really believe that?" Jolene's voice cracked as she spoke, her pain evident in every word. "Hudson never had a choice, Grayson. He and William were force to play in Alison and Mason's twisted game. The only rule was to ensure Alison and Mason got along, no matter the cost."

Jolene's gaze shifted to Hudson, her voice trembling with emotion. "Hudson and William never spoke about their sister, only of her name. Shea and I have tried searching for any records, any trace of her existence, but it's as if she never existed."

"It was only moments before the accident I finally understood why they never mentioned her. They wanted to protect us, to keep us out of their twisted game. At some point, they wanted to break free, to live their own lives. But when they tried... this is what happened. It's game over."

"Jolene-" But before he could utter a word, Jolene's voice pierced through the air. "Leave," she ordered, and Grayson knew it was futile to push further at this moment.

He turned to leave the room, his mind filled with swirling thoughts. "What did Jolene mean by game over? "

As he stepped outside, he instinctively called out, "Alison." But there was no response. The hallway stood empty, and no sign of Alison.

"Alison?" Grayson called out once more,but the only response was the sound of silence, echoing back at him. He scanned the hallway, hoping to catch a glimpse of her familiar figure, but she was nowhere to be found.

Alison was gone.