Dreamscapes

After he left, Ethan had cameras installed in her room, allowing him to watch over her at any time. He also increased security at the hospital, although these guards were actually his own elite staff, tasked with her protection.

...

Avery slept deeply in her dreams, sensing Ethan nearby yet unable to open her eyes.

During the surgery, although she was unconscious, she felt her life hanging by a thread, her dreams ceasing abruptly, replaced by a peaceful stillness. She was aware she was dying but at the last moment, she heard his anguished crying.

His voice was loud; her hearing had been fading, the outside world's sounds cut off, yet his cry pierced through, lingering in her memory.

She couldn't make out his words, only the despair and sorrow in his cries. She couldn't imagine the proud and detached Ethan Montgomery weeping for anyone.