lelanidebbiee

After a fleeting one-night affair with a stranger, the wealthy and beautiful Lani  Carlisle finds herself the target of public scorn. The situation worsens when her father drove her out of the house. Driven by the pressure, Lani becomes a workaholic and hires a personal assistant to care for her kids. But everything changes when her daughter becomes deeply attached to him, even wishing he were her father.

As Lani unexpectedly falls for him, she faces judgment from both her family and society. Will she accept her fate, or fight for the love she desires?

Find out in "Unbreakable Ties"

Unbreakable Ties

The waiting room was silent except for the occasional beeping of hospital machines and the soft hum of air conditioning. Lani, Luca, Leo, and Olivia had succumbed to exhaustion, their bodies slumped in uncomfortable waiting room chairs.

Her tiny hands clutched the stuffed bear Elias had won for her weeks ago at the arcade, her fingers gripping it so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She refused to sleep. She couldn't sleep.

Twelve long, excruciating hours had passed since Elias had been taken into surgery.

Lily's big brown eyes were fixed on the double doors, her heart pounding every time someone in scrubs walked by. But none of them came out with news of her daddy.

Tears threatened to spill, but she refused to let them fall. Daddy promised he would wake up.

Lani stirred in her sleep, her subconscious dragging her into a dream—one that felt too real.

She was standing in a vast, endless white space. Ahead of her, Elias stood with his back to her, his hospital gown flowing as if caught in a breeze.

Panic shot through her, and she rushed forward, reaching for him. Just as her fingers brushed against his shoulder, he began to fade.

"No, no, no!" she cried. "You promised me, Elias! You promised the kids!"

He finally turned to her then, his deep brown eyes filled with sadness—but also warmth.

"I'm fighting, Lani," he said softly. "But it's hard."

Tears streamed down her face. "Then fight harder! Come back to us!"

Elias smiled, a faint, tired smile. "Tell Lily… I hear her."

Before she could respond, the dream shattered, and Lani jolted awake, gasping for air.

At that exact moment, the operating room doors swung open.

A doctor in scrubs stepped out, his expression unreadable as he pulled off his surgical mask.

Lily shot up from her chair, her tiny hands trembling. The noise stirred the others awake, and soon all eyes were on the doctor.

Lani's heart pounded so hard she thought it might burst. "How is he?"

The doctor exhaled, looking at each of them carefully before finally speaking.

"He made it through the surgery, but he hasn't responded to anything yet."

A collective gasp filled the room, followed by an eruption of relief.

Lily let out a choked sob, her little legs giving out as she dropped to her knees. Olivia caught her instantly, wrapping her in a tight hug.

"But," the doctor continued, his tone serious, "the next 48 hours are crucial. His body needs to accept the heart. We have to monitor him very closely. He might not make it though. His heart readings are also irregular."

Lani nodded, wiping her tears. "Can we see him?"

The doctor hesitated. "He's still unconscious, but… yes. One at a time."

Lily didn't wait for permission. She bolted past the doctor, her tiny feet padding down the sterile hallway toward the recovery room.

Lani, Olivia, Leo, and Luca followed quickly behind, their hearts racing.

Chapter 48: The Longest Night