CHAPTER 16: Fractured Perception

　　Victoria's POV

　　The hospital room was dimly lit, a faint glow from the streetlights filtering through the window blinds. The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor provided a strange sense of calm, even as I struggled to keep my emotions in check. My body felt heavy, the weight of exhaustion and pain keeping me rooted to the bed.

　　Tears welled up in my eyes again, no matter how much I tried to suppress them. I wasn't crying because I was alive, though I probably should have been grateful for that. I was crying because of everything that had led me here—Ethan, Lily, the video, the suffocating betrayal. It all felt too much.

　　And yet, I wasn't alone.

　　His hand was warm, firm, and steady as it clasped mine. I didn't know his name, didn't even know why he was here after everything. But I could feel his presence, solid and grounding. He hadn't left my side.