Chapter 168

ARIA'S POV

I leaned against the wall outside Kieran’s hospital room, my arms crossed tightly over my chest.

The hallway was quieter now, but it wasn’t calm. There was a certain unease that seemed to hang in the air, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to happen.

The faint hum of the hospital’s fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, blending with the occasional sound of pages flipping or the scratch of pens at the nurses’ station nearby.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a few of the nurses glancing my way, their whispers carrying just far enough for me to hear my name. Some of them giggled, while others seemed more curious, their eyes darting between me and the closed door of Kieran’s room.