Chapter 321

The walls of the hospital room seemed to tilt dangerously as Dominic's vision swam. His knees nearly buckled beneath him.

Had Evelyn deceived him, or was Sophia hallucinating post-surgery?

With trembling fingers, Dominic pulled out his phone and dialed Zoe Montgomery. "Get back to the hospital. Now."

The urgency in his voice sent a chill down Zoe's spine.

"Dominic, breathe," she said, forcing calm into her tone. "Sophia just woke up. Recovery takes time—"

His grip on the phone tightened.

But Sophia hadn't exhibited these delusions after her first procedure.

Ending the call abruptly, he returned to her bedside.

"Don't overthink things, Sophia," he murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead. "You'll strain yourself." His smile didn't reach his eyes. "I can see you improving already."

"A sharp pain... here," Sophia whispered, touching her temple.

"Dr. Montgomery's coming. She'll prescribe something for the pain."

Sophia's gaze dropped to her lap. "I don't want to see her."

Dominic's throat constricted.

"That's ungrateful," he said, voice hardening. "She saved your life. You will thank her."

"No!" Sophia's head snapped up, eyes blazing with rare clarity. "It was Evelyn. She stayed with me—asked me questions, kept me awake. Her voice was... kind. Different."

Dominic's pulse thundered in his ears.

"Evelyn was with another man last night," he said through gritted teeth. "Your mind's playing tricks."

He schooled his features into neutrality, though panic clawed at his ribs. The last thing Sophia needed was his anxiety.

Sophia recoiled as if struck.

A trick?

The memory felt visceral—Evelyn's steady voice, the way her cool fingers had brushed Sophia's wrist. The exact words: "Stay with me. Just a little longer."

How could something so vivid be imaginary?

When Zoe arrived thirty minutes later, her examination revealed nothing alarming.

"Vitals are stable," she told Dominic, then lowered her voice. "What exactly did she say?"

Dominic glanced at Sophia before steering Zoe onto the balcony.

"She claims you didn't operate on her," he said, the words tasting like ash. "Insists Evelyn was there the entire time."

Zoe's clipboard clattered to the ground.

Evelyn Thorne performing brain surgery? Preposterous.

The woman had no published research, no surgical trail. That delicate procedure required years of specialized training—

Zoe forced a laugh. "Post-op confusion is common. I absolutely spoke to her during the craniotomy—standard protocol to monitor cognitive function."

She studied Dominic's face as the tension in his jaw eased.

"Monitor her closely," he finally said.

If not Zoe... could it truly have been Evelyn? Yet Evelyn had sworn she wasn't at the hospital.

The contradiction gnawed at him.

"Her behavior's perfectly normal for this stage," Zoe soothed, patting his arm. "Go home. Rest."

Only after instructing Mrs. Whitaker for the tenth time did Dominic leave.

The moment his footsteps faded, Zoe whirled toward Sophia.

"How could you betray me like this?" she hissed, clutching the girl's shoulders. "After everything I've done for you? Evelyn Thorne was never here!"