Chapter 148 You Are Already Engaged

• "In Josephine's vocabulary, Amelia did not deserve a name; she existed solely as "the cleaner", a blemish never deserving politeness. She had expected her son's instant agreement, yet even now, Asher's lips stayed locked, refusing to promise he would wed Waverly.
• Mother and son stared across the narrow hospital bed, each prisoner of unspoken thoughts until the air itself seemed to solidify with tension.
• The attending physician stepped into the dim ward, clipboard angled against his chest, monitors clicking in the hush. "A family member needs to sign," the doctor said. Asher leaned over the railing, brushed his mother's hand, and whispered, "I'll handle it." Then he slipped into the hallway.