Chapter 157

• Emily’s POV
• I sat on the cold bathroom floor, my head resting against the sink as I tried to catch my breath. My stomach churned, and my whole body felt like it was spinning out of control. The feeling was all too familiar. The nausea, the dizziness, the waves of exhaustion—it was overwhelming. I could hear Lila’s voice faintly through the bathroom door, and then her footsteps, growing closer.
• When she entered the room, her face was taut with concern, her brow furrowed as she knelt in front of me. I could feel her gaze on me before she even spoke, her presence steady and familiar, like a pillar I could lean on.