Chapter 219

• Claire's pov
• I pushed the door to my mother’s room open quietly, half afraid of disturbing her fragile rest. The gentle rhythm of the machines filled the air, a constant reminder of her condition. My heart clenched at the sight of her lying there, so small against the hospital bed, her skin pale but peaceful. For a moment, I forgot everything else—my past, the chaos outside, the identity I had just been forced to embrace. All that mattered was this woman who had raised me in a different life, now lying still, her breaths shallow but steady.
• I took a step toward her, wanting to sit by her side, but before I could, a soft knock pulled my attention to the balcony door at the corner of the room. My father-in-law, Charles Carrington, stood there with an expression I couldn’t read. He didn’t speak at first, just tilted his head slightly, a gesture asking me to join him. Something in my stomach knotted, but I followed.