Chapter 178

Sarah's POV "Summer..." "Summer, sweetheart..." In my semi-conscious state, I could hear someone calling my name repeatedly, his voice drifting through the fog of my mind. The way he said it—first formally, then with such intimate tenderness—sent shivers through my core despite my pain. I knew that voice. It was Alexander's. But I couldn't tell if this was reality or just another cruel dream my mind had conjured to torment me. The line between fantasy and reality had blurred completely in my medicated haze. Pain washed over my body in relentless waves, and my mouth grew increasingly parched, tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth. It was thirst and pain that finally dragged me back to consciousness. My eyelids felt impossibly heavy, as if weighted with stones. With tremendous effort, I managed to crack them open just a sliver. In the dimly lit room, a shadowy figure stood nearby, too blurry for me to make out clearly. My fingers twitched slightly as I reached toward the silhouette. "W