Chapter 183

Outside the hospital room, their eyes locked—one filled with resentment, the other weighed down by guilt. Noah looked noticeably thinner, with dark circles like they hadn’t slept in weeks. If James didn’t know any better, he would’ve thought the guy was on something illegal. "How’s Maria doing?" Noah rasped, voice hoarse as sandpaper. James’s brows drew tight. "You still got the nerve to call her Maria? Don’t. She doesn’t need that kind of insult." Noah said nothing, just lowered his head. "I know I screwed up. I’m not here to explain, and definitely not to ask for forgiveness. I just wanted to make sure she’s okay." "Oh, she’s alive, if that’s what you're asking. So yeah, you can leave now." No matter how pathetic Noah looked, James couldn’t feel an ounce of sympathy for him. "What exactly happened to her?" Noah looked up, voice quieter. "I heard she fell from the wires. How bad is it?" James clenched his teeth. "It’s not life-threatening. Just a fractured leg—not the worst-case scena