Chapter 8

While Sylvia and her family were on the plane to Elgoria, Weston was standing guard outside Elaine's operating room. The light above the operating room door was switched on, and a doctor came out. He told Weston excitedly that the surgery had been a success. Only then did Weston feel a sense of relief as a burden was lifted from his chest. The anesthesia hadn't worn off yet, so Weston kept watch at the unconscious Elaine's bedside. He had his work laptop open before him. His eyes remained fixed on the 20-page document open in front of him, but the screen hadn't moved from the same page in a long while. An inexplicable feeling of emptiness rose within him, as though someone had secretly carved out a piece of his heart. He felt a sense of restlessness that made him anxious and unsettled. Weston forced himself to focus on the document, yet his fingers typed Sylvia's name on the keyboard unconsciously. By the time he realized it, the entire page was filled with her name. Weston'