When Cedric rke arrived with Ste, the doors of the emergency room swung open just as they reached them.


    Dr. Warren stepped out, peeling off his mask, his face grave as he shook his


    head.


    "I''m so sorry. We did everything we could."


    For a moment, it was as if the world fell utterly silent.


    Gwendolyn White''s knees buckled, and James caught her just in time. "Mrs. Winslow!"


    "Bryn... our Bryn..." Gwendolyn sobbed into her hands, her cries breaking the quiet. "She''s so young-how could she just leave us like this? No, it''s not possible -Dr. Warren, please, there must be something more you can do, please..."


    "Mrs. Winslow, I''m truly sorry. We really did all we could."


    Stewart stood frozen, rooted to the spot.


    He barely heard Dr. Warren''s gentle, clinical exnations-the medical reasons why Briony couldn''t be saved. Gwendolyn refused to ept it, her wailing echoing in his ears.


    Stewart, too, couldn''t believe it.


    Briony dead? It couldn''t be.


    A strange, fractured smile curled at the edge of his lips, though his eyes were rimmed with red. "No. I don''t believe it..."


    He murmured the words, pushing past Dr. Warren and heading toward the emergency room.


    Seeing this, Cedric released Ste and hurried to intercept him, grabbing Stewart by the arm. "What are you doing?"


    Stewart turned and, recognizing Cedric, clung to him like a drowning man reaching for a lifeline. "Thank God you''re here! They say Briony''s dead. That''s impossible, isn''t it?"


    Cedric frowned, trying to steady him. "Stewart, you need to calm down-"


    "She''s faking it. She must be. She just wants to get away from me."


    Stewart let out a strangledugh. "She''s probably terrified I''ll fight her for custody, so she''s ying dead to escape. She hates me that much-of course she''d go to extremes just to cut me out..."


    "Stewart, enough," Cedric said firmly, his tone grave. "This is a reputable hospital. They wouldn''t—"


    "I don''t care!" Stewart jerked back, his eyes wild. "Her daughter''s all she cares about now. If I just take her back to Northborough, Briony''lle running. Yes, that''s it-I''ll bring her daughter home-she''ll have toe back..."


    He muttered as if possessed, turning toward the neonatal unit.


    "Stewart!"


    Cedric rushed after him, grabbing him by the shoulders. "Open your eyes! Look- look at what''s right in front of you!"


    Stewart turned-


    Briony was being wheeled out of the emergency room by a nurse.


    Her bodyy still on the gurney, shrouded in a sheet.


    Stewart''s pupils shrank to pinpricks.


    "No..." He shook his head, his tall frame suddenly frozen as if turned to stone.


    Gwendolyn threw herself over Briony''s body, sobbing. "Bryn, Bryn, wake up! If you''re gone, your little girl will have no mother-how could you do this? Bryn, please, wake up..."


    James broke down, tears streaming as his trembling hands gently lifted the edge of the sheet.


    Beneath it, Briony''s face was peaceful, her eyes closed, lips just barely parted. Ste stared, her own eyes wide with horror, a crushing pain squeezing her chest. She dropped to her knees, clutching her heart, and broke down sobbing beside Gwendolyn.


    Grief-stricken cries echoed down the sterile hall.


    Brionyy motionless, untouched by the world''s anguish.


    She slept, now and forever.


    No more pain, no more sorrow-nothing in this world could ever hurt her again.


    Gwendolyn, still weeping, gently covered Briony''s face again. "Go on, Bryn. I know you''re tired. Go quickly, catch up to your little one, and find your mother. When you''re all together again, remember to send your godmother a dream, will you?"


    Hearing Gwendolyn''s words, Ste sobbed even harder.


    She didn''t understand why the pain was so sharp, only that it felt as if her heart had been torn in two.


    Stewart could only stare in numb disbelief.


    Suddenly, a stabbing pain shot through his chest, as if someone had fired a bullet straight into his heart. He could almost feel blood welling up from the wound, flooding his chest with agony. His tall frame swayed, unsteady.


    He coughed harsh, wet.


    Clutching his chest, Stewart doubled over and spat out a mouthful of blood.


    Cedric gasped, "Stewart!"


    Stewart dropped to his knees, blood trickling from the corner of his lips. His gaze never left Briony''s pale, lifeless face.


    "Briony..."


    He whispered the name, clinging to the impossible hope that she was only pretending.


    Stubbornly, he told himself it was all some borate act; that any moment now, she''d open her eyes andugh at the trick she''d yed.


    He simply couldn''t believe it-refused to.


    Darkness rushed in. He couldn''t fight it any longer. With a heavy crash, his body copsed to the floor.


    "Stewart!"


    Cedric''s panicked voice rang in his ears.


    As Stewart''s consciousness faded, he managed to whisper, "I''m sorry..."


    "Briony, have you ever thought about having a wedding?"


    In the corridor of a dream, a man had the woman trapped gently between his arms and the wall.


    He looked down at her, eyes deep and dark as midnight.


    She tilted her chin up, her beautiful eyes shining with a bright, tender smile-and


    a blush she didn''t even notice herself. "I''d love that."


    Her answer delighted him.


    That night, with a bit too much wine and her sweet confession, his passion grew wild. From dusk till dawn, he loved her with reckless abandon, more fiercely than ever before.