The doctor walked up to Julian. "She’s much more stable than she wasst week. So far, there’s nothing to be worried about."


    "How long will it take before she wakes up?" He asked.


    The doctor hesitated, his expression grave as he considered the best way to exin. "The damage to her skull was severe. It could take months, perhaps even years, for her to regain full functionality—if at all. There’s also the risk ofplications along the way, so we’ll need to monitor her condition closely."


    With gritted teeth, Julian nodded in understanding so the doctor left. Julian gave one of his guest rooms to a nurse who could be around, watching Anastasia while the doctor checked on his patients at the hospital.


    The room was now quiet with only the beeping sounding from the heart monitor breaking the silence once in a while.


    All of a sudden, he heard a knock on the door.


    The door opened and Emma walked inside carrying her big teddy bear that was half her height.


    "Dad." She ran into Julian’s arms. "Is your friend getting better?" She asked with concernced in her tone.


    Within the week that’d passed, Julian had decided to tell Emma that the woman in the guest room was a good friend of his who was sick and needed urgent treatment.


    Although he lied about Anastasia being a friend, a tiny part of him wanted them to be friends.


    "She will be fine," he replied. He felt bad for lying to his daughter but he couldn’t risk taking Anastasia to an actual hospital to get treated.


    Emma wrapped her arms around her father, pecking him on the cheeks and a warm smile stretched to the corners of his lips.


    Emma was a replica of his wife, and his heart ached each time he had to see her in Emma.


    "She will be fine," he repeated and she nodded in understanding.


    **


    <i>In Radiantia, </i>


    "What are we going to do now? The coffin maker said he had no idea how the coffin he made had ended up there?" Kace questioned, looking at Maxwell for answers.


    They’d met and spoken with the coffin maker who went by the name Mr. Frollins. He’d informed them he had no idea how one of the coffins he’d made had ended up in the hands of Xander.


    They didn’t believe him until he revealed all the orders and where the coffins were being shipped. However, in none of those cities have they spotted Xander in the CCTV cameras.


    They also had to travel to all of the cities. Unfortunately for them, none of their findings led them to Xattlewood.


    "Maybe Xander had randomly stolen a coffin and used it?" Maxwell asked which got him a raised eyebrow from Kace who was venting. "I don’t know what to think."


    They were in the hideout while Xavier was at the Wace mansion after being called over by the old Wace to have a few words with him after Mr. Wace had shared the news regarding Ana’s <i>death. </i>


    **


    "My poor sweet Anastasia isn’t dead right?" Old Wace cried and Xavier shook his head in denial. Although he couldn’t prove it, he was sure Anastasia wasn’t dead.


    He shot a subtle re at his father, displeased that he had shared the news with his grandmother—the very news he believed she didn’t need to know. After she had nearly suffered a heart attack just months after Anastasia’s kidnapping, the doctor had strictly warned them against giving her any information that could jeopardize her fragile health. Yet, as always, Mr. Wace had chosen to ignore that advice.


    "Grandma, Anastasia isn’t dead and I can assure you of that. She’s not dead at all." He tried to convince her but she made it obvious she wasn’t listening. If they didn’t calm her down soon, she might experience another heart attack. "I’ll bring Anastasia back home. I promise you that. Anastasia is going toe back to us."


    After old Wace seemed to have calmed down a bit, Mrs. Wace gave her drugs and Xavier helped hery on the bed.


    They left the room and made sure not to make any sound.


    As soon as they reached the living room, Xavier faced his father.


    "And what kind of move were you trying to make by telling Grandma what happened?" he questioned, his re sharp and unwavering. His voice was filled with restrained anger, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.


    Sensing the rising tension, his mother quickly stepped between them, her hands raised in a calming gesture. She cast a wary nce at both men, ready to intervene if things escted further.


    "I only did what was right? She needed to know that the granddaughter-inw she was praying for to see was no more. You know, I wouldn’t have had to tell her if you’d just picked up my call for once," Mr. Wace defended. After the little stunt he’d yed in Xavier’s house the other time, thetter had blocked him everywhere, and had restricted him froming to his house.


    With gritted teeth, Xavier responded. "If anything happens to Grandma, you are to be med for it."