Chapter 22
Serenity glanced back at the bed, waiting until the steady, rhythmic rise and fall of Calloway’s chest confirmed he was deep in sleep. With a silent nod, she led Eleanor out of the room, the heavy door clicking shut behind them.
They found a small, isolated table in the corner of the hospital cafeteria. The air smelled of industrial floor cleaner and over-boiled vegetables, a far cry from the sandalwood and lilies of the Sterling estate. Between them sat two Styrofoam cups filled with the cafeteria’s best offering. Serenity took a sip of the bitter, lukewarm liquid without flinching. She was used to making do. Eleanor, however, stared down at the black sludge in her hand as if it were a strange laboratory specimen.
“I’m sorry,” Serenity said, her voice small as she broke the
