Chapter 197
Annalise
The world came back to me in pieces.
A flicker of light behind my closed eyes.
A shallow breath.
The dull ache in my limbs.
The heavy, burning pull of weakness in my bones.
Everything hurt—everything.
But nothing more than the absence.
My hand, almost by ritual, moved to my stomach.
Fingers trembling. Searching.
And I knew.
It was flat.
Empty.
No flutter.
No warmth.
No heartbeat.
My eyes snapped open, and the ceiling above me blurred through the sudden sting of tears. My breath hitched in my throat, sharp and panicked, and I tried to sit up—only to be met with a searing pain through my ribs and core.
Still, I pushed through.
My hands clutched at the sheets, heart pounding in terror.
“No… no… no…” I whispered.
My voice cracked.
“They killed him.”
