Xavier's POV
“Brother!” Emily called out, standing at the door, her voice trembling slightly.
But I ignored her and walked straight to the kitchen with a bowl of water. For two days, I had been using cold compresses on Ashlyn’s forehead to bring down her fever. Her condition hadn’t improved, and the sight of her so weak twisted something in me.
“How is she, brother?” Emily asked, trailing behind me.
I didn’t respond, focusing instead on the task at hand. In the kitchen, Evan was preparing coffee. Seeing me, he immediately came over and took the bowl from my hands.
“I’ll clean this,” he offered, turning to the sink. As he worked, he asked, “Did she wake up?”
I shook my head, exhaustion evident in the gesture. Then heavily dropped on the stool beside the counter.
“Brother, can you p
