Medicine dripped slowly into Claudia Ross's body, her tightly knitted brows relaxed, her small face serene.
Claudia finally fell into a deep sleep.
Mark Reed's gaze rested on Claudia's pale, bloodless face. Silently, in his heart, he screamed her name over and over again.
Claudia, Claudia...
He had always cradled her in his hands, protected her, not bearing to harm her. Yet Wyatt Perry had hurt her, time and time again, causing him heart-wrenching pain.
By the time Claudia woke up, the sun was setting, and she still felt a dull pain in her abdomen.
When she opened her eyes and saw Mark, Claudia thought she was dreaming.
"Why am I in the hospital?"
"You fainted. Does your stomach still hurt?"
Clenching Claudia's outstretched hand, Mark's expression was a mix of joy and worry, his feelings equally complex.
He wished she wouldn't wake up so soon, so he could look at her longer, spend more time with her.
