Leila's POV
I was lying in my hospital bed, the sterile scent of antiseptic filling the air around me. The faint sounds of machines beeping steadily accompanied the muted conversations of nurses and doctors outside my door. Despite the white walls and bright lights, I felt a heavy weight pressing down on my chest, a mixture of guilt and determination swirling within me.
Drake had spent the night by my side, a silent sentinel in the darkness. He had held my hand, kissed my forehead, and whispered sweet nothings that tugged at my heart. I could feel the pain radiating from him through our mate bond, the fear that coursed through him like a relentless tide. It was overwhelming, and I wished I could ease his burden, but how could I? How could I confess that my sickness was all a charade, a ruse to unmask the villain who had dared to hurt my baby?
