And now, here he was, in the flesh, his face twisted with disappointment and fury. Rafael's stomach churned with guilt, the tent's soft lighting casting long shadows that mirrored the darkness in his heart. Eliana lay unconscious in surgery, their unborn child at risk, and H's arrival felt like judgment day.
"H," Rafael finally managed, his voice thick with emotion. He pushed himself up from the wheelchair, legs steady and strong—revealing the lie he'd maintained for years. James tried to stop him, but Rafael ignored him, stepping forward with desperate urgency. "Please, listen. I... I didn't mean those things I said. I was wrong. About Eliana, about you. I've been trying to make it right—"
