Chapter 281 - Awake and Safe

The tension in the waiting tent was thick enough to choke on, a suffocating fog of unspoken accusations and raw fear that hung between Rafael Vexley and the enigmatic man known only as H. James, ever the loyal shadow, stood nearby, his wire-rimmed glasses glinting under the harsh fluorescent lights, his dark hair slightly disheveled from hours of anxious waiting. The air smelled of stale coffee and antiseptic, a grim reminder of the hospital wing just beyond the canvas walls. Outside, the murmur of a concerned crowd—friends, family, and curious onlookers—drifted in like distant thunder, but inside, the three men were locked in a standoff that could shatter everything.