"!"
In the hospital bed, Mia Grant suddenly opened her eyes.
Light and shadows danced on the ceiling, sunlight spilling wantonly through a gap in the curtains.
The ventilation system was still running, carrying away the faint, unpleasant smell of disinfectant. The room was so quiet that the whirring of the machine seemed deafening.
Mia didn't know how long she had been staring. She only snapped back to her senses when she was about to suffocate, and began to gasp for air.
When a person is in extreme shock, they can forget to breathe. Even their heartbeat seems to pause.
When it suddenly started beating again, her body struggled to adjust. Mia clutched the blanket and leaned over the side of the bed, gagging a few times.
Carla Sinclair had stepped out to take a call, leaving only Julian Vaughn in the room.
His back was to the bed as he arranged a fresh bouquet of flowers on the table.
