Chapter 213

Serena’s eyelids fluttered closed. Exhaustion etched her small face. Maria gently tucked a borrowed blanket around her. "Sleep, sweetheart," she whispered. "I'll wake you when Mommy gets here."

Serena murmured, "Wake me… Mommy…" Maria settled her in her lap, rocking her rhythmically, her fingers tracing soothing patterns on Serena’s back. Even asleep, Serena’s brow furrowed, a tiny twitch betraying her lingering fear. Maria’s heart ached. The day had been terrifying, culminating in that unsettling encounter with the Vanderbilts. She longed for Paisley’s arrival, hoping a quick check-up by Serena's mother would allow them to go home. The Vanderbilts faded from her mind.

Across the ward, Grayson stirred. Lauren, his grandmother, was the first face he saw.

“Sonny!” she cried, relief flooding her voice. “You scared me half to death!”

Grayson’s eyes welled. “Grandma… it hurts… so much.” The pain wracked his small body.

Lauren’s heart cracked. “Sweetheart, don’t move. The doctor just finished your bandages.”

Dominick, his father, stood beside the bed, his own face etched with worry. "Sonny, besides the wounds, anything else? Dizzy? Nauseous?" Grayson wore a green bracelet, signifying he’d only received basic first aid.

Grayson’s moans drowned out his father's words. “I don’t know, Dad! It hurts! I think I’m going to die!”

Dominick’s composure wavered, but Lauren’s crumbled. Her grandson's cries tore at her. She rushed to the intern doctor, who was attending other patients. "My grandson says he's dying from the pain! What do we do?"

The intern shrugged. “It’s normal pain with that many wounds.”

Lauren wasn't listening. She saw negligence. "Check on him now!"

The intern was helpless; he couldn't diagnose. Lauren's outburst began to annoy other parents.

"His wounds were already treated! What’s this about? Is he special just because he’s your precious grandson?" a voice snapped.

Lauren’s jaw clenched, but Reginald, sensing a brewing storm, swiftly intervened. His assistants pulled Lauren back.

“Let go!” she protested, glaring at Reginald. “Didn’t you hear Sonny screaming?”

Reginald had heard. His grandson's pain tore at him, but this was a public hospital, and the Vanderbilt name carried weight. A public overreaction would be disastrous. The power of public opinion was a force they couldn't ignore.