The Officer's Runaway Wife and Secret Son novel Chapter 555

The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor violently dragged Rhys's consciousness back from the suffocating darkness.

His vision was an obscure blur of harsh white light, taking several long seconds to finally snap into focus.

"He's awake! Look, he's awake!"

Rhys turned his head, his gaze colliding with Clara's bloodshot, tear-filled eyes.

It was already the next morning.

Clara hadn't slept a wink, keeping a relentless vigil by his bedside.

She wasn't the only one; Daniel and Alex were there too, and Simon had point-blank refused to leave, completely ignoring his agonizing shoulder injury.

In the waiting room, Clara's dad, Clara's mom, and Mia were all anxiously keeping watch.

Rhys tried to shift his weight and realized an oxygen mask was strapped over his face. He reached up to rip it off, but Clara caught his hand mid-air.

"Don't move. The doctor said your oxygen levels plummeted. You need to keep it on."

Behind the thick plastic, Rhys's breathing was painfully heavy.

He squeezed her hand, brushing his thumb reassuringly over her knuckles, his eyes asking the silent question.

"Do you have any idea how bad you scared us?" Simon finally exploded, stepping forward with an utterly exasperated expression. "You risked your life over a bunch of thugs? The doctor said you just pushed your body way past its absolute limit, and the adrenaline crash caused you to pass out. You're fine, you just need to rest and recover."

Daniel spoke up seamlessly. "As for those men, I'll be submitting additional legal filings on behalf of Star-Walker Media. Racketeering, aggravated assault, and property damage—they're looking at a minimum of five years behind bars. Don't worry about the outside world. Just focus on healing."

Hearing the commotion, the three elders hurried into the room, surrounding his bed and taking turns offering words of comfort.

They only shared the good news, carefully burying their darkest fears.

But Rhys knew his own body better than anyone.

He managed a faint, bittersweet smile, his voice muffled and thick through the oxygen mask.

"Where's Felix?"

"He doesn't know you're in the hospital." Clara leaned down, her lips brushing softly against his ear. "Emily took him to her place. She told him you were on a top-secret mission and wouldn't be back for a couple of days. He's been incredibly brave. You don't need to worry."

Knowing Felix was safe and happy, the last trace of anxiety finally melted from Rhys's eyes.

He closed his eyes and nodded softly.

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