~Hospital~
Alex stood rigidly at the entrance of the emergency ward, his eyes fixed on the closed doors as though sheer will could force them open.
Time had stretched unbearably—each second dragging into the next—since the incident at the mansion. Just as Kelvin had advised, he had rushed Cyndi to the hospital without hesitation.
To Cyndi, this child meant everything she needed and the only golden ticket to usher her into the Hort's family.
For Alex, it was the fruit of their love, the proof of his capability, and a chance to be a father even though he had lost his wife.
But that dream, that hope and confidence, had been shattered by one simple truth. Alex could still recall the doctor's words as they sat in his office; his expression had been calm, his voice composed, but his words had twisted painfully into their chest.
