Meanwhile, back in Astoria...
Inside the quiet VIP suite of the hospital, Nina sat near Alec's unmoving form, her distant gaze fixed on the grey skyline outside.
The abrupt ringing of her mobile phone shattered the silence, making her pulse leap.
Reading the caller ID, her chest tightened.
She pressed the receiver to her ear and murmured respectfully, "Grandma."
"Save your pleasantries! Disaster strikes, and you leave me completely in the dark!" The voice on the other end was sharp and commanding, making Nina shrink back as if the matriarch were looming directly over her.
"Please... do not be angry, Grandma. I intended to reach out, but everything fell apart so quickly-"
"I will not listen to weak excuses, Nina. I knew this was going to happen, and you knew it too, but that hot-headed husband of yours never listens to anyone! Now look at the consequences of what I warned you about," the elderly woman scolded, causing Nina to close her eyes in dismay.
