Her grandmother remained unconscious, confined to the ICU.

Francesca stood outside the transparent glass wall, staring in, silent and unmoving. Every minute, every second, stretched into an agony she could scarcely endure.

Mrs. Carter, deeply concerned, often brought nourishing soups to sustain her. Yet Francesca barely touched them. In just two days, she had grown gaunt, her jawline now painfully sharp. No amount of coaxing from Mrs. Carter could persuade her to ...