Ivy laughed softly too.

"Speaking of," Dr. Lawrence added, "tell Sam I miss him. That man gave me hell when Mrs. Everest was having his granddaughter. I almost prescribed him a sedative instead of her."

Ivy’s laughter bubbled out. "You miss him because he gave you hell?" she teased, sliding off the exam bed to reach for her bag.

"Oh, absolutely," the doctor said with a wink. "There’s something quite cute about grandpa bears."

"Okay," Ivy said with a playful grin. "I’ll tell Gramps my doctor has a crush on him."

"See you later, Miss Everest," the doctor said lightly as she walked out.

Miss Everest. She turned slightly, as if to correct the doctor, but stopped herself. Instead, she offered a polite smile and stepped out into the bright hospital corridor.

But as she walked, the thought gnawed at her. Was that the name Evans gave the hospital? She frowned. Not Morales?

Seeing her name swapped without her consent — even casually — felt like a theft. A small, quiet erasure.

Was that Evans’ doing? she wondered. Maybe he thought attaching her to the Everest name would shield her from danger.

She exhaled, shaking her head, pushing the thought aside for now. It was a conversation she planned on having with Evans soon.

Collecting her prescription from the counter, she tucked the small white envelope into her purse. The faint antiseptic scent of the hospital filled her lungs as she started toward the pharmacy wing.

As she crossed through the Emergency section, she froze.

There leaning against the wall — were Joey and Reese.

Her stomach dropped.

They looked deep in conversation, their heads close.

What the fuck? Ivy’s breath caught in her throat. Her pulse spiked.

Panic flickered through her.

Before either of them could notice her, Ivy spun on her heel. Her eyes darted across the hall, searching for an escape route. A nurse wheeled past, and Ivy seized the moment, slipping through the first door on her left.

It clicked shut behind her, and she pressed her back against it, chest heaving.

She exhaled shakily, pressing a hand over her heart as if she could will it to slow down.

What were they doing here? Ivy’s pulse quickened. Why were Reese and Joey at Angel Dove?

The hospital was enormous, expensive, catering only to the wealthy part of society yet somehow the world had shrunk to this one hallway — this one suffocating moment. Her mind spun with panic, dread, and too many unanswered questions.

Was someone hurt again? She swallowed, her thoughts racing. Was it Anna? Sylvia? Then, horror seized her gut — Oh God... was it Winn?

She moved toward the shuttered window near the room’s edge. Her palms left damp prints on the metal frame as she leaned in, just enough to peer through the slits.

Ivy pressed herself tighter to the wall, heart thudding against her ribs. She strained to catch their words through the muffled hum of the hospital.

"I really should stay with Mr. Kane, That’s why I called you in — so you can deal with Sylvia’s arrest."

Sylvia’s arrest? Ivy’s fingers tightened on the edge of the shutter. What the hell?

Joey’s calm tone came next. "I’m going to need you there, Reese. Winn’s safe in the hospital. Sylvia’s going to need someone who was present — someone to explain to Maurice that this was self-defense. It’ll be thrown out by Monday morning. Maurice is the best."

Winn was here? Sylvia was arrested? She stumbled back a step, clutching her chest. What the fuck happened?

Her thoughts spiraled.

"What the fuck is going on with the Kanes?"

And then — a voice.

Low. Gravelly. Familiar enough to make her blood freeze.

"You’re here."

Ivy spun around. Her eyes darted toward the hospital bed behind her. She hadn’t even realized someone was lying there.

"Winn?" Ivy whispered, barely able to trust her own voice. Her chest tightened painfully. His eyes were half-lidded, his lashes fluttering. He looked pale and lost — too still for the man who once filled every space he entered.

"Oh my God, Winn," she breathed. "What’s happened to you?"

His lips parted. "You...It’s not you. I’m just seeing things again."

That sentence shattered her. Ivy pressed her hand over her mouth, swallowing a sob as heat pricked behind her eyes. Her heart clenched. This wasn’t how she imagined seeing him again — not here, not like this. She had sworn she wouldn’t cry for him anymore.

But standing here, watching him struggle to focus on her, she knew the truth she’d been burying: it didn’t matter what Winn had done. She still loved him. God help her, she would always love him.

Her fingers hovered over him before she finally reached out — tracing her hand gently through his hair. "It’s me," she whispered. "It’s me, Ivy."

His brow furrowed. "No..."

Her throat tightened. He didn’t believe it. Her heart broke for him — and for the memory of the man she used to know. "Winn, please," she murmured, her tears falling freely now. "Look at me. It’s really me."

He blinked again, but his gaze still seemed far away. So she did the only thing her heart demanded — she bent her head and kissed him. Softly, tenderly. Just a brush of lips at first, tasting the salt of her tears. She just couldn’t help herself.

Every inch of her still remembered him.

She lingered a second too long before she pulled away. But before she could retreat completely, his hand came up weakly, trembling, and cupped her face. His eyes fought to stay open, pupils dilating as if he was trying to drag her back into focus.

"Ivy?" he murmured.

Just hearing her name in his voice again unraveled her completely. She caught his wrist gently, pressing it against her cheek. "Yeah," she whispered, smiling through her tears. "It’s me, Winn."

But then — something else caught her attention.

Dangling against his chest, half-hidden under the collar of his hospital gown, was a necklace. And hanging from that chain was her engagement ring.

Her fingers trembled as she reached for it, brushing the band lightly with her fingertips. The diamond glinted.

The same ring the men had forced her to place on the coffee table the night they destroyed her. The night they made her send all those terrible things to him.