Joelleâs grief enveloped him like a shadow, and Adrian clenched his jaw, fighting to suppress his own sorrow. The burn wounds on his body suddenly pulsed with excruciating pain.
âRyland!â Joelle wept uncontrollably until she finally collapsed into his arms.
Adrian disregarded his own pain and scooped her up, carrying her back to the ward. Joelle couldnât bear to accept it.
He instructed everyone to respect her need for rest, ensuring that she could find solace without any disturbances.
The Finch family stood quietly to the side, their faces etched with sorrow. Fred spoke with deep sincerity, âIâm truly sorry; it was our negligence that led to this tragedy.â
As business associates, no one had wanted this to unfold. The people on Adrianâs side stood in silence, their expressions heavy with grief.
âAdrian, weâre truly sorry,â Fred apologized.
After a few moments of heavy silence, Shawnâs voice broke the stillness, thick with emotion. âNo matter how much you say, my nephew wonât return. A two-year-old life is simply gone.â
Mila interjected, âBut it wasnât deliberate on our part. Dunn put everything on the line to save Aurora. Doesnât that hold any significance?â
âEnough!â Fred rebuked her sharply.
gⱯlnÏνð®âsï¹ðoðº is where stories live Katherine rose to her feet, her voice edged with disbelief. âSignificance? If it were your child, would you still say that? I canât speak for Joelle, but you two families need to handle this on your own. A child is lost just like that!â She slammed the door behind her as she stormed out.
The atmosphere was charged with tension. The situation wasnât complicated; the Finch family had done everything in their power to make amends promptly after the incident.
But Ryland was truly gone.
The exchanged glances between the two families only served as a painful reminder of the tragedy they had all endured.
Gracie grasped a handkerchief, her head bowed in sorrow. âAdrian, Shawn, we are truly sorry. We promise to do everything in our power to make things right. You know how much we cherished Ryland. We are just as heartbroken over this. We are truly, deeply sorry.â
Adrian sat in silence, lost in his thoughts as the minutes stretched on, feeling as though time had slowed. With a gentle sigh, Shawn placed a reassuring hand on Adrianâs shoulder.
âAdrian, you and Joelle need to make the final decision on this. Iâll go check on Aurora in the meantime.â
In the hallway, Aurora and Dunn sat huddled against the wall. Auroraâs sobs filled the air, her tears flowing freely, while Dunn remained silent, his face tight with the effort to hold back his own emotions.
Though they couldnât hear the adultsâ conversation from the meeting room, their hearts sank when they saw Katherine emerge, tears streaming down her face. Lost in her grief, Katherine walked past them without noticing, completely absorbed by her sorrow. A wave of guilt washed over Dunn, tightening his chest as he clenched his fists in silent frustration.
âDunn, Iâve lost my brother,â he whispered.
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