ire''s heart pounded as she watched the ambnce doors close, taking Adrian away. She stood frozen, her mind racing. "Matthew, we have to follow them," she said, her voice shaky but determined. She barely made a step toward the car when a police officer walked


    up to her.


    "Ma''am, I''m going to need your statement about what happened here," the officer said, his face calm but serious.


    ire blinked, her mind spinning. What had happened? How had it all gone so wrong? She couldn''t think about anything except Adrian. What if he didn''t make it? What if his injuries were worse than they looked? Panic tightened her chest.


    Before she could respond, Matthew stepped in, looking between ire and the officer. "Officer, ire Peterson here needs to get to the hospital too," he said, gesturing to her hands. ire looked down, realizing for the first time that she had scratches across her palms and debris dusted over her clothes from the impact.


    "I''m fine," ire muttered, her voice barely a whisper. Adrian was the one who mattered, not her. The thought of him lying in that ambnce, injured and possibly worse, was tearing her apart.


    The officer studied her for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, ma''am. I''ll stop by the hospitalter to get your statement once you''ve been treated."


    ire only nodded, too numb to say more. She stumbled toward Matthew''s car, and he quickly helped her into the passenger seat before climbing in himself. He started the engine, but ire''s eyes were glued to the burning wreckage they were leaving behind. The twisted metal of the car, the mes licking up into the sky-the scene reyed over and over in her mind, and she couldn''t escape it.


    Matthew nced at her, his face tight with concern. "ire, I''m so sorry this happened. Adrian''s going to be okay. We''ll make sure of that."


    ire didn''t answer, just stared out the window. Her mind was a whirlwind of fear and anger. How had this happened? Who would do this to them? She swallowed hard and finally whispered, "You''re going to help me find out who did this, right?"


    Matthew didn''t hesitate. "Of course. Whoever''s behind this- they''re going to pay for what they did to you and Adrian."


    A tear slid down ire''s cheek, and she wiped it away quickly. She hated feeling so helpless. But right now, all she could think about was Adrian. She had to see him. She had to know he was okay.


    The drive to the hospital was only about 25 minutes, but it felt like an eternity. As soon as Matthew parked, ire was out of the car, sprinting toward the entrance. Matthew followed behind, struggling to keep up with her pace.


    They burst into the reception area, and Matthew was about to speak when ire cut him off, her voice frantic. "Adrian Saint Laurent-where is he? He just came in."


    The nurse behind the desk blinked, surprised by ire''s intensity, but quickly answered. "He''s being treated in the ER. First floor, on the right."


    ire didn''t even wait for a full exnation. "Thanks," she muttered quickly, already halfway down the hall. She could hear Matthew calling after her, telling her she needed treatment too, but she didn''t care. Not right now. When she reached the ER, she pushed the door open and rushed inside. A nurse passed by, and ire grabbed her arm gently but urgently. "Excuse me, have you seen Adrian Saint Laurent? He''s in a suit-he was just brought in." The nurse''s expression softened. "Yes, I know who you mean. He''s being treated by the doctors right now."


    "Is he okay?" ire asked, her voice trembling. "Is he...?"


    The nurse ced a hand on ire''s shoulder. "The doctors are doing everything they can, but you can''t go in there right now. Please, just let them work. They''ll update you as soon as they can."


    Before ire could say anything more, the nurse stepped away and pulled a curtain closed around Adrian''s bed, blocking him from her view. ire stood there, staring at the curtain, her heart pounding in her ears. Matthew caught up with her a momentter, his breath a little ragged from rushing after her. He gently touched her arm. "ire, you need to let them check you out too. Adrian wouldn''t want to see you hurt like this." ire blinked, feeling the ache in her chest again. She nodded numbly. "You''re right... but-"


    "No buts," Matthew said softly but firmly. "Come on, let''s get you looked at."


    ire gave onest nce at the curtain before finally allowing Matthew to lead her away. A nurse approached them and led ire to an empty bed, where she sat down heavily. As the nurse cleaned the scratches on her hands and checked her for other injuries, ire turned to Matthew.


    "Can you... can you let his family know?" she asked quietly, her voice thick with emotion. "The Saint Laurents- they need to know about this. They''ll be worried."


    Matthew nodded, his face serious. "I will take care of it, ire. Don''t worry."


    She watched him walk away, feeling a little better knowing someone was handling things. But it didn''t ease the sick feeling in her stomach. Time dragged on as the nurse worked, and all ire could think about was Adrian. How was he? Were the doctors helping him? What if... she shook the thought away.


    No. She couldn''t go there.


    After what felt like hours, ire was finally finished with her treatment. She thanked the nurse and sat in the quiet room, her mind racing. Suddenly, a doctor appeared at the door looking around before his eyesnded on ire.


    "Miss Peterson?" he asked, stepping toward her.


    ire stood up quickly, her heart in her throat. "Yes? Is Adrian...?"


    The doctor gave her a reassuring smile. "You can see him now. He''s stable, and he''s resting. The injuries were serious, but we managed to treat him in time. He''s going to need rest and recovery, but he''ll be okay." Relief washed over ire like a wave, and she nearly copsed from the weight of it. "Thank you," she breathed. "Thank you so much."


    The doctor nodded, gesturing for her


    to follow him ire followed him and he pushed the curtain open, revealing Adrian with a lot of band aids on him. From his arms, his forehead, and some scratches on his cheek. His chest rose and fell steadily, and even though he was bruised and bandaged, he looked like himself.


    "We will move him to a room once he is stable enough and we would like you to please have in contact with the family."


    ire nodded and turned to the doctor. "Of course. They are on their way here."


    "Please excuse me, if there is anything you need, inform the nurse."


    "I will. Thank you."


    The doctor nodded and left.


    ire stepped closer, her hand reaching out to touch his. She squeezed it gently, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath hers. Tears welled up in her eyes again, but this time, they were tears of relief. "You''re okay," she whispered, her voice shaking. "You are really okay."