As Alessia and Zane stepped out of the hospital’s main entrance, the cool evening air hit them like a calming balm after the tense hours inside. Alessia wrapped her arms around herself, her thoughts still swirling with worry about Zayden and the betrayal she suspected from Christian. Zane walked beside her, his hands stuffed into his pockets, his brow furrowed in thought.
But as they reached the parking lot, Alessia’s steps faltered. Standing near the entrance was Pamela—or Gianna, as Alessia had first known her. She stood with her hands clasped tightly in front of her, her eyes filled with a mix of hesitation and determination.
“What are you doing here?” Zane asked, his voice sharp as he stopped in his tracks.
Pamela stepped closer, her gaze flickering between Zane and Alessia. “I heard your dad was in the hospital,” she said softly. “I came to check on him. On all of you.”
Zane sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Pamela… I think it’s time to calm down. I appreciate what you did—faking your death to protect me—but I really need some space to process everything. This is… a lot.”
Pamela’s shoulders sagged slightly, and she nodded. “I understand. I just… I wish you’d let me in so I could help. I really am sorry, Zane. For everything.”
Alessia crossed her arms, her voice colder than she intended. “You keep saying you’re sorry, but it doesn’t erase what you’ve done. You lied to him. To all of us.”
Pamela’s eyes snapped to Alessia, hurt flashing in her expression. “I know that. And I’ll regret it for the rest of my life. But Damian didn’t leave me with much of a choice. If I hadn’t done what he wanted—”
“We know,” Zane interrupted, his tone weary. “He threatened you, threatened my family. You’ve said that already. But Pamela, you can’t just expect everything to go back to normal because you say you’re sorry.”
Pamela blinked rapidly, as if holding back tears. “I know I hurt you, Zane. And if I could go back and change things, I would. But I can’t. All I can do now is try to make things right.”
“Making things right doesn’t mean forcing your way back into my life,” Zane said, his voice softer now but still firm. “I need time. Space. You have to give me that.”
Pamela looked down, nodding slowly. “Okay. I’ll give you space. But please… if you need anything—anything at all—just call me. I’m not here to hurt you, Zane. I’m here because I care.”
Zane didn’t respond immediately, his jaw tightening as he processed her words. Finally, he nodded once. “I’ll think about it.”
Pamela’s gaze shifted to Alessia, her voice quieter. “I’m sorry to you too, Alessia. I know you’ve been through a lot because of me. If there’s any way I can help, please let me.”
Alessia hesitated, her emotions warring inside her. Part of her wanted to tell Pamela to leave and never come back, but another part recognized the sincerity in her words. For all her mistakes, Pamela seemed genuinely remorseful.
“We’ll see,” Alessia said finally, her tone clipped. “Right now, our focus is on Dad.”
Pamela nodded, taking a small step back. “Of course. I hope he gets better soon. He’s a good man.”
Zane’s expression softened slightly. “He is.”