The Lies He Told Me (Grace and Antonio)

The Lies He Told Me 174

With the aftershocks finally over, a heavy silence set in. "Help me!"

Grace was buried under the wreckage

and surrounded by darkness. Her breaths were getting shallower.

Lost in time, she was jolted back to reality by a child's cry. "Kendra! I want Kendra!" She came to with a start, shouting as loud as she could,

'We're here... Please help!"

Her shouts drew the rescue team, who rushed to their location. They started

clearing the rubble, and a thin ray of light pierced the darkness.

A glimmer of hope sparked in Grace's chest, but it was dashed when she heard the rescuers. "Mr. Kaufman, Dr. Parrish and Dr. Jermyn are trapped under the same slab. If we lift one side, the other will crush th Omar choked with tears, "Save Kendra! I need Kendra!"

Omar's plea stabbed Grace's heart. For a moment, she felt everything slipping away. Her own child had picked someone else over her in a time of crisis.

Antonio's response was slow in coming.

The rescuers' urgency grew. "Mr. Kaufman, we can't wait! If another tremor hits, we'll lose them both!" It was then that Antonio's voice cut through the tension, cold and firm, "Save Dr. Jermyn."

Grace's world darkened as she closed her eyes, giving in to despair. The rescuers focused on lifting the slab to reach Kendra.

The slab shifted, crushing Grace with brutal force, worsening her injuries. Blood

lips as

her, she heard Omar's sobs. "Kendra. I thought I'd lost you forever. Promise me you'll never leave me

exhausted, shut her eyes,

When Grace opened

she was back in Drelar Hospital.

over and reassured them, "She's in stable condition. A few more days here,

to have aged years in just a few days, by her

he said, "Grace, you've been through so much. Get some rest and don't worry about

he'd figured it out. That was probably a good thing. When she recovered, it would be

passed in

ward for the first time. Antonio and Omar were there, just as she expected. Antonio's expression shifted when he saw Grace. "Why are

was too evident. Antonio paused, as if he was choosing his words carefully. "How's

"I'm tough. I

bedside, arms opened, giving Grace a look that made it clear she wasn't

fire

fiercely. Grace got straight to

what's mine, and everything else, including the kid, is all yours she said, her tone firm. Antonio's face clouded over, and he

glance and questioned, "Do I look like I'm

Omar can choose his own mom. It has nothing to do with me." Omar's

he balled his

don't want you either! I want Kendra to be my mom!" With that. he made

her happiness, feigning concern as she said,