Leonardo gripped the steering wheel, checking the mirror again and again. He knew the hospital director. He had funded wings, signed plaques. Until now, it had felt distant.
Now it was everything.
And for the first time since his father’s death, Leonardo understood what had been missing—not success, not purpose, but presence.
He stopped in front of the emergency room, not caring that he was blocking traffic. He jumped out of the car, scooped Camila up, and ran toward the automatic doors.
The smell of disinfectant hit him, and the bright white lights made Karina look paler, more fragile. “I need a doctor now!” Leonardo shouted toward the counter. In seconds, paramedics appeared with a stretcher. They laid Camila down, checked her pupils, and connected her to oxygen.
“Severe malnutrition,” Leonardo heard as if the phrase were piercing his skin. Karina, her voice breaking, could barely manage, “She hasn’t eaten properly… in days.”
Leonardo turned to the receptionist, pulled out his wallet and his card. “Take care of her immediately. No matter the cost. I’ll cover everything. Everything.”
His voice trembled inside, but outwardly it was firm. It was the first time he felt money wasn’t something to be proud of, but rather a tool he desperately needed.
The minutes in the waiting room stretched into a torment. Karina paced back and forth, her eyes glued to the glass partition separating the emergency area. Julián clung to her waist, burying his face in her olive-green dress. Leonardo stood motionless, unsure where to place his hands, feeling as if his entire life had been training in closing deals…
and now he couldn’t negotiate with fear. When a doctor finally emerged, removing her gloves, Karina felt the ground shift beneath her.
