Emotion clogged my throat, making speech impossible. The accident had been a blur—a cacophony of screeching tires and shattering glass. In those fractured moments, I’d acted on instinct, not heroism.

Dr. Nash, sensing the gravity of Gabriel’s offer, hesitated. “It’s a significant amount, Mr. St. John. Are you sure?”

Gabriel nodded with resolve. “Money is replaceable. Lives aren’t.”

As preparations commenced for the surgery, my mind drifted to Victor’s words. Each syllable had been a knife to my heart, severing the ties of what I thought was a loving marriage. But Gabriel’s act of selfless kindness was stitching me back together, thread by thread.