Chapter 196

Sighing softly, Lily placed the cold oatmeal back in the bowl and stirred it. "Hayden, for my sake, you have to hang on." The only response she got was the usual silence. She repeatedly brought the oatmeal to Hayden's mouth, and after an hour, she finally finished feeding him. Only then did she pick up the other bowl of cold oatmeal and eat it in large bites. By the time she finished treating him, it was already 10:00 p.m. The night air was biting cold, cutting through her thick winter coat and seeping into her bones. She stood at the bus stop, waiting for the last bus, her head lowered as she scrolled through her Instagram. Suddenly, Sarah's post caught her eye—an image of the Avelon Designs Competition judge's badge. The caption read, "To the candidates who passed the preliminary round, see you at the semifinals!" A strand of hair fell from behind her ear, brushing the screen and briefly illuminating it before the light faded again. Lily was a bit dazed. Her intuition told he