When Her "Death" Couldn't Break Him (Cecilia and Nathaniel)

Outside the ward's sterile glow, he pulled out his phone. After a long, reluctant pause, he called Cecilia.

While the ringtone droned, he stared at the blizzard curling beyond the glass, stomach knotting with dread.

He knew he could never repay the mountain of debt. Cecilia was the one future he could still afford.

The thought tasted of shame, yet no other name lived in his thoughts.

Across town, Cecilia glanced at the unfamiliar number. The strange prefix told her it was Magnus.

Her private line was airtight. Unknown callers simply didn't exist unless they were family.

Besides Magnus, she knew no one in that dusty county code.

She pressed mute and let the phone pulse in silence.

The ringtone died again. Magnus redialed, brows knitting. "Why isn't she picking up? Did she change numbers?" he muttered.

He blew out a white breath. "Looks like I'll have to risk a trip back to Tudela."

The New Year was only days away. Magnus convinced himself that holiday sentiment would loosen Cecilia's purse strings and drag him out of this mess.

Back inside the ward, he shut the door.

of yours, what is it? You're

not," Magnus said,

kind of cash?" Denise pressed, relentless as

digging until

ask my sister. She's loaded. What I owe

from Denise's face. She stared at the wall, lips

heavy stillness seeped into

carefree Magnus felt the sudden

get rich, and forget you?" He

to ice. "I thought you'd changed. Clearly, you haven't.

it, he would have fired back, maybe

was Denise who stood in front of him. She was

fierce it felt as

throat, nothing but a jagged whisper and a

sister, who, let's be clear, shares not

our values don't

not be friends anymore." Denise's voice never wavered, each syllable a measured cut.

self-reliance, refusing to offload burden or blame on anyone else, so Magnus' behavior landed like

stomach, cold and sudden, as though the