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

Magnus bobbed his head so fast it blurred. "All right, I understand. I won't ask Cecilia for a cent."

Denise studied him, worry clouding her fever-dulled eyes.

"You don't have to follow my compass," she murmured. "Some people think leaning on family is natural. If the strain is too much, do what feels right. Just don't blame me later."

"No, you're right," he insisted. "I'm a grown man. Running to my sister every time I'm short looks pathetic. I promised I'd get my act together. Besides, I've already saved more than thirty thousand, haven't I?"

Those savings were the harvest of brutal weeks, involving nights of being drowned in liquor with clients and mornings woken by headaches that hammered like drums.

Only after joining the workforce did he grasp how merciless money could be.

He still couldn't fathom how he had squandered fortunes before. That sum he could never replicate across several lifetimes.

Seeing the determination in his eyes, Denise curved her lips into a small, genuine smile.

"Good."

Conversation ebbed. She lay back, still weak.

The fever had broken, yet dizziness clung to her like fog after rain.

"Are you hungry?" Magnus asked, soft with concern. "I can run out and fetch food."

heart. Moments ago, she'd threatened to cut him

"A little," she admitted.

me what

all,"

her stomach ranked higher than flavor, so long as the meal

small permission, Magnus practically skipped toward the cafeteria line,

notice were the searching eyes hidden behind pillars, glass panels, and idle phones, eyes hired to track his

reporting in

Cecilia confirmed the caller's description, she knew beyond doubt

thought pressed against Cecilia's ribs

at her. After a lingering breath, she dialed him back, determined

before the call finally clicked

the unmistakable din of a cafeteria. Cecilia figured he must have balanced the phone between

onto a metal tray.

to s

me earlier, Magnus?" Cecilia asked, her tone steady

sister's voice, Magnus' fingers tightened around the lunchbox until the thin

broken. He was talking to

seek Cecilia's help when Denise's gentle warning echoed in his head. He slipped away from the crowd, seeking a quieter corner before speaking. "Cecilia," he began, voice soft, "it's been a

neither cold nor warm, offering no