Sebastian stared at his phone for a long time before finally pressing call.
His pride burned. His throat tightened. But he had no one else.
Lucien answered on the second ring.
“Sebastian?” His cousin’s voice was cautious. “You okay?”
Sebastian swallowed. “Can you… come to the hospital?”
A pause.
Then Lucien said, “Text me the room number. I’m on my way.”
Sebastian ended the call and leaned against the wall, exhausted. He hated needing help. Asking for it means being buried to a debt that cannot be repaid. But hid mother Cecilia needed him, and he was failing her at every turn.
Lucien walked into the hospital room twenty minutes later, dressed in a crisp blazer, smelling faintly of expensive cologne. He looked out of place among the peeling paint and disinfectant.
But when he saw C
