The mansion office had gone quiet.
Too quiet.
The only sound left in the room was the soft ticking of the wall clock and the faint hum of Sebastian's laptop.
Lillian was pretending to read.
Sebastian was pretending to work.
Neither of them were doing either very well.
Because Sebastian Wolfe was losing the battle against his own body.
He shifted again in his chair.
Slow.
Careful.
Like every movement required calculation.
His fingers pressed against the edge of the desk.
His shoulders tightened.
And this time he couldn't hide it.
A sharp breath slipped past his teeth.
Lillian looked up instantly.
"Mr. Wolfe."
"I'm fine."
"You just stopped breathing for a second."
"I was thinking."
"You were in pain."
"No."
Another lie.
Another obvious lie.
Lillian pushed her chair back.
The legs scraped loudly against the floor.
"That's it."
Sebastian didn't look up.
"That's what?"
"We're going to the hospital."
"No."
"Mr. Wolfe —. "
"No."
His voice was sharp now.
Cold again.
Final.
Lillian crossed her arms.
"You can barely sit upright."
"I'm sitting."
"You're shaking."
"I'm tired."
"You're injured."
"I'm working."
She stared at him.
Then she said it again.
"Hospital."
Sebastian's jaw tightened.
"No."
Lillian took a slow breath.
Then another.
Then—
She snapped.
"For God's sake, Sebastian!"
The words exploded out of her.
Loud.
Sharp.
Angry.
The sound echoed off the glass walls of the office.
Sebastian froze.
Completely.
He slowly looked up.
Blue eyes wide with something close to shock.
Lillian was standing now.
Hands clenched.
Face flushed with frustration.
"You are not fine!" she continued.
"You've been pretending for hours!"
"You can barely move!"
"You're in pain and you're still sitting here typing emails like that somehow fixes your spine!"
The room went silent.
Sebastian stared at her.
Completely still.
He had never seen her like this.
Lillian Parker.
His calm.
Collected.
Professional secretary.
Was yelling at him.
Actually yelling.
Her chest rose and fell as she caught her breath.
Then she said quietly—
"We're going to the hospital."
Sebastian didn't speak for several seconds.
When he finally did, his voice was quieter.
"…You're shouting at me."
"Yes."
"You've never done that before."
"There's a first time for everything."
Silence again.
Sebastian looked down at the desk.
Then at the floor.
Then back at her.
Something in his expression shifted.
Not anger.
Not irritation.
Something else.
"…Fine," he said.
Lillian blinked.
"You'll go?"
"Yes."
She stared at him suspiciously.
"You're not joking."
"No."
"You're not going to argue halfway there."
"No."
"You're not going to escape out the car door."
"No."
"Good."
She grabbed her bag immediately.
"Come on."
Sebastian stood slowly.
Very slowly.
The moment he straightened, pain shot up his spine.
His hand grabbed the edge of the desk.
His breath hitched.
Lillian was beside him instantly.
"Easy."
"I didn't ask for assistance."
"You're getting it anyway."
He didn't argue this time.
Which told her exactly how bad the pain had become.
They walked slowly through the mansion.
Step by step.
Sebastian's movements were stiff.
Controlled.
But Lillian could see the tension in every muscle.
When they reached the front door she opened it and helped him down the steps toward her car.
Sebastian glanced at the vehicle.
"You're driving?"
"Yes."
"I have three cars."
"You're not driving tonight."
"…Fair."
The drive was quiet at first.
The city lights slid past the windows as Lillian drove through the streets of Manhattan.
Sebastian leaned his head back against the seat.
Eyes closed.
Breathing slowly.
After a while he spoke.
"Miss Parker."
"Yes."
"Why are you doing this?"
She glanced at him briefly.
"Because you're injured."
"That's not the real reason."
"Yes it is."
"No."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"You don't particularly like me."
She frowned slightly.
"I never said that."
"You argue with me constantly."
"That's because you're difficult."
"You've described me as cold."
"You are."
"Rude."
"You are."
"Unreasonable."
"You absolutely are."
He opened his eyes slightly.
"So why wouldn't you simply let me suffer?"
The question hung in the air.
Lillian gripped the steering wheel a little tighter.
"…Because I care."
Sebastian turned his head slightly.
"About what."
She hesitated.
Then said quietly—
"You."
The car stayed silent after that.
The hospital came into view a few minutes later.
Large.
Bright.
Cold white lights glowing in the night.
Lillian parked quickly and helped Sebastian out of the car.
A nurse was already waiting at the entrance.
"Mr. Wolfe."
Sebastian nodded slightly.
"Dr. Reynolds is expecting you."
Of course he was.
Sebastian Wolfe didn't wait in emergency rooms.
They were led down a quiet hallway and into a private examination room.
Dr. Reynolds entered a moment later.
A calm man in his fifties.
He gave Sebastian a knowing look.
"Well," he said gently.
"You waited longer than usual."
Sebastian sat on the examination bed.
"I was busy."
"Of course you were."
The doctor turned toward Lillian.
"You must be the one who dragged him here."
"Yes."
"Good."
He turned back to Sebastian.
"Let's take a look."
Sebastian sighed slightly.
Then began unbuttoning his shirt.
Lillian turned away instinctively.
But the doctor spoke.
"You can stay, Miss Parker."
She hesitated.
Then slowly looked back.
Sebastian's shirt slipped off his shoulders.
And suddenly she could see it clearly.
The scar.
It ran down the entire length of his spine.
Thick.
Raised.
Old.
Like a clean line carved across his back.
Lillian's breath caught.
She had seen it before.
But never this clearly.
Never this close.
The doctor gently touched Sebastian's spine.
Sebastian flinched instantly.
A sharp wince crossing his face.
"Still sensitive," the doctor murmured.
He pressed slightly lower.
Sebastian's hand tightened against the edge of the bed.
Another wince.
Lillian felt her stomach twist.
The doctor stepped back after a moment.
His expression serious.
"Well."
Sebastian looked up.
"What."
"One of the rods is loose."
The room went quiet.
Sebastian's eyes lowered slightly.
The doctor continued.
"You'll need surgery."
Silence.
Sebastian looked down at the floor.
For the first time since Lillian had known him—
His expression changed.
Not cold.
Not controlled.
Just… sad.
Lillian had never seen that look before.
After a moment Sebastian spoke quietly.
"What happens if I don't."
The doctor didn't hesitate.
"You risk paralysis."
The words hung in the air.
Heavy.
Serious.
Lillian's chest tightened.
But Sebastian—
Smiled.
A small smile.
Soft.
Almost relieved.
Lillian stared at him in confusion.
Why would someone smile at that?
Unless…
Unless that was something he wanted.
And suddenly the room felt much colder.