When Her Death Couldn't Break Him (Cecilia and Nathaniel) novel Chapter 2068

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.

Denise looked up, worry creasing her brow. “So, this plan of yours, what is it? You're not about to do anything stupid, are you?”

“Of course not,” Magnus said, shaking his head.

“But where are you getting that kind of cash?” Denise pressed, relentless as ever.

She never stopped digging until every shard of truth surfaced.

Magnus sighed but chose honesty. “I'll ask my sister. She's loaded. What I owe is pocket change to her.”

Parasite? The word slapped him. Had anyone else said it, he would have fired back, maybe even swung a fist.

She had built her life on self-reliance, refusing to offload burden or blame on anyone else, so Magnus' behavior landed like an insult she could not decipher.

Magnus' mind spun. Panic pooled in his stomach, cold and sudden, as though the ground had tilted beneath him.

“I was wrong, completely wrong,” he blurted, breath rushing out in uneven bursts. “My head was messed up. Please, don't be angry. I just didn't know what else to do. I figured if Cecilia helped us, you wouldn't have to keep breaking yourself in two, and your parents' treatment would be secured.”

Denise's ire eased a fraction at his frantic honesty, the set of her shoulders loosening, though her eyes remained guarded.

“Magnus, that isn't what I need,” she said, gentler but firm. “I'll earn the money myself and pay for my parents' care. Promise me you won't beg for cash in my name.”

Regret pricked at her. The one mistake she could never forgive in herself was accepting Sven's ten thousand after Magnus had already taken the same amount from her.

She had agreed to put on an act with Sven.

However, if she were to do it again, Denise would still make the same choices.