I clutched my phone, refreshing the screen every few seconds, waiting for a reply from Lucian. The messages stared back at me, unanswered, the silence louder than the chaos in my mind.

“Ms. Eloise Sinclair?”

The nurse’s voice jolted me upright. Her face was pale, the tight line of her lips giving me no comfort.

“Yes?” I managed, my throat dry.

“I’m afraid we need to act quickly. Max’s condition is deteriorating. His body is rejecting the temporary measures. The kidney implant is ...