She didn''t bother with small talk. "Matthew has the same gic disease that your grandfather had. After his injury, things got worse fast. He needs a stem cell transnt from a blood rtive if he''s going to make it." She met Sebastian''s eyes, her voice steady but full of hope. "You''re his half-brother. You might be the only one who''s a match. I''m asking you to go to the hospital, get tested, and if it works, donate your stem cells to save him."


    Sebastian didn''t react at all. He looked at her like she''d just told him the weather, a hint of a mocking smile on his lips. "And why should I care if Matthew lives or dies?"


    "He''s your brother." Reese''s words caught in her throat, sharper than she expected.


    "Brother?" Sebastian let out a short, coldugh, his gaze turning hard. "He''s a bastard. That doesn''t make him my brother." He paused, then looked at her with a strange kind of disappointment. "You''re my wife, Reese, yet you''re here begging me to save another man. Why would I ever agree to that?"


    Reese didn''t expect this to be easy. "I''ve reported the surrogacy to the police. If you help Matthew, I''ll withdraw my statement." That was the biggestpromise she could offer.


    But Sebastian shook his head, his eyes growing darker. “That''s not enough.”


    Reese stared at him. "Then what do you want?"


    "Drop the divorce," he said, voicepletely in control. "Have another child with me. Stay as Mrs. Ratcliff. Stay by my side."


    "No." Reese didn''t even have to think about it. "Sebastian, we''re done. There''s nothing between us anymore. If I stay, I''ll just be a shell, going through the motions. Is that what you want?"


    "I decide if it''s worth it," Sebastian said, his smile loose andzy, but his words heavy. "Reese, you don''t really have a choice. Neither I nor Robbie can be a donor. We both carry the same gene. If you want to save Matthew, you''ll have to have another child with me. Only a heathy child can be a donor. We''ll use that child''s stem cells to save Matthew. And Robbie. And me."


    Reese felt dizzy, her hands clenching tight in herp. His words cut right through her, leaving her torn


    between Matthew''s life and her own freedom. She''d fought so hard to escape Sebastian''s control, to finally get her chance at a real life. Now he wanted her to walk right back into the darkness she''d just escaped. She looked at his handsome, unyielding face and knew he meant every word. He''d never lie to her about something like this. But the idea of being his wife again felt unbearable.


    "So? Have you made up your mind?" Sebastian''s voice was low and impatient.


    "Matthew doesn''t have much time left. You''re running out of options."


    Reese felt like her heart was in a vice. She shut her eyes, memories shing through her mind-Matthew shielding her from a knife, Matthew lying pate and still in a hospital bed, Annie sobbing and begging her to save her dad. She couldn''t let Matthew die.


    She opened her mouth, ready to answer, but then she remembered something Annie had whispered before she left. "You''re the most important person to me and Daddy. Don''t agree to anything weird Uncle Sebastian says."


    Reese went quiet. After a long pause, she finally said, "Let me think about it."


    "Alright." Sebastian''s eyes grew a shade darker. He could see her hesitation, and it twisted something in his chest. He hadn''t expected Matthew to mean so much to her.


    Suddenly, his phone started ringing, shattering the heavy silence.


    "Reese!" n''s voice burst through the speaker, breathless and excited. "The military doctors are here! They''re treating Matthew right now. The doctors said he''ll wake up as soon as they finish!"