She couldn''t believe they actually wanted her to drop the case. Honestly, did they think she was a toddler? It was almost funny, if it wasn''t so pathetic. Bailey and Hank had been living their best lives for years, acting like her mother never existed. Now, they were willing to forgive the person who killed her mom, and expected her to do the same, as if she would ever fall for their lies.


    Reese''s fingers clenched around her phone, knuckles white. A heavy mix of anger and heartbreak rose inside her, almost too much to bear.


    This was her family. Her own blood. And for money, forfort, they could ignore someone''s life, stomp all over her dignity, and let her mother''s memory go unavenged. She felt sick.


    She Seth a steady breath, swallowing down her rage. She deleted the message, tossed her phone back on the table, and her eyes were nothing but cold determination.


    She would never back down. Grace owed her mother a life, and Reese would make sure that debt was paid in full.


    As for Bailey and Hank, as far as she was concerned, they didn''t exist anymore.


    "I need some air," she muttered. She noticed Matthew looking at her with concern, but she didn''t want him getting dragged into her mess. Standing up, she left the hospital room, shutting the door behind her.


    She needed to breathe, to escape these people and memories that made her skin crawl.


    The hallway was quiet, sunlight spilling through the windows, painting broken patches of light on the floor as she walked, her anger slowly giving way to bone- deep exhaustion.


    Then she saw him. At the far end of the corridor, a familiar figure she''d rather never see again.


    Sebastian. ck suit, tall and rigid, face as cool and unreadable as ever, eyes sharp as knives, locked right on her.


    She stopped. Disgust twisted in her chest. She turned, ready to walk away.


    "Reese." Sebastian''s voice was low, back to that chilly, bossy tone she hated. "Come on. We need to talk."


    She paused, still facing away. "Sebastian, there''s nothing for us to talk about," she said, her voice ice cold.


    He closed the distance, blocking her path.


    Brady''s report was still fresh in his mind. Matthew''s illness is gic and severe. Only a stem cell transnt from family could save him, but Matthew had no suitable rtives. The only hope left was a child from him and Reese.


    Determination flickered in Sebastian''s eyes.


    "I wanted to know if you''ve thought about my offer," he said.


    She looked up at him, pure sarcasm in her eyes. "What offer?"


    "That you don''t divorce me. That we have another child to save Matthew." His words were blunt, his tone pushing her into a corner. "You know Matthew''s situation. Without our child, he doesn''t have long."


    Reese''s heart clenched. She hadn''t realized Sebastian knew so much about Matthew''s condition.


    She stared at those cold, self-satisfied eyes and felt a new wave of disgust and helplessness. She hated his arrogance, his threats, but most of all, she hated that he could use her weakness against her.


    "Keep dreaming, Sebastian," she said, voice sharp as ss. "I am not having another child with you."


    "Do you even have a choice?" Sebastian stepped closer, his presence suffocating. "Unless you want to watch Matthew die."


    His eyes pinned her in ce, searching for any sign that she might give in.


    Her chest heaved. His words stabbed her straight in the heart.


    Of course she couldn''t let Matthew die.


    But that wasn''t a card Sebastian could y, and it wasn''t a reason for her to get trapped in that miserable marriage again.


    She stepped back, putting space between them, her eyes colder than ever. "You and I ended a long time ago I''m not having another child with you Sebastian. You can forget it."


    "As for Matthew, I''ll find another way to help him."


    Sebastian''s face darkened, anger boiling in his eyes.


    He couldn''t believe that after everything, Reese was still talking about divorce.


    He let out a cold, humorlessugh. "What other way do you have, Reese?"


    "Matthew needs stem cells from a blood rtive. Unless you have another option, what can you do?"


    Reese frowned.


    He was right. Matthew needed healthy stem cells. But... why did the child have to be with Sebastian?


    If all that mattered was a match, wouldn''t Matthew''s own child becan even better donor than a child with Sebastian who was only his Half-brother?


    The realization hit her. Slowly, she looked up and met Sebastian''s stare. The


    struggle left her face, reced by a calm, almost fearless resolve.


    She studied his handsome, unfeeling face, noticing the certainty in his eyes and suddenly a small, almost mocking smile yed at her lips. Then she said something thatpletely blindsided him.


    "Sebastian, why are you so sure that having a child with you is the only way to


    save Matthew?"


    Her voice was soft, but it exploded in his mind.


    Sebastian''s brow furrowed. "What are you saying?"


    Reese took a deep breath, her eyes steady, her tone quiet but unbreakable. "I''m


    saying I''m going to divorce you.


    "And then, I''ll marry Matthew. I''ll have a child with him.


    "Our child will save his life."