The mansion was too quiet.
Lillian Parker had been there before, but it still felt strange every time she stepped inside.
Sebastian Wolfe's house was enormous. Cold. Modern. All glass and steel and perfect lines.
It didn't feel like a home.
It felt like a museum.
Or a fortress.
The front doors closed softly behind her as she stepped inside.
The lights were already on.
Which meant he was still awake.
Of course he was.
It was nearly midnight.
She walked further into the mansion and followed the faint glow coming from the office at the end of the hallway.
The door was half open.
Lillian knocked lightly.
"Mr. Wolfe?"
No answer.
She pushed the door open.
Sebastian was sitting at his desk.
Laptop open.
Three different files spread across the table.
His sleeves were rolled up.
His tie was gone.
And he looked terrible.
His posture was stiff.
One hand pressed subtly against the small of his back.
The other hand rested on the keyboard.
He didn't even look up when she walked in.
"You took fifteen minutes," he said flatly.
Lillian blinked.
"You called me twenty minutes ago."
"Yes."
"And I drove across Manhattan."
"You could have driven faster."
She sighed and set her bag down.
"You sound charming tonight."
Sebastian finally looked up.
His blue eyes were sharp.
But there was something else there too.
Fatigue.
Deep fatigue.
"Sit down, Miss Parker," he said.
"We have work to finish."
Of course.
She pulled out the chair across from him.
"What exactly are we finishing?"
"The contract revisions from Dallas."
"That can wait until tomorrow."
"No."
"It's midnight."
"Yes."
"You're exhausted."
"Yes."
"And your back hurts."
Sebastian's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to."
Silence.
Lillian opened the file in front of her.
"You're pressing your hand against your spine every thirty seconds," she added calmly.
Sebastian removed his hand immediately.
"Continue reading."
She stared at him.
"You're unbelievable."
"And yet you still work for me."
She leaned back slightly.
"Mr. Wolfe."
"Yes."
"You should take a painkiller."
"No."
"You're in pain."
"I'm working."
"That's not an answer."
"It is tonight."
Lillian sighed loudly.
"You called me here because you're clearly not okay."
"I called you here because you're my secretary."
"You sounded like you were dying on the phone."
"I sounded tired."
"You sounded like someone hit you with a truck."
Sebastian ignored that.
He pushed another document toward her.
"Clause seventeen."
She glanced down.
"Energy distribution licensing."
"Yes."
She started reading.
For a few minutes the room was quiet except for typing.
Paper turning.
The soft tapping of Sebastian's keyboard.
Then—
Sebastian shifted suddenly.
His jaw tightened.
His shoulders went rigid.
Lillian looked up instantly.
"Mr. Wolfe."
"I'm fine."
"You didn't even let me ask the question."
"Then don't ask it."
"You're in pain again."
"I said I'm fine."
"Take a painkiller."
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't need one."
"You clearly do."
"I said no."
His voice snapped slightly.
The room went silent.
Lillian stared at him.
Sebastian exhaled slowly and rubbed his temple.
Then he spoke again.
Quieter.
"Continue reading."
She didn't move.
"Mr. Wolfe."
"Yes."
"You're going to collapse if you keep doing this."
"I won't."
"You already did tonight."
"I did not collapse."
"You called me at midnight sounding like you were about to."
Sebastian leaned back slightly in his chair.
Bad idea.
The movement made him freeze.
His hand instantly went to his spine.
There it was again.
That sharp flicker of pain.
Lillian saw it.
Of course she did.
"Painkillers," she said.
"No."
"Sleep."
"No."
"You're impossible."
"And you're persistent."
"I'm trying to keep you alive."
"That's not in your job description."
"Maybe it should be."
Sebastian gave her a flat look.
"Miss Parker."
"Yes."
"If you continue nagging me, I will assign you triple the workload tomorrow."
She crossed her arms.
"Threats don't work on me anymore."
"They worked for the past four years."
"I've evolved."
Sebastian stared at her for a moment.
Then—unexpectedly—
A quiet breath of something almost like amusement escaped him.
"Unfortunately."
They went back to work.
Another twenty minutes passed.
Sebastian's typing slowed.
Then stopped.
He leaned forward slightly.
Elbows on the desk.
Fingers pressed against his temples.
Lillian watched him carefully.
"You're shaking," she said quietly.
"I'm thinking."
"No."
"You're shaking."
Sebastian lowered his hands.
"Miss Parker."
"Yes."
"If you say 'painkillers' again—."
"Painkillers."
He closed his eyes briefly.
"I warned you."
"You need them."
"No."
"Why are you so stubborn?"
"Why are you still here?"
"Because you called me."
"I regret that."
"You don't."
He didn't answer that.
Instead he pushed the final document toward her.
"Finish that section."
She looked down.
Then back up.
"Only if you take the medication."
"No."
"Mr. Wolfe."
"No."
"Sebastian."
That made him look up immediately.
His eyes narrowed.
"You only use my first name when you're desperate."
"I'm desperate."
"You're dramatic."
"You're injured."
"I'm functional."
"You're barely sitting upright."
"I'm sitting."
"That's the lowest possible standard."
Sebastian exhaled slowly.
Then leaned back again.
Carefully this time.
His voice dropped lower.
"I have dealt with this injury for fourteen years."
Lillian stayed quiet.
"I know exactly how much pain I can tolerate."
"And how much is that?"
"A lot."
"That's not healthy."
"It's effective."
Silence filled the room.
Finally Lillian sighed.
"Fine."
She picked up the document again.
"I'll stop nagging."
"Good."
"But when you collapse, I'm calling an ambulance."
"That would be extremely inconvenient."
"Too bad."
They worked again.
Quiet.
Focused.
But this time, every few minutes Lillian glanced up at him.
Watching.
Waiting.
And Sebastian knew it.
After a while he finally spoke again.
Without looking up.
"You're still watching me."
"Yes."
"Why."
"Because I'm waiting."
"For what."
"For the moment you finally admit you're not invincible."
Sebastian stopped typing.
Looked up.
And said quietly—
"That moment will never happen."
Lillian held his gaze.
"We'll see."
And somehow, despite the exhaustion, the pain, and the tension hanging between them—
Neither of them stopped working