The hospital doors slid open with a whoosh as Liora rushed in, barely waiting for them to part. Her footsteps echoed through the pristine hallway, her heart pounding louder with every second.
She ran up to the front desk, breathless.
"Please my mother, Naomi Wells. I got a call. Something happened can you tell me where she is?"
The nurse behind the counter glanced up, typing quickly. "One moment… yes, she's in Ward 4C. Straight down the hall, second left."
"Thank you," Liora breathed and took off again, not bothering to wait for Lucian who trailed closely behind.
The hallway seemed to stretch forever. Her eyes darted to every room number, her chest tightening with every passing second. Ward 4C. Her hands trembled as she reached for the door.
As Liora approached the ward, her breath hitched at the sight of her mother lying unconscious. Standing beside the bed was the attending doctor, arms folded, his expression sharp.
"You're finally here."
"If you had cleared her bills earlier, maybe we wouldn't be here," the doctor said sharply, arms crossed.
"I'm trying," Liora said, her voice cracking. "I just need till the end of today. Please… just a little more time."
The doctor raised a brow. "You think we can keep running this ward on promises?"
Before Liora could respond, Lucian stepped forward quietly.
"Excuse me," he said softly. His tone was calm almost unsure but steady. "If it's alright… I can help cover the bill."
Liora's head turned to him in shock. "Lucian…"
He didn't meet her eyes at first. "I don't mean to overstep. I just… I can't stand here and do nothing."
The doctor looked between them, unimpressed. "And who exactly are you?"
Lucian pulled out his wallet. "Just someone trying to help. If you can print the invoice, I'll settle it now."
Liora touched his arm gently. "Lucian… you don't have to"
"I know," he said, finally meeting her gaze. "But I want to."
The doctor scoffed but turned to the nurse. "Print the invoice."
As the papers slid from the printer, Lucian took a step back, giving Liora space. She sank into the chair beside her mother, her eyes filling with tears as she reached for her hand.
"Mama…" she whispered. Her mother didn't stir. "I'm sorry I'm not doing enough. I should've… I should've found a way sooner. Please stay with me."
She rested her head beside her mother's arm, breathing in deeply, willing herself not to fall apart.
Outside the ward, Lucian stood silently in the hallway, leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets, deep in thought. He glanced once at the invoice in his hand, then away again, as if trying to clear the weight in his chest.
Minutes passed.
Liora stepped out, wiping her eyes. When she saw him, she walked straight toward him.
"Lucian."
He turned. Her voice was soft, but full of something heavy.
"Thank you," she said, voice thick with emotion. "You didn't have to… but you did. I'll pay you back. I don't care how long it takes me I will."
Lucian smiled, the corners of his mouth lifting gently. "It's okay."
"No, it's not just okay. That's a lot of money"
"I didn't do it for the money."
She looked up at him, confused but touched.
He hesitated, then said, "I was thinking… Maybe I could help you find someone who can take care of her long-term. Not just for now, but permanently. A nurse or a care facility. Someone she can rely on when you're not around."
Liora's brows lifted in disbelief. "I can't afford that. You know I can't."
Lucian tilted his head, his eyes soft and a small playful smile tugging at his lips.
"Well," he said gently, "then I guess you're going to owe me a couple more dates.
Liora stared at the invoice in her hands, her eyes scanning the numbers that no longer made any sense. Her hands trembled. This man… this stranger had just paid a bill she knew she'd have never been able to clear on her own. The weight of it all pressed down on her chest like stone.
She looked up at Lucian, really looked at him this time the quiet tilt of his head, the soft way he was watching her, not expecting anything… and that only made it worse.
"Why are you helping me?" her voice cracked. "Lucian, you don't even know me. I have nothing. Nothing to give you. A date isn't going to cover this."
Lucian didn't respond right away. He looked down at his shoes, then away, then slowly back at her.
"I know," he said quietly. "I know you don't owe me anything. I didn't do this expecting… repayment."
Liora blinked rapidly, her throat tightening.
"Then why?" she whispered. "Why are you doing all of this for me?"
Lucian let out a shaky breath, then leaned against the wall beside them. His voice, when it came, was raw, no charm, no masks.
"I don't know," he admitted. "It sounds crazy. I know it does. But the moment I saw you… I felt something. Like I was supposed to be there, right at that moment, for you, he hesitated. His brows pulling together "It's like I'd been waiting to meet you and didn't know it."
Liora said nothing, her chest rising and falling with uneven breaths.
"It's not pity," he added quickly. "It's not guilt. And it's not… some weird savior complex. I just… I saw you, and something clicked. I can't explain it. I don't have the words. But I want to help you, not because I expect something back, but because I care. And that scares the hell out of me, Liora. Because I don't even know your favorite color yet."
That last part made her let out a dry, tearful laugh.
"Blue," she murmured, wiping her eyes. "It's blue."
Lucian smiled, a small one. "Then I'm glad I wore this shirt."
The hospital lights cast a dull glow over the waiting room as Liora sat curled into herself, eyes heavy, fingers nervously playing with the string on her hoodie. Lucian hadn't moved far sitting quietly a few chairs away, his presence steady and unintrusive.
Then she heard it fast, familiar footsteps.
"Liora!"
Imani burst in, breathless, eyes scanning wildly until they landed on her. Liora stood, and within seconds, she was wrapped in Imani's arms.
"Oh my God. I came as fast as I could. Are you okay? What happened?"
"She's stable," Liora murmured, already feeling lighter. "They said it was a minor stroke. They're keeping her overnight for monitoring."
Imani pulled back slightly, brushing her thumb under Liora's eye. "Thank God."
Then her eyes flicked not in confusion, but recognition.
Lucian.
"Lucian?" she said, blinking as if only just noticing him seated nearby. "You're still here?"
Lucian stood up with a small nod. "Yeah."
Imani's brow furrowed slightly, surprised. "You stayed this long?"
Liora answered before Lucian could. "He brought me here. Paid the bills too. Stayed through the doctor's updates."
Imani's posture shifted. A beat passed.
"…Damn. That's…" She turned her gaze back to Lucian, more serious now. "Thank you. Really."
Lucian just nodded again, looking between them. "I'll give you two some space."
He stepped out toward the hallway without needing to be told.
As soon as he was gone, Imani turned back to Liora, lowering her voice. "Okay… be honest with me. What's really going on with him?"
Liora leaned against the cold wall, suddenly exhausted. "I asked him the same thing. Why is he doing all this."
"And?"
"He said he doesn't know. Just that something told him not to walk away."
Imani's face softened with thought. "That man barely knew your last name like, two seconds ago, and now he's paying medical bills and sitting through blood pressure updates?"
Liora gave a faint smile. "I know. It's crazy."
Imani shook her head but didn't look annoyed. Just wary. "Look, I don't think he's trying to play you or anything, but… I've watched enough movies to know mysterious rich guys don't show up for free."
"Except he hasn't asked for anything," Liora said quietly.
Imani nodded slowly. "Alright. I trust you. And I trust your gut. Just keep your eyes open, yeah?"
Liora smiled, this time with more warmth. "I always do."
Imani bumped her shoulder. "Good. Now let's go back in before he starts brooding too hard and turns into a bat or something."
The doctor returned a while later, clipboard in hand and a tired smile on his face. "She's stable for now. We've done all we can tonight, but she needs rest and close monitoring. You can go home, but I'd advise coming back in the morning to check on her."
Liora nodded, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. Imani gave her hand a soft squeeze.
"I'll drive you both," Lucian offered gently. He'd been quiet through the doctor's explanation, his eyes mostly fixed on Liora.
Imani glanced at him, her brows raised slightly. "We can call a cab"
"It's late," he interrupted kindly. "And I wouldn't feel right letting you two wander around in the dark. Please."
Imani hesitated, then looked at Liora. She gave a small shrug, tired, grateful, and too emotionally worn to argue.
"…Fine," Imani muttered, not unkindly.
The drive home was quiet, only filled with the low hum of the engine and the occasional rustle of wind. When they arrived at the apartment, Lucian parked neatly and got out first, opening Liora's door before she reached for the handle.
She stepped out and turned to face him under the pale glow of the streetlight. "Thank you," she said softly, meaning it from the depths of her chest. "For everything. For staying, for paying, for… all of it. I don't know how to repay you, but I will someday. In any form."
Lucian gave a slow smile, the kind that tugged at the corners of his mouth but didn't quite reach his eyes. "You don't owe me anything, Liora. You never did."
A beat of silence passed. Then Imani chimed in from behind, grinning slightly. "Okay, Mr. Mysterious. We get it, you're smooth."
Liora rolled her eyes, her lips twitching upward.
"Thanks for the ride," Imani added more genuinely, bumping Lucian lightly with her elbow as she passed.
Lucian chuckled. "Anytime."
As the girls walked up the short steps to their apartment, Liora looked back one last time. Lucian stood at the curb, hands in his pockets, watching them with something unreadable in his eyes.
She didn't know what this was. But somehow, she knew it wasn't nothing.
And neither did he.