"I want you to stay out of my life!" Liam shouted, his voice echoing through the hospital corridor. Nearby nurses and patients turned to stare, and he lowered his voice, but the intensity remained. "I don't need your help, and I certainly don't need your money. Whatever game you're playing, whatever angle you're working, I want no part of it."
Sienna took a step back, hurt evident in her eyes. For a moment, her carefully constructed mask slipped, and Liam caught a glimpse of the vulnerability underneath. It made his heart ache in a way he thought he'd long since moved past.
"So what," she asked softly, "you'd rather let your mother suffer than accept my help? Is your pride really worth more than her life?"
The words hit Liam like a physical blow. As much as he hated to admit it, Sienna had a point. His mother's health was more important than his feelings about her, no matter how complicated and painful those feelings might be.
