His Broken Muse

She said please..

“Please… please save me.”

The weak c***k in Sierra’s voice hit something sharp inside Lucien’s chest.

Before he could even think about it, he shoved the woman beside him away instinctively.

She stumbled back with a shocked gasp.

“Lucien, what the hell?”

He ignored her completely.

Sierra’s body shook against the railing as she struggled to breathe properly. Her fingers clawed weakly at the metal while her vision blurred worse by the second.

Lucien crouched immediately after spotting the insulin pen near his feet.

His expression changed slightly.

He had seen this before.

The memory flashed through his mind so quickly it irritated him.

Without hesitation, he grabbed Sierra’s wrist gently enough to steady her before injecting the insulin carefully.

Sierra flinched weakly at the sting.

Lucien stayed close for a moment, watching her carefully.

Slowly, her breathing eased.

The trembling in her body calmed little by little until she rested her forehead against the cold railing, taking deeper breaths.

The night wind brushed through her blonde ponytail softly.

Lucien stared at her quietly.

Even exhausted and barely conscious, she still looked unreal.

Beautiful in a dangerous kind of way.

Sierra finally lifted her heavy eyes slightly, trying to see his face properly through the blur.

But Lucien stood where the shadows hid most of him.

Only his sharp outline was visible beneath the balcony lights.

“I’m having you for the night,” Lucien said calmly. There was no softness or hesitation in his voice.

Just a straight statement.

Sierra squinted weakly before giving a small nod.

“Okay…”

Her voice came out barely above a whisper.

Right now, she did not care who he was.

He saved her.

That was enough.

—---

Morning sunlight slipped softly through the curtains of the guest suite inside MENMO.

Sierra slowly stepped out of the bathroom wearing an oversized black shirt that stopped around her thighs. Her blonde hair fell messily around her shoulders while exhaustion still lingered beneath her eyes.

The room was empty.

The man from last night was already gone.

Her gaze drifted toward the neatly stacked money sitting on the table beside the bed.

A small crease formed between her brows.

“He still paid…” she murmured quietly.

For some reason, that made her chest feel strange.

She never even got the chance to thank him.

—---

“Sierra!”

She turned immediately after hearing the familiar voice.

Lara hurried toward her down the hallway, heels clicking quickly against the marble floor.

“You scared me last night,” Lara said once she reached her. “Are you okay?”

Sierra gave a tired nod.

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine.”

“I just need sleep.”

Lara studied her face carefully before sighing.

“Come on. Let’s go rest before tonight starts again.”

Sierra nodded softly.

The two girls walked through the hallway together while eyes followed Sierra from every corner.

Some jealous.

Some admiring.

Some bitter.

That was how it always was.

No matter where Sierra walked, attention followed naturally.

Maybe it was her beauty.

Maybe it was the way her body moved effortlessly.

Maybe it was those long toned legs or the rare softness hidden beneath her seductive appearance.

Whatever it was, people noticed her instantly.

And most of them hated her for it.

—--

[LAURENT ESTATE]

Lucien’s bike tore through the estate gates at reckless speed.

The loud engine echoed across the massive property as staff members quickly stepped out of the way before getting hit.

The bike finally stopped sharply near his private condo inside the estate grounds.

“Welcome home, young master,” the staff greeted while bowing respectfully.

Lucien ignored every single one of them.

A piece of gum rolled lazily inside his mouth as he walked toward the entrance with his helmet hanging from one hand.

The moment he stepped inside, he stopped.

Richard Laurent sat on the couch waiting for him.

The air inside the condo instantly turned heavy.

Lucien smirked slowly.

“Well,” he said casually, tossing the helmet onto a chair. “I thought today was going to be great since I had a splendid night. But seeing your face already ruined the rest of my morning.”

Richard stood up immediately.

The slap landed hard across Lucien’s face.

The sound echoed through the condo sharply.

Lucien’s head tilted slightly from the impact before snapping back slowly. Anger flashed across his eyes instantly.

“Richard,” he said coldly.

“You should know your place, you fool!” Richard thundered. “Stop staining my political ambition with your reckless behavior!”

Lucien’s jaw tightened.

Richard stepped closer, fury burning openly across his face.

“You embarrass this family every single day.”

Lucien laughed it sounded so dry and mocking.

“That sounds personal.”

Richard’s expression darkened further.

“Do not test my patience.”

He pointed a finger directly at Lucien’s chest.

“Come back to your senses before I force you to.”

Then Richard turned sharply and stormed out of the condo without another word.

The door slammed shut behind him.

Lucien stood there motionless for a few seconds.

His tongue slowly traced the inside corner of his mouth where the slap landed. He blinked once and then twice.

Then he laughed quietly to himself.

But there was nothing amused about it.

He walked toward the bathroom without speaking again.

A few moments later, cold water poured down his body beneath the shower. Steam mixed with the tension sitting heavily in the room while droplets slid down his tattooed skin.

Lucien pushed his wet hair back slowly with one hand before turning toward the large mirror across from him.

His reflection stared back.

Sharp eyes.

A fading red mark on his face.

Anger sitting beneath every inch of him.

The image of Richard replayed inside his head again.

Something dark twisted violently inside his chest.

Before he could stop himself, Lucien grabbed the glass bottle sitting nearby and hurled it straight at the mirror.

Crash!

The glass shattered violently.

Fragments exploded across the bathroom floor while several sharp pieces sliced lightly across his cheek in the process.

A thin line of blood appeared instantly beneath his eye.

Lucien breathed heavily while staring at his broken reflection through the shattered mirror.

—---

[ St. Vincent Medical Center, New York ]

The hospital hallway smelled sharply of antiseptic and exhaustion.

Nurses moved quickly past one another while monitors beeped softly behind closed doors. The bright white lights above made everything feel colder than it already was.

Sierra rushed through the entrance with uneven breaths, clutching her bag tightly against her side.

Her heart would not stop pounding ever since the call came in.

The moment she spotted the familiar doctor standing near the hallway, she hurried toward her immediately.

“Doctor Linda, I’m here.”

Dr. Linda turned at once.

Relief crossed her face briefly before worry settled right back in.

“Sierra…”

“What happened?” Sierra asked quickly. “Is Ethan okay?”

The doctor hesitated for a second.

That alone made Sierra’s stomach tighten painfully.

“Come with me.”

They began walking through the long hallway together. Sierra tried matching the doctor’s pace, but every step felt heavier than the last.

Through the glass windows of nearby rooms, families sat beside patients with tired eyes and weak smiles. The sight only made Sierra more anxious.

“Doctor, please say something.”

Dr. Linda sighed softly before finally speaking.

“Ethan’s condition is getting worse.”

Sierra’s steps slowed immediately.

“What?”

“The leukemia is progressing faster than we expected.” Dr. Linda kept her voice gentle, but the seriousness beneath it was impossible to miss. “His white blood cell count dropped again this morning, and his body isn’t responding properly to the current treatment anymore.”

Sierra stared at her silently.

No.

No, no, no.

“He was fine last week,” she said quietly, almost like she was trying to convince herself. “You said the treatment was helping.”

“It was,” Dr. Linda answered carefully. “But leukemia can become unpredictable, especially at his stage.”

Sierra swallowed hard.

Her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag.

“So what now?”

“We need to start another round of treatment immediately.” Dr. Linda looked at her with sympathy. “Stronger medication. More testing. Possibly another blood transfusion depending on how he responds.”

Sierra’s breathing became shallow.

The doctor paused again.

That pause hurt more than the answer itself.

“Sierra…” Dr. Linda lowered her voice slightly. “You already know the hospital bills have piled up.”

Guilt flashed across Sierra’s face instantly.

“I know.”

“I’ve been helping cover some of the unpaid balance through the patient support account.” Dr. Linda looked visibly conflicted now. “But I can’t keep doing it much longer. The HR department is reviewing the records soon.”

Sierra looked away immediately.

Humiliation burned through her chest quietly.

“If they notice how much has been delayed, I could lose my job.”

“I’m sorry,” Sierra whispered quickly. “I really am trying.”

“I know you are.”

And that was the worst part.

Dr. Linda knew Sierra was trying herself to death already.

The doctor stopped walking once they reached Ethan’s ward.

Inside the room, Ethan lay asleep beneath the blankets, looking far too pale for someone his age. Tubes connected to his small body while the monitor beside him beeped steadily.

Sierra’s eyes softened instantly.

Her little brother looked so fragile.

“So how much do I need?” she asked quietly without taking her eyes off him.

“At least half of the outstanding payment by the end of this week,” Dr. Linda answered gently. “If not…”

She did not finish the sentence.

She did not need to.

Sierra already understood.

If the payment was not made, Ethan could lose access to treatment here.

And this hospital was the only place still fighting this hard for him.

Sierra blinked quickly as tears threatened to rise, but she forced them back down immediately.

Crying would not help Ethan.

Money would.

“I’ll get it,” she muttered.

“Sierra…”

“I said I’ll get it.”

Her voice cracked slightly this time.

TBC……