Chapter 44: The Cost of Courage (New Version)

The adrenaline faded as quickly as it had come. The warehouse was silent, save for the sirens wailing in the distance.

Isabella was handcuffed, screaming curses. Kruger was unconscious. Harper held Sebastian’s hand, crying tears of relief. "We did it," she sobbed. "Sebastian, we did it. Let's go home."

Sebastian looked at her. He smiled—that rare, gentle smile that he saved only for her. "Yes," he whispered. "Let's go..."

He took a step forward. And then, his face went violently pale. His knees buckled.

"Sebastian!" Harper screamed, catching him just as he collapsed.

He was heavy. Dead weight. He hit the floor, his eyes rolling back in his head. His legs... his legs were twitching uncontrollably, spasms racking his body.

"Liam!" Harper shrieked, her hands covered in the blood seeping from Sebastian's torn trousers. "Help him! Something is wrong!"

Liam rushed over, dropping his sniper rifle. He checked Sebastian’s pulse. "He pushed too hard," Liam’s face was grim. "Dr. Ryan warned him. The nerves were fragile. The crawling, the fighting... he tore them again."

"No..." Harper shook her head, panic rising in her throat. "He stood up. He was fine!"

"It was adrenaline, Harper," Liam lifted Sebastian onto his back. "We need to get him to the hospital. NOW."

---

[The Diagnosis]

City General Hospital. VIP Wing. Three Hours Later.

The wedding guests at the Cathedral had been sent home. The rumors were wild: Assassination attempt? Kidnapping? Groom got cold feet?

But in the sterile hallway of the hospital, there was only silence. Harper sat on a plastic chair, still wearing her ruined, dirty wedding dress. She looked like a fallen angel. Richard Vance sat beside her, holding her hand silently.

The doors to the ER opened. Dr. Ryan walked out. He looked exhausted. He pulled off his mask.

Harper jumped up. "Ryan! How is he? Can I see him?"

Ryan didn't smile. He looked at Harper, then at Liam. "He is alive. He is stable."

"And his legs?" Harper asked, her voice trembling. "He promised... he promised to walk me down the aisle."

Ryan sighed, a heavy, painful sound. "I told him," Ryan rubbed his temples. "I told him if he stood up too soon, if he put stress on those grafts... they would snap."

He looked Harper in the eye. "The neural pathways are severed again. The damage is... extensive." "Harper, I'm sorry. But Sebastian might never walk again. This time... it could be permanent."

Harper’s world shattered. She staggered back, hitting the wall. Permanent. Because he crawled for her. Because he fought for her.

"Can I see him?" she whispered.

"He's awake," Ryan said softly. "But... he's not in a good mood. He's refusing to see anyone."

"He'll see me." Harper pushed past the doctor and walked into the room.

---

[The Push]

The room was dim. Machines beeped rhythmically. Sebastian lay in the bed, staring at the ceiling. He looked broken. Not just his body, but his spirit. The light in his eyes—the "Golden Cat" fire—was extinguished.

"Sebastian?" Harper walked to the bedside.

He didn't look at her. "Get out." His voice was cold. Colder than the first day they met.

"I'm not leaving," Harper reached for his hand.

He snatched his hand away as if she burned him. "Look at me, Harper!" he roared, turning his head. His eyes were red, filled with self-hatred. "I am back to zero! No, I am worse than zero! I am a burden. A useless cripple who can't even protect his wife without crawling on the floor like a dog!"

"You are a hero!" Harper cried. "You saved me!"

"And look at the cost!" Sebastian slammed his fist against the mattress. "I can't walk, Harper! Ryan said I might never walk! Do you understand? There will be no walks in the park. No dancing. No carrying our children."

He pointed to the door. "The wedding is off."

"What?" Harper froze.

"I said the wedding is off," Sebastian said cruelly. "You are the daughter of Richard Vance now. You are an heiress. You are young, beautiful, and healthy." "You don't belong with a man who needs a nurse to go to the bathroom."

"I don't care about that!"

"I DO!" Sebastian shouted, his voice breaking. "I care! I have my pride, Harper! I will not let you pity me for the rest of my life!"

He turned his face away, staring at the wall. "Go away. Go back to your father. Be a Vance. Forget about me." "You're fired."

Harper stood there, tears streaming down her face. She knew he was doing this because he loved her. He was pushing her away so she wouldn't be "stuck" with him. But it hurt. It hurt more than the kidnapping.

She wiped her face. She didn't scream. She didn't beg. She looked at his back.

"I'm not fired," she whispered fiercely. "Because I quit."

Sebastian flinched, but didn't turn around.

"I quit being your nurse," Harper continued. "And I quit being your victim." "You want me to be a Vance? Fine. I'll be a Vance." "I'm going to take my father's money. I'm going to take his power. And I'm going to find the best doctors in the world to fix you."

She leaned down and whispered into his ear. "You can push me away, Sebastian Sterling. But you can't run from me." "Because you can't run at all."

She straightened up, turned on her heel, and walked out of the room. Her wedding dress trailed behind her like a battle flag.

Outside the door, Richard Vance stood waiting. "Dad," Harper said, her voice hard as steel. "Take me to the Vance Corporation." "I'm ready to claim my inheritance."