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"So she is going to be okay?" I woke up to a sweet voice coming from the open terrace. "And... Iris?"
"Thank you. I will be in touch."

"What was that all about?" I approached her from behind. I held onto her and hid my face in the crook of her neck. "You startled me," she pressed a soft kiss on my forehead. "Just Dr. Drakos. On Chloé's treatment plan."

"You never told me about what your visit to Greece. Is there anything I need to know about?" I turned her around to face me. "Well... That is something you and Chloé need to talk about."

"And why can you not tell me about it?" I cupped her face as she leaned into my palm. "It is... not my place to say. She needs to tell you this one herself. So to speak, you have a lunch appointment with your sister today. I moved your 4 o'clock to tomorrow morning."

I frowned, trying to piece together what could be so important that Sophia couldn’t just tell me. "Chloé and I don’t exactly have the kind of relationship where we... confide in each other," I muttered, though my fingers continued to gently stroke her cheek. Sophia smiled softly, placing her hand over mine.

"Maybe that’s why this conversation is overdue," she said gently, her eyes searching mine. "She needs you, Nicolas. She might not say it, but she does. Especially now."

I sighed, knowing she was right but still unsure of how to approach the situation. Chloé was always a mystery, always closed off. We’d been through so much together, yet there was always a wall between us. And now, there was something serious—something involving her health.

"I’ll talk to her," I finally conceded, though it felt like an uphill battle before it even started. "But why do I feel like I’m walking into something that’s going to change everything?"

Sophia’s eyes softened, and she reached up to press a tender kiss to my lips. "Because it might," she said quietly, her words hanging in the air like a delicate truth that neither of us could ignore.

I held her close for a moment longer, letting her warmth steady me before I stepped back. "Alright. I’ll go," I said, resigned but determined. "But after that, we’ll talk about what’s been weighing on your mind lately."

Sophia blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting me to bring it up. "What do you mean?" she asked, trying to sound casual, but I could tell there was something deeper going on.

"You’ve been distracted," I said, watching her carefully. "Even before Grandpa's announcement. And I don’t think it’s just Chloé."

For a moment, she didn’t answer. Her gaze shifted, as if she were deciding how much to tell me. Then she let out a small sigh, brushing a hand through her hair. "We’ll talk after you meet with Chloé. One thing at a time."

I nodded, though I couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever she was holding back was just as significant as whatever was going on with my sister.

~~ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ~~

Later that afternoon, I found myself seated across from Chloé in a quiet, upscale restaurant. She was always composed, always put-together, but today there was a tension about her that I hadn’t seen before. Her fingers played with the edge of her napkin, her gaze shifting from me to the window as if she were looking for a way out.

"So," I began, trying to break the ice. "What’s going on?"

Chloé’s eyes flickered to mine, and for a moment, I saw something raw and unguarded. But it was gone just as quickly, replaced by her usual cool demeanor. "I’m fine," she said simply, taking a sip of her water.

"Fine?" I echoed, raising an eyebrow. "That’s not what Sophia seems to think. She told me about your treatment plan."

Chloé tensed visibly, her jaw tightening. "She wasn’t supposed to say anything."