Too Late To Say Sorry

Suck it up. Waiting a few days for surgery isn't going to kill you. Do you seriously have to pull this stunt right when Piper is getting married?

The voice on the other end was ice. My own brother.

I lay rotting in a foreign ICU, my body shutting down by the hour. I begged him to let me come home for the life-saving surgery I needed.

He thought I was using my deathbed to sabotage the wedding of his precious step-sister.

Desperate. Out of options.

I dialed the groom.

"They say I'm the one that got away the one you never really got over. Killian, can you come bring me home?"

Seconds later, chaos erupted at the altar.

The billionaire groom abandoned his bride, sprinting toward the airport like a man possessed.

Chapter 1

The hospital ward was a hive of activity. Families huddled around beds, murmuring soft comforts, peeling fruit, holding hands.

My corner was a vacuum.

Just the rhythmic, indifferent beeping of the monitor. And the phone in my hand.

Dominic's voice cut through the speaker, dripping with disdain. "Convenient timing, Celeste. Truly. You wait until Piper and Killian are literally walking down the aisle to decide you're dying?"

"You're a pathological liar. You always have been. Do you honestly think Im buying this?"

"Let me make this crystal clear. Save the theatrics. I don't care if you're actually taking your last breathyou just hold on until that wedding is over."

I lay there, wasted and gray. A cold hand squeezed my lungs.

Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes, sliding hot into my hairline. My voice was a broken whisper, trembling against the plastic receiver.

"Dominic I'm not acting. Please. I just want to come home."

"The specialists here they said Dr. Crane is the only one with the experience to handle this tumor. He's the only chance I have."

"My body is failing. I can't wait anymore. If you don't believe me, listen to the doctor."

My finger shook as I hit the speaker button. I looked up at Dr. Foster with pleading eyes.

Dr. Foster stepped forward, his voice grave. He confirmed everything. The diagnosis. The rapid decline. The absolute necessity of an immediate transfer to Dr. Cranes care in the capital.

Dominic didn't miss a beat.

"A few days' delay won't kill her. They're getting married. She can wait."

Dr. Fosters professional mask cracked. He leaned over the phone, furious.

"What kind of brother are you? Did you hear me? She is critical. You're asking her to wait? Im telling you, if we miss this surgical window, it won't matter if she flies back or not. Shell be dead. Don't come crying to us when it's too late."

Dominic laughed. A short, cruel sound.

"Regret? Hardly. Why don't you stick to medicine instead of bad acting, Doc? How much did she pay you to lie for her? Listen to me: if she insists on pulling this garbage to ruin the wedding, tell her not to bother coming back. Ever."

The line went dead.

Click.

My grip on the hospital gown tightened until my knuckles turned white. The air in the room felt too thin.

I gasped.

A sharp, physical pain ripped through my chest, unrelated to the disease.

He still didn't believe me.

"Dominic" I whispered into the silence, my throat raw like Id swallowed glass.

"What will it take? Do I have to die first? Will you only believe me when you're carrying my ashes through customs?"

My voice was too raspy. Too full of despair.

On the other end of the disconnected line, miles away, Dominic held the phone. He paused, a flicker of something passing over his face.

Chapter 2

Then, a deeper voice rumbled through the speaker. Gregory.

"Is that Celeste? Whats the drama this time?"

Dominic sighed. "She says she's terminal. Claims she needs immediate surgery back home."

Gregory scoffed, the sound distinct even through the phone line.

"Bullshit. Since when is the medical tech back here better than what she has abroad? Shes lying. Its a desperate ploy to crash Pipers wedding. Can't she come up with a better excuse?"

"Listen to me, Dominic. Piper might be your step-sister, but she is still family. You don't get to pick favorites. You can't coddle Celeste and ignore Piper."

"Piper is marrying Killian in days. We cannot afford any mistakes. You're a man, you know exactly how dangerous it is to let the 'one that got away' waltz back into the picture. The damage would be catastrophic."

The hesitation on Dominic's end was brief. Vaporized by Gregorys cold logic.

"You're right. Forget it. Well ignore her."

Click.

The line went dead.

The deafening silence of the disconnected line filled the room.

It felt like a physical backhand. A slap across the face of a dying girl begging for her life.

Cold.

It hurt. God, it hurt so much I couldn't breathe.

The brother who used to carry me on his shoulders? The one who treated me like I was made of glass? Gone.

He was nothing more than Pipers enabler now. Her personal lapdog.

He was still the protective big brother, but the shield had shifted. He wasn't protecting his blood anymore; he was guarding the step-sister with zero biological tie.

Was my death the only currency that would buy their regret? Did I have to rot in a box before they broke down in tears?

But what good would that do?

I wasn't interested in being a tragic memory. I didn't want the "moral victory" of martyrdom.

I wanted to live.

I had to save myself.

For the next few days, I went to war. I contacted every top specialist I could find, spamming their inboxes with my charts and scans.

The consensus was a terrifying, universal head shake.

"We can't touch this," a top neurosurgeon told me. "The tumor's location is a nightmare. There is only one man with the hands for this. Dr. Crane."

"Don't assume Western medicine is always superior," another specialist added. "In terms of raw surgical volume and complex cases, Dr. Crane is the global authority. Hes the 'Golden Hands' for a reason. If you want to survive the table, you need him."

Desperate, I emailed Dr. Crane directly. Can you fly out? Ill pay anything.

His reply hit my inbox with devastating speed:

[I apologize. Due to ongoing family legal matters, I am currently restricted from leaving the country. Your condition is critical and time-sensitive. I strongly advise you to return immediately. Come to my hospital, and I will clear my schedule for you.]

But I couldn't move.

I was a prisoner in a luxury ward. My passport was goneconfiscated.

And then there were the guards. 24/7 surveillance.

Piper had gotten to them long ago.

I knew, because I heard it happen.

I watched from my bed as Dominic called the lead security detail to check on me. Butch stood right outside my glass door, locking eyes with me while he lied through his teeth to my brother.

"Ms. Celeste? Oh, don't worry, Boss. She's fine. Not sick at all."

Chapter 3

Dr. Foster was vibrating with anxiety. He paced the small room, a blur of white coat.

"Celeste, listen to me. You need to get on a plane. Now. Ive already coordinated with Dr. Crane. The second your feet touch the ground, hell have an ambulance waiting on the tarmac."

I squeezed my eyes shut. Hot tears leaked out. "Do you think Im staying here by choice?"

Dr. Foster was grasping at straws. He looked at me, then at the phone.

"Call Killian."

"Everyone says you're the one that got away, right? The 'great love' he never got over? If thats true, he won't let you rot here. Hes rich. He has jets. He can come get you."

I laughed, but it was a dry, hacking sound.

"He doesn't love me." The words tasted like ash. "I chased him. For years. I was the one obsessed, not him. If I was essential to his existence, he wouldn't be standing at an altar with a cheap knockoff right now."

Dr. Foster snatched the phone from my weak grip. "Give me the number. Im doing it."

I whispered the digits, dread pooling in my stomach. I didn't have the energy to fight him. I didn't have the energy for hope.

He hit dial. Speakerphone.

"Is this Killian? Listen to me. Your ex, Celeste? Her family thinks she's a threat to your wedding. You need to tell them she's not. Tell them you won't dump the new girl just because Celeste comes home. She's stuck here because of you."

Killians laugh was dark. Metallic.

"She really thinks highly of herself, doesn't she? Let me be clear: The moment she left the country, she ceased to exist for me. Shes dead."

I flinched.

The words were a physical blow, slapping against my fevered skin. Humiliation burned through my veins.

I shook my head at Dr. Foster. Stop. Please. I can't take this.

But Foster wasn't having it. Rage flushed his face. He shouted into the receiver.

"And what if she actually is dead? Soon?"

The silence on the other end was heavy. Sharp.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm speaking literally. She has a massive tumor. No one here will touch it. Her only shot at survival is Dr. Crane back in the capital. But her brother won't let her return because he's afraid she'll ruin your big day. If you truly don't give a damn about her, tell her brother. Clear the air. Don't let her die alone in a foreign country because of some twisted misunderstanding. Her time is running out."

My heart hammered against my ribs.

If I wasn't the "Muse"if I wasn't a threatmaybe Dominic would let me come home.

I just needed Killian to confirm I was meaningless.

Suddenly, a sweet, cloying voice floated through the background.

Piper.

"Killian? Who are you talking to? Reverend Smith is asking for the 'I do's.'"

"The guests are staring, darling. Unless it's life or death, can't it wait until after the ceremony?"

Chapter 4

The realization hit me late, filtering through the haze of pain medication.

That background noise it wasn't static. It was music.

Here Comes the Bride.

The melody was soft, classic, and sickeningly triumphant.

So that was why Dominic told me to wait. Why my death was an inconvenience.

Killian was standing at the altar right now.

Calling him was a mistake. A masochistic act of self-destruction. He probably thought this was my grand finalea desperate, jealous ex trying to burn down his happiness.

My fever-addled brain conjured the image instantly. A ballroom dripping in crystals. My father, beaming. Dominic, proud. All eyes on the happy couple.

Reverend Smiths voice boomed through the tiny speaker, resonant and solemn.

"Killian, do you take Piper to be your wedded wife? For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health to love and to cherish, until death do you part?"

No.

Adrenaline surged through my wasted muscles. I lunged.

I snatched the phone from Dr. Fosters hand and stabbed the red button.

Call Ended.

I couldn't hear it. I couldn't bear to hear his deep baritone say, "I do."

The rest of the day blurred into a kaleidoscope of agony.

My temperature spiked. Reality fractured. I drifted into the black waters of a nightmare.

I was back in the manor. Small. Safe.

Daddy was holding me. Dominic was braiding my hair. We were a fortress.

Then the fortress crumbled.

Patricia walked in.

She wasn't just a new wife. She was a ghost. A carbon copy of my mother, Rosemary. Same eyes, same smile. And trailing behind her was Pipera living, breathing replica of my mother in her youth.

Even more like her than I was.

My father didn't just move on; he succumbed to a twisted obsession. He recast the role of his dead wife.

I heard Dominics voice in the dream, echoing from the past.

"Just pretend, Celeste. Pretend Patricia is Mom. Pretend Piper is the little sister Mom gave us. Is it that hard?"

Yes.

It was impossible.

That was my mother. Not a costume for some stranger to wear.

I saw the flash of gold on Patricias hand. My mothers wedding ring. The vintage emerald necklace Mom loved draped around that womans neck.

I screamed in the dream. I fought. I tried to rip the ring off her finger.

But in the end, I was the villain. The brat. The ungrateful daughter ruining the family's second chance at happiness.

Riiiiiing.

Riiiiiing.

The shrill noise dragged me out of the nightmare. I gasped, sweat soaking through my hospital gown.

The screen lit up.

Dominic.

My heart gave a pathetic flutter. Was it over? Was the ring on Piper's finger? Did that mean I was finally allowed to live? Could I come home?

I answered, desperate hope clogging my throat. "Broth"

"Are you happy now?"

Dominics voice wasn't cold anymore. It was an inferno.

"Do you have to be this venomous? Will you not stop until you've actually driven Piper to her grave?"

I froze. "What"

"You have everything, Celeste! You have Dad's love. You have mine. What does Piper have?"

His breathing was ragged, harsh against the mic.

"Shes an insecure girl who loves him so much she was willing to be a placeholder! She accepted being your shadow just to be near him! She sacrificed her dignity for love, and you you just had to ruin it."

"Do you have any idea what you did?" he roared. "One phone call. That's all it took."

"Killian left. He left her at the altar!"

My blood ran cold.

"We couldn't stop him. The guests are in shock. Everyone is laughing at her. They're saying the cheap knockoff tried to steal the throne but got slapped down by the 'Muse' the second she called."

"Piper is the laughingstock of the entire city. Shes destroyed."

Dominics voice dropped to a terrifying whisper.

"She's on the roof, Celeste. She's threatening to jump."

"Ask your conscience if she dies tonight, will you ever be able to sleep again?"

Chapter 5

Urgh.

The stress hit my stomach like a sledgehammer.

I retched, doubling over as a warm, metallic liquid surged up my throat. Bright red blood splattered across the pristine white sheets.

The doctor said stress would kill me. But was my brother even speaking human anymore?

"Brother," I gasped, blood staining my teeth. "Ask yourself ask your conscience. Do I really have your love? Does Dad love me?"

"Who lets the person they claim to love beg for their life from across the ocean?"

"Piper threatens to jump off a roof, and you shatter. I am rottingliterally rottingin a foreign ICU, and you feel nothing."

"I regret it. I regret ever hoping you were still the big brother who carried me."

"You don't have a heart, Dominic. Its stone."

Beep. Beep. BEEP-BEEP-BEEP.

The rhythm of the room exploded. The heart monitor screamed a high-pitched, continuous warning.

Nurses swarmed in.

"BP is crashing! Tachycardia! She's coding!"

"Get Dr. Foster! NOW! Patient 18 is going into arrest!"

Dominic must have heard the chaos through the phone. His voice cracked, wavering between panic and stubborn denial.

"What is that noise? Celeste? Is this another set piece? Another actor?"

"Celeste! Speak to me! Don't you dare try to scare me!"

"Put the bodyguard on! Give the phone to Butch! I want verification! RIGHT NOW!"

I wanted to laugh.

I was actively dying, my organs shutting down one by one, and he was convinced it was sound effects.

Give the phone to Butch? So he could look at my blood-soaked chin and tell Dominic I was fine?

No.

My heart stopped fighting. Not medicallynot yetbut spiritually.

I didn't want to be the tragic heroine in a posthumous memoir. I didn't want to be a martyr. But the universe wasn't giving me a choice.

Wait.

Through the haze of the crashing room, I heard something else on the line. A background voice. Breathless. Urgent.

Hugo. Killian's assistant.

"Dominic he's gone. Killian is airborne."

"Mr. Huo Sr. tried to stop him. He had thirty security guards locking down the private terminal. Killian went through them like a reaper. Ive never seen a man look so terrifying. He was feral. Nothing could stop him."

"And sir the intel just came in. The wedding was a trap. Killian never intended to say 'I do.' He set the whole thing up as a stage. He was planning to play a video during the ceremony that would have destroyed Piper permanently."

Destroy Piper?

My fading consciousness snagged on that hook.

What video?

Killian he was really coming? He tore through an army of guards to get to me?

A single tear slid down my temple.

Its too late, isnt it?

Figures in white loomed over me, blocking out the ceiling. Needles pierced my skin. A penlight blinded my eyes, searing and bright.

Then, the tunnel narrowed.

The light shrank to a pinprick.

Black.

Everything went black.

Chapter 6