Chapter 8: The Fever in the Dark**
Two weeks in, a fierce thunderstorm battered the estate. Late at night, Clara woke up to quiet whimpering down the hall.
She rushed into the boys' bedroom and found Liam burning up with a terrifying 103-degree fever, shivering beneath his heavy duvet.
Julian was stranded downtown in emergency board meetings. Clara didn't panic. She called the family physician, applied cool compresses to Liam’s forehead, and sat beside his bed for six straight hours, singing soft lullabies while stroking his hair.
When Julian finally burst through the doors at 4:00 AM, drenched in rain, he found Liam resting peacefully. Clara was fast asleep in an armchair beside him, still clutching a damp washcloth.
Julian approached quietly, his gaze softening as he gently draped his own wool coat over Clara’s sleeping shoulders.
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"Thank you," he murmured to the empty air.
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