The pounding on the door shook Theo out of his half-sleep.
"Theo!" Liam's voice barked from the other side, sharp and commanding.
Theo groaned, dragging a hand over his face. "Go away."
Another slam rattled the frame. "Daisy needs you," Liam said, his tone edged with urgency. "She's not eating, not sleeping… she's falling apart."
Theo froze, the words slicing through the fog in his head. But almost instantly, his jaw tightened. He let out a bitter laugh, dry and hoarse. "Nice try, Liam. You think dragging her name into this will get me to crawl out? What is it this time… dinner with Mom? A company thing? You can handle them…"
On the other side, silence. Then Liam's voice, lower, steadier. "You think I'd waste my time making this up? She's sick, Theo. Bad. You lock yourself in here for a week and expect her to just… survive it alone?"
Theo's fists clenched at his sides, nails digging into his palms. His voice came out raw, almost a whisper.
