Chapter 3

Noah grabbed my wrist, his grip painfully tight in his panic.

"A little anemia won't kill you. You'll get over it. But Daisy is actually dying!"

"You gave us two whole bags last time, and look at you, standing here perfectly fine. Who are you putting on an act for?"

Six months ago, Noah was shot multiple times during a clash with a rival syndicate, his artery severed. He was bleeding out on the floor.

The doctors shook their heads and said there was no hope, telling the family to prepare for the worst and take over his affairs.

I was nearly hysterical with grief, sobbing and begging the doctors that there had to be another way.

Seeing me break down, the doctor finally told me of one last resort.

I had been frail and sickly since birth. But when they checked my blood, they discovered I had a rare blood type, and I was the only match for Noah.

If it was transfused to Noah, he could be saved. But I was already anemic. Giving an unauthorized, excessive amount of blood could send me into hypovolemic shock and kill me on the spot.

But I did not wait to hear the rest of the risks. Without a second thought, I had torn off my jacket, rolled up my sleeve, and offered my arm for the needle.

The doctor said I was insane. The nurse was crying as she inserted the IV.

Liam and Caleb were not there, and I was afraid they would stop me if they arrived, so I insisted they take as much as they could.

After three straight days of plasma transfusions, the color finally returned to Noah's face.

As for me, I collapsed from severe hypovolemic shock right outside his hospital room. I spent a full month in a coma in the ICU, kept alive only by a web of sophisticated machines.

When I was discharged, my doctor warned me repeatedly: my body could not survive another large-volume blood donation. If it happened again, not even a miracle could save me.

A sharp pang seized my heart. A wave of dizziness washed over me, and I swayed on my feet, unable to say a word.

But there was not a trace of pity in Noah's eyes, only pure, raw impatience.

One by one, I pried his fingers from my wrist, tears streaming down my cheeks.

"Noah, I truly regret saving you."

His body went rigid. He quickly looked away, unable to meet the gaze of my pale, ashen face.

I gave a bitter laugh and wiped away my tears.

"There was a time a simple lollipop from you could make me giddy with joy."

It was only later I found out why Noah was even at that firefight. It was because Daisy had casually mentioned wanting a rare insignia that was only available on the black market, so he led his men to storm a rival's territory.

My words must have struck a nerve. Agitated and defensive, Noah snarled at me.

"Did I hold a gun to your head and force you to save me?!"

"You were the one desperate to latch onto me, to marry into our family! That's the only reason you risked your life!"

All I could do was offer a faint smile, with no energy left to argue.

At this point, words were useless.

Liam's lips thinned. He avoided my gaze, his voice cold yet carrying a flicker of guilt.

"Evie, you don't understand. Daisy grew up in the slums. She's suffered so much."

"I just can't bear to see her suffer again."

I clenched my fists. The moment Noah was distracted, I used all my strength to shove past him and run.

But I've never been strong. I didn't get more than a few steps before a sharp pain shot through my back, and I fell heavily to the floor.

My palms scraped against the rough edge of the carpet, and a sharp pain radiated from my bruised kneecaps.

Noah finally realized he'd used too much force. The coil of nylon rope he'd grabbed dropped to the floor with a thud.

"Evie! I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"You're the one who tried to run!"

I flinched away from his outstretched hand, my eyes falling on the rope that had rolled to my feet.

He had bought it with the promise to build me a giant kite by hand, saying we would fly it on the manor's lawn all summer long.

Later, Daisy got jealous, crying as she snapped the kite's frame in two. The rope was tossed into a corner of the storage room.

And now, after such a twisted journey, it had ended up here, as the tool he would use to tie me down and take my blood.

Liam held the blood bag and walked toward me.

I scrambled on all fours toward the door, but someone pinned me down from behind.

Noah forced my arms behind my back, holding them over my head. He ripped open the sleeve of my pajamas, exposing the blue veins on the inside of my wrist.

"Go on, Liam. Do it."

"Don't waste time. Daisy can't hold on much longer."

I struggled with all my might, tears streaming down my temples and into my hair.

"Let me go! Liam, my body can't take it! I'll die if you do this again!"

The cold, thick needle pierced my skin, and Liam attached the blood bag to the end of the tube.

He couldn't look me in the eye. His voice was hoarse and cold. "Just one bag. You'll be fine. I promise."

Dark red fluid rushed through the tube. I could almost hear the sound of my own life draining away.

My consciousness began to fade. Through the floor-to-ceiling window, I gazed at the distant horizon.

The rain had stopped at some point. A blood moon was slowly rising from behind the mountain ridge.