Chapter 2

On the way back from the cemetery, Serena drove like a madwoman. She kept one hand on the steering wheel while using the other to make a call.

Her tone was cold and sharp as she said, "Scott, send me all of Tina's medical records and her recent treatment status. Right now."

There was a brief hesitation on the other end before a reply came. "Ms. Beckett, Ms. Shaw is…"

"What about her? Do you not understand what I said? I need her attending physician's contact info, her room number, her medication list, and the full schedule for next week's surgery. Send everything over!"

"O-Okay! Right away!"

Not even two minutes after she hung up, her phone chimed several times in quick succession.

When Serena glanced at the screen, a cold smirk curled her lips. She pulled the car over to the side of the road and started flipping through the files quickly, her finger swiping fast across the screen.

"End-stage uremia… Dialysis three times a week… Transplant surgery scheduled for next Tuesday…"

As she muttered to herself, her eyes grew colder. "Jason, you've got a lot of nerve. You'd rather hide from me than worry about your own sister's life."

I floated in the passenger seat and watched Serena act this way, feeling as though my chest had been hollowed out.

I murmured into the air, "Serena, Tina is already dead. What's the point of checking all this?"

But Serena couldn't hear me.

She even called the hospital directly just to force me to show up.

"Yes, that's right. Tina Shaw, the patient in your nephrology department. The one in bed 37. Stop her medication and halt all treatment. It doesn't resume until her brother shows up."

However, something the person on the other end said made her frown.

"What? Say that again!" Serena dropped the harsh look in her eyes and sat up straighter. "Died? When?"

The doctor's muffled explanation came through the line, broken and unclear.

I couldn't make out the words being said, but Serena's expression had darkened completely.

"Last month? That's impossible! I checked her hospital records two weeks ago. She was still waiting for a match!"

The doctor said something else, and Serena suddenly laughed coldly.

"Her condition suddenly worsened? How convenient. I'm looking around for Jason, and his sister 'just so happens' to die? Fine. I got it."

She hung up and stared at the dimmed phone screen, her gaze dark and terrifying.

A few seconds later, she slammed her foot on the accelerator. Through gritted teeth, she said, "Go on and keep pretending, Jason. You think faking your sister's death is going to fool me? Not a chance!"

I watched her speed all the way to Central Hospital.

The scenery outside the window flew by in a blur, just like the last traces of affection between us—long gone.

…

Half an hour later, Serena charged into the nephrology ward. Her heels clicked loudly as she headed straight for the nurses' station.

"Which room is Tina Shaw in? Take me to her," Serena demanded.

The nurse on duty was startled by her. "T-Tina Shaw? She was discharged last month…"

"Discharged?" Serena grabbed the nurse's arm. "Is she discharged or dead? That's not what I was told on the phone!"

The nurse winced in pain. "Ma'am, please calm down.

"The patient, Tina Shaw, has indeed passed away. As we told you on the phone earlier, her condition suddenly got worse, which led to multiple organ failure."

"I don't believe you!" Serena shoved her away. "Show me the death certificate! I want to see the medical records! Now!"

Her voice was so loud that several patients and their families turned their heads to look at the commotion.

The nurse had no choice but to call the attending physician, a middle-aged man in his 40s.

He frowned at Serena's aggressive demeanor and said, "Ma'am, the patient did pass away. We issued the death certificate to her brother, but…"

The doctor paused, looking her over. "What's your relation to her? This is the patient's private information. We can't just show it to anyone."

"I'm her sister-in-law!"

The words came out before Serena could think. She even paused for a moment after saying it.

The title of sister-in-law was one she hadn't acknowledged since William came back.

The doctor studied her for a moment, looking skeptical, but he turned and went into the office anyway.

A few minutes later, he came out with a copy of the medical records.