Chapter 2

Simone went home to get Anthony to sign the divorce papers, only to find an ambulance parked outside.

A visibly anxious maid cried, "Bad news, Mrs. Lancaster! Ms. Stone's kidney disease has suddenly worsened."

Winona's face was bloodless, and she'd passed out on the stretcher.

A second later, Anthony called. Simone hesitated for a beat before picking up. Over the phone, she heard him shouting commands in the distance. "Everyone, prep for a possible kidney transplant just in case we need it!"

Then, he spoke directly into the phone. "Simone, there's a patient with the same rare blood type as you. She's in critical condition, so get to the hospital now!"

The patient he meant was Winona.

Simone felt like her heart had been wrung so tight that it had shattered. She was about to refuse when she heard a shout on the other end of the line. "Mr. Lancaster, we've found a new donor! It's a child who also has the same rare blood type!"

Anthony fell silent. Then, as he strode out, he asked, "Is it a boy or a girl? How old?"

"It's a nine-year-old girl named Thalia Nolan."

Anthony stabbed at his phone, cutting the line abruptly.

Simone felt like a bomb had detonated in her head. Thalia was her sister—her only family left in this world!

She screamed into the dead line, "Anthony, stop! My sister can't donate—she has a blood coagulation disorder! Anthony Lancaster, stop!"

But all that remained was the busy tone.

Then, her phone rang again. This time, it was from the hospital. "Ms. Nolan, your sister was taken away by force! Her coagulation issue is so close to being fixed. What on earth is going on?"

The doctor's urgent voice pierced Simone's ears until all that was left was roaring. Her hands shook as she called Anthony again and again. He declined each call.

His text arrived a second later. "Quiet. I'm in surgery."

Then, he blocked her.

Those few words pushed Simone to the brink. She raced to the Lancaster family's private hospital in a frenzy, but she was still too late. By the time she arrived, the transplant was over.

Thalia lay quietly on the operating table. Her blood was dripping and pooling into a slick red puddle beneath her.

Simone staggered out to look for a doctor, only to be told that every doctor had already transferred with Winona. The nearest ambulance wouldn't arrive for 20 minutes.

"Simone…" Thalia whispered. Her face was as white as snow.

"Thalia! I'm here. I'm right here." Simone felt despair claw into her as she looked at the nonstop bleeding.

Thalia flashed a strained smile. "Simone, are we going home… after I get my shots today?"

Simone held her tightly, swallowing her sobs. "Yes, we are. Hang on for a bit longer, okay? Just hang on, and we can go home."

Thalia's smile became a bit more relaxed, but her eyelids drooped.

Simone almost gagged on her grief. "Hold on, Thalia! Don't sleep! Please!"

The warmth in her arms kept ebbing away, shredding her heart inch by inch.

By the time the ambulance finally arrived, Thalia's body was already cold.

"Ms. Nolan, I'm sorry for your loss." A doctor sighed.

Simone sat numbly in the pool of blood as a tidal wave of grief crashed over her, crushing her throat. Her only family in this world was gone.

She gathered Thalia's body and stumbled toward the exit like a walking corpse. As she turned the corner, she saw Anthony's car. She heard a heated argument inside.

"Mr. Lancaster, you knew we couldn't operate without fully evaluating Thalia Nolan! She's Mrs. Lancaster's sister!"

"I know!" Anthony's voice was clipped and anxious. "But Winona couldn't wait. She would've died if we'd dragged things out any longer! You know it wasn't easy to find another match for her blood type. Simone turned out fine, and Thalia will be, too!"

Calvin sighed and asked, "Did you approach Mrs. Lancaster back then partly because of her blood type?"

Silence enveloped the car.

Simone pursed her lips, waiting for Anthony's answer.

"Maybe," he said coolly. It tore Simone's heart to pieces.

She smiled bleakly, feeling like a piece of her soul had been carved out. The salvation she'd once believed in had only ever been a transaction with a price tag.

A strange discomfort pricked at Anthony after he spoke. He cleared his throat and lowered his voice. "Simone has always said that the wedding we never finished was her biggest regret. I'll give her a grand one in three days to make up for it; I'll treat her well from now on.

"As for Thalia's kidney… Don't tell Simone yet. That way, she can focus on the wedding. The new supplements from overseas that just arrived are best for strengthening the body. Send them to her. I'll come up with new prescriptions."

"Yes, sir."

The car sped off. Its exhaust made Simone's eyes sting and turn bloodshot. She retched again.

Calvin called her. She picked up.

"Mrs. Lancaster, Mr. Lancaster said there are some supplements that you need to sign for. Is it convenient for you to head home now? He also said he'll take you to try on wedding dresses and diamond rings tomorrow. He's already booked your favorite designer."

Simone parted her lips as her tears fell without her permission.

She wanted to tell Calvin that she didn't need any of these things anymore. She wanted to tell Anthony that her precious Thalia was dead, as was the Simone who'd loved him.

He'd killed them himself.