Chapter 2

I smiled bitterly.

“That's why you fooled me into getting married. You want to take away my heart and give it to him, right? Do you know that’s against the law?”

Before I could say any further, Nina kissed me, sealing my lips shut with tears streaming down her cheeks.

They landed on mine and trickled down my chin.

Her kiss, which used to taste so sweet, now only felt bitter and acrid.

“Enough. I… I really can’t stand idly by watching him die. On account of the fact that we’ve already registered our marriage, help me out one last time, won’t you? Once his surgery is a success and he recovers from it, I’ll pour my heart and soul back into our family and help you with your mission.”

She grabbed my hand, her words seemingly draining her of all her energy.

I looked at her pleading with me and smiled bitterly.

I’ve been working on Nina as a mission for seven years, and I have never seen her bow her head to anyone. Even in the face of her superior’s threats or slander from her colleagues, she always stuck to her guns and her principles.

Yet now, she was willing to cast everything aside just so Shane could live.

It was exactly as I had thought.

Before I could open my mouth to reject her, I felt a sudden wave of dizziness. My body suddenly felt weak.

Nina seemed to expect it and said calmly, “Heath, don’t struggle against it. I mixed some sleeping pills into your breakfast this morning. I have no other choice. I have to save him.”

With that, Nina floored the gas pedal and drove in the complete opposite direction of our wedding venue.

-

When I woke up again, I found the car parked in an abandoned private hospital.

Taking a heart from a perfectly healthy person was contrary to medical regulations, after all.

Very soon, a fully-geared medical team armed with surgical scrubs and face masks appeared, binding me.

“Ms. Jones, you finally brought the donor here. Any later, and Mr. Gotham wouldn’t have made it.”

Nina’s face turned pale. She rushed to Shane’s ward, not even caring about me, the heart donor. Very soon, she saw Shane lying weakly on the bed, his face ashen.

“Shane! How did you become like this?”

She gasped and lurched forward to grab his hands, her heart breaking into a million pieces.

“You’re going to be fine. Everything is going to be alright. You’ll have a new heart very soon.”

Her voice was shaking as she choked back tears.

Shane smiled weakly and held her hands. Joy over his life being saved filled his eyes. “I knew you’d come, Nina.”

I was still bound next to them, smiling self-derisively as I watched the scene before me unfold.

Shane was everything to Nina. What about me?

Just a partner to eke out a living together? Or a mobile blood bank that can save lives?

I knew no one could ever give me an answer to that question.

Nina could sense my gaze from afar.

She suddenly turned back to look at me and drew closer, making a move to try to hug me.

I turned to my side and avoided her touch, the look on my face cold.

“Alright, don’t you want to save your darling Shane? Get a move on it.”

Nina paused for a moment and said with a trembling voice, “I’m sorry, Heath. But don’t worry. Once Shane recovers from his surgery, I promise I’ll come back to our family and help you with your mission.”

I said nothing to her promise.

She didn’t know that the moment my life was used as a tool to save Shane, I had completely failed my mission.