Chapter 3

Milo lay sprawled on the snowy ground and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"Milo…"

Teagan's expression softened with a trace of sympathy. She was just about to step forward when Morgan arrived at the manor. He looked pale, leaning weakly against her.

"I'm sorry, Tea," he said. "If I hadn't gotten sick again, Adrian wouldn't be hiding from you until now."

Her attention snapped to Morgan.

She gently took his cold hand in hers. "Don't apologize. Adrian should consider it an honor to be able to donate a kidney to you! I promise you'll recover from this, Morgan. You'll be as good as new."

Morgan's eyes glistened with tears as he hugged her. "Oh, Tea… Now that you've said that, even if I die tomorrow, I'll have no regrets."

Teagan said nothing. She let him hold her, but her eyes stayed fixed on Milo on the ground. After a long moment, she took out her phone, snapped several pictures of him, and sent them to me.

"I wouldn't even be looking for you if your kidney weren't the only compatible match for Morgan. I'm giving you one last chance. Come see me now, or I'll send Milo to the lab for testing."

The message was met with no response.

Finally, she lost her patience. She grumbled, "You're leaving me with no choice, Adrian! Send Milo to the lab! We'll stop testing him only when he decides to talk!"

…

Milo was taken to the laboratory.

He was locked inside a clear glass chamber like a little lab animal, his hands shackled tightly. I stayed by his side, watching one experimental substance after another was injected into his body.

At first, he whimpered in pain. Later, he curled up into a tight ball on the floor, refusing to move. The glass walls near him were streaked with blood from where he had pounded against them.

I knelt on the floor, begging everyone in the lab to show mercy and spare Milo, but they couldn't hear me. Even if they could, they would only listen to Teagan.

Watching Milo lie there, I felt as if my heart itself were bleeding.

On the fifth day of the experiments, Teagan appeared. From outside the glass chamber, she looked at Milo, who barely looked human anymore. Only a flicker of emotion crossed her face.

When she thought of Morgan, however, that emotion was replaced by a cruel resolve.

"You've thrown your tantrums and suffered enough," Teagan said. "Now, are you ready to tell me where your dad is?"

Milo lay on the cold, hard floor, barely able to move his fingers.

"I know what he's worried about," she continued. "He's worried about death. But don't worry—even if he donates his kidney to Morgan, he won't die. I can assure you that the finest medical team will care for him. That should be enough for him to show himself."

Milo summoned every ounce of strength to turn over. His face was covered in blood as he glared at Teagan. "But Mom, Dad doesn't have a kidney anymore. He already gave his first kidney to you."

I stood beside him, my eyes wide in shock, just like Teagan's. I had never told anyone about donating a kidney to her. How did Milo find out?

"I read Dad's diary," Milo said. "He said you needed a kidney, so he secretly gave you one."