Risk and Hope.

Kelvin's POV

"She's stable now. She fell asleep after the shots. But she keeps asking, sir. I don't know what else to tell her," Nurse Rosie said from the other line.

"I know. Just distract her while you can. I’ve put out a search for her mom. Hopefully, she sees it and comes back. Just keep an eye on her till I get back."

"Alright, sir."

I hung up and sighed, placing my hands on my temples. My thoughts felt heavy. My chest tight, like some unknown force was pressing down on me, adding to my stress. With growing frustration, I loosened my necktie. Every passing moment made me feel more and more hopeless. I couldn’t stop wondering why things had to be this way.

Different.

It was never about happiness. Neither was it love. I was just hurting, deeply paranoid. All I kept asking was—why? Just why?

A framed picture of Lily sat on my desk. Her smile was everything. The sweetest little thing I ever had. And yet, I couldn’t shield her from the very person who was hurting us.

Elena.

Why would a mother abandon her own child? She’s so pure and innocent. How can you be so heartless, Elena?

With anger and frustration, I slammed my hands on the desk.

I picked up my phone and sent another message.

"Where the hell are you, Elena? Why are you doing this to your own daughter? Fine. I’m sorry for yelling. I’ll give you the damn money and the house. Please just show up. Not for me, but for your daughter. She needs you."

I pressed send and watched as the message joined the others she never replied to. This was the sixth one I’d sent to Elena in just a week.

Elena wasn’t always like this. She used to be loving and caring—or so I thought—until I gave her my last name. That’s when I started seeing the signs. In the early days of our marriage, she would sometimes ask for huge amounts of money without any explanation. Still, I gave it to her.

Fast forward, we were happy—at least I thought we were. We seemed to understand each other, and to me, that was enough for a marriage. Then Lily came. The moment I found out I was going to be a father, I became the happiest man alive.

Something inside me changed. I wore the dad title proudly. I noticed she wasn’t thrilled by the news, but I didn’t think much of it. I assumed it was just the overwhelming thought of stepping into motherhood.

But I was wrong.

She never intended to have my child. She never loved me. All she ever cared about was my money.

Our little love story came crashing down the day I found out she was having an affair—through a text message. She didn’t deny it. She wasn’t even remorseful. I was heartbroken, deeply hurt. Where did I go wrong?

From that moment, I knew we were done. But I couldn’t send her packing—not with Lily on the way.

She changed. The real Elena emerged. She hurled insults, destroyed anything valuable to me. One time, she even called the police, claiming I was abusing her—while she was pregnant.

I was angry, furious even. I had a million ways to deal with her, but the one thing that stopped me was Lily. I’d already loved her before she was born. I couldn’t risk Elena harming her.

Eventually, we came to an agreement. She would stay until Lily was born. I’d keep providing what she wanted. In return, she wouldn’t harm the baby or disappear. So, for months, I endured her tantrums.

But the second Lily came into the world, everything changed. One look at her, and none of Elena’s cruelty mattered. My daughter survived despite the chaos. Her smile made every sacrifice worth it.

Then came the blow.

“Your daughter has sickle cell disease, Mr. Kelvin. It’s a genetic condition. Both parents must carry the trait for a child to be affected.”

I froze. “That’s not possible,” I whispered. “I’m AS, but Elena… she said she was AA.”

“I’m sorry. The test confirms she’s AS too.”

I felt like the ground had disappeared beneath me. Elena knew. She lied because she knew I wouldn’t marry her if I’d known. She risked our daughter’s life for her own gain.

I remember the doctor’s next words.

“To cure Lily, she’ll need a bone marrow transplant—from a savior sibling. The donor must be a close match, ideally from the same parents. But there’s a risk. If you and your wife are both AS, any future child has a 25% chance of being SS again.”

I stared at him, numb. “So we might bring another child into the world with the same pain?”

“There’s also a 75% chance the child will be healthy enough to save Lily. Many families in this situation proceed carefully—with early genetic testing, sometimes IVF.”

My heart twisted. I wanted to save Lily. But could I put another child at risk? Was I prepared to face that again?

That day remains one of the darkest in my life. Lily didn’t deserve this. So innocent, yet caught in the mess of her mother’s deceit.

My world collapsed. I couldn’t stop remembering Elena’s charm, her laughter, the way she looked at me when we first met. I thought it was love. But it was all a carefully constructed lie.

She knew.

She knew I’d never marry her if I found out she was AS. She knew the risks. And still, she chose to lie. For what—money? Status?

I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms. But the pain was nothing compared to the storm brewing inside me.

Lily’s cries pierced the silence her face pale, lips cracked, eyes dull. Each breath she took was a battle. And I, her father, was helpless.

From that day, I swore to give her a normal childhood. No matter what it took. I would search the ends of the earth if I had to.

Having another child with Elena was history repeating itself. Since Lily was born, I could count the number of times Elena held or even looked at her. Every visit was rushed. She never stayed long. She only ever cared about herself. And Lily, who doesn’t even know what a mother’s love feels like, yearns for her affection every single day.

I didn’t want that kind of woman in my daughter’s life. So, I sent her divorce papers. I couldn’t stand her anymore—not with how she treated Lily. She had done more harm than good.

After finalising the divorce, I somehow managed to convince Elena to have a second child—strictly on contract. Shockingly, she agreed without protest. Of course, it came with conditions. I paid her whatever she asked. She did as she pleased—until she broke the agreement and ran off.

A call snapped me out of my thoughts. This time, it was my assistant, Peter. I answered quickly.

"Boss, we have a lead on Elena’s whereabouts."

My jaw clenched.

"Are you sure it’s her? How do you know this isn’t just another fake tip? We’ve had so many of those lately—people only chasing the reward."

"No, sir. This one sent a picture. And it looks exactly like Elena. I’ll meet up with him today to confirm," Peter replied.

Finally. Some hope.

"Alright. Good. Do what needs to be done if it’s really her. Call me the moment it’s confirmed."

I hung up.

It better be her. That’s all I needed to hear right now.