LOGINTalia stepped into the elevator, which was packed wall to wall. Squeezed in the middle of the crowd, she lowered her head as tears poured down her face.She didn't know what the people around her thought, and she didn't care. She couldn't control it. Her body shook with sobs, and her nose was so congested that she could barely breathe.Quentin was a good man. He made her happy, gave her experiences she'd never had before, and showed her what it felt like to be truly loved.She wanted nothing more than to hold onto him. However, she wanted to save Henry more.Christian's threat still echoed in her ears. "If you keep things going with Quentin, I will never save Henry. Not in this lifetime."That single remark was enough to make her surrender everything.She didn't know how long the ride took, but the elevator finally reached the ground floor. The crush of bodies spilled out, and Talia drifted along with them, moving on autopilot.The sun was blazing outside. The moment she stepped
When Talia turned to face Quentin, her expression was cold and blank. There wasn't a trace of warmth left on her face, and the eyes glaring back at Quentin were filled with nothing but fury.Every single word she ground out through clenched teeth was a blade, each one precise and sharp, driving straight into his chest.The same mouth that had once said things that made him feel like the luckiest man alive was now saying things that shattered him. He could feel something in his chest caving in, and he swore he could hear his own heart breaking.He stared at her, stunned and lost, his voice dropping to a rough whisper. "Do you mean that?"Gone was the confident, self-assured man he'd always been. He stood there like a hollow shell, stripped of everything. His eyes were empty.Talia met his gaze, and the pain slicing through her own heart was nearly unbearable. But she swallowed it down and forced out every syllable. "Every word. It's as real as it gets."Even then, Quentin shook hi
The atmosphere in the office told Talia everything she needed to know. She was about to receive some bad news.The moment Joel sat down behind his desk, he asked, "Have you found a suitable bone marrow donor?"Talia thought of Christian but shook her head. "Not yet."She didn't dare say yes, afraid that Christian might refuse to donate.Joel's expression grew more serious. "Then you really need to figure something out, and fast. Henry's condition is only going to get worse."Today it was a simple bleed. But what about tomorrow? The day after? No one can guarantee that something worse won't happen."Talia had already expected this. She nodded. "I understand."Joel let out a sigh. "The sooner, the better.""I know," she said. Then, she left the office.She walked out of the ward in a daze, so lost in thought that she didn't even notice Quentin coming from the other direction. Just as she was about to pass him, he reached out and caught her arm.Quentin turned slowly and stepped
Henry spoke the truth, but Talia refused to accept it.She looked at him through reddened eyes, unable to form a single word. His face was so pale. If they didn't treat this in time, he might...She couldn't let herself finish the thought, and she didn't respond to what he'd said.Behind them, Quentin had been quietly standing the whole time. When he heard Henry talking like a man writing his will, he couldn't hold back any longer."What do you mean 'not so bad'? You have to stay alive. Otherwise, if I ever treat Talia badly down the road, who will keep me in check?"Talia knew that Quentin was saying it for Henry's sake, so she didn't try to correct him.Henry sat still at the edge of the bed. The blood from his pant leg had seeped onto the white sheets, and that streak of red was a jarring sight.When Talia saw it, her chest seized. The tears came faster now, falling faster than she could wipe them away.She glanced toward the door, silently willing the doctor to hurry. Henry
Quentin tightened his grip on Julian's arm, then flung it aside. "Brave enough to do it, but too ashamed to let people see?"Julian winced from the pain and was about to argue back, but Eliza tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Let it go. Let's just leave. If this blows up, we're the ones who'll look bad."They were in a hospital, and a small crowd of onlookers had already gathered. Escalating things further would only hurt them.Julian weighed it briefly, then made his call. "Fine."The two of them left together. Quentin watched the pair of pests walk away and didn't bother going after them.When he turned back, he saw Talia slowly guiding Henry toward the hospital entrance. Henry's weight was almost entirely on her, and her small frame was hunched under the strain, looking like she might buckle at any moment.Quentin jogged over, took Henry's arm without uttering a single word, and helped walk him inside. With Quentin's help, they got Henry back to the hematology ward.The mo
Julian's gaze shifted to Quentin, and the surprise in his voice was obvious. "Quentin?"After what had happened yesterday, Julian had assumed Talia would go crawling back to Christian like a lost puppy. He never expected her to show up at the hospital, let alone with Henry. And now Quentin was here too. None of it made sense.Quentin met Julian's stare with an easy smile, perfectly composed. "In the flesh."Julian didn't bother trying to figure out why. He just lowered his voice in warning. "This has nothing to do with you."Quentin raised an eyebrow. "Nothing to do with me? You're bullying a sick man and pushing a woman around. I think any man with a spine would step in, don't you?"The casual way he said it landed like a slap across Julian's face.Before Julian could respond, Eliza muttered from the side, "What a showoff."Quentin turned on her instantly, his gaze freezing over. "I'm the showoff? You think I can out-perform you?"His voice was sharp and relentless. "If it wer
With those thoughts, Nancy finally began to calm down.Since Jane hadn't arrived, she turned to Yvonne. "Yvonne, can you grab my phone? I need to ask my mom to come take care of me."Upon hearing the suggestion, Yvonne recoiled slightly. "I don't want to."Nancy felt a hint of satisfaction seeing
Christian stood, still holding Yvonne's hand, and repositioned the umbrella over Talia's head. His voice came out hoarse as he said, "It's over. She's safe."Talia looked at him. The resentment in her eyes hadn't diminished one bit despite finding Yvonne safe. She said nothing, choosing silence ins
Christian didn't say a single word. He simply carried Talia into the guest room in just a few steps.He didn't force her. Instead, he respected her wishes and brought her to the guest room.The moment she was placed on the bed, Talia suddenly realized that Christian really had changed.If this ha
It was Wednesday, which meant that Yvonne had school. She had already missed several days because of her fever.Christian finished catching up on the morning news downstairs before heading up to knock on Talia's door. He knocked three times and waited.Talia's cautious voice came from inside. "Who







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