Chapter One
The waves crashed against the cliffs of Nova Scotia with an almost musical rhythm, but Aria Morgan knew better. After three years of studying marine biology at the remote Blackrock Research Station, she had learned to distinguish between natural ocean sounds and something more... peculiar. Tonight, there was definitely something different in the water's song. Standing on the observation deck of the research facility, her long dark hair whipping in the salty breeze, Aria focused her night vision binoculars on the churning waters below. The full moon cast an ethereal glow across the surface, making it easier to spot any unusual movement. That's when she saw it - a flash of iridescent scales, much too large to be any known fish species. "You're out here late again," a deep voice spoke behind her. Dr. Nathaniel Cross, the facility's new head of cryptozoology, stood in the doorway. His presence had been causing quite a stir among the female staff since his arrival last month, with his storm-gray eyes and the mysterious scar that ran from his left temple to his jaw. But Aria had noticed something else about him - the way he always seemed to appear whenever the strange occurrences happened. "There's something out there, Dr. Cross," Aria said, not taking her eyes off the water. "Something big." "Please, call me Nate," he said, moving to stand beside her. His proximity sent an involuntary shiver down her spine that had nothing to do with the cold. "And I know. That's why I'm here." Before Aria could question what he meant, a haunting melody drifted up from the waters below. It wasn't quite singing - more like an otherworldly humming that seemed to resonate in her very bones. To her surprise, she found herself taking an unconscious step toward the railing, drawn by the sound. Nate's hand shot out, gripping her arm. "Don't listen too closely," he warned, his voice tight with concern. "They're hunting tonight." "They?" Aria tried to shake off the melody's lingering effect. "Who are 'they'?" Just then, a figure emerged from the waves - a woman with silvery skin and long, phosphorescent hair. Her eyes glowed with an unnatural blue light, and when she opened her mouth to continue her song, Aria saw rows of sharp, pearl-like teeth. The creature's beauty was both terrifying and mesmerizing. "Sirens," Nate whispered, his grip on Aria's arm tightening. "Real ones. Not the sanitized versions from your fairy tales." The siren's gaze locked onto them, and her song changed, becoming more focused, more enticing. Aria felt Nate tense beside her, and when she looked at him, she was shocked to see his eyes had taken on a silvery sheen, reflecting the moonlight like a cat's. "We need to get inside," he said through gritted teeth, though he seemed to be fighting the urge to move closer to the railing himself. "Now." But as they turned to leave, Aria caught sight of something in the water that made her blood run cold. Dozens of glowing eyes had appeared beneath the waves, and more figures were rising to the surface. Their songs began to intertwine, creating a symphony of supernatural beauty and terror. "Dr. Cross... Nate," Aria's voice trembled slightly. "What's really going on at this facility?" He finally turned to look at her fully, and in the moonlight, she could see that his scar was glowing with a faint blue light. "It's not just a research station, Aria. It's a containment facility. We monitor and protect humanity from ancient creatures that most people think are myths. And right now," he glanced back at the water where more sirens were emerging, "something has disturbed them. Something that hasn't happened in over a hundred years." "What?" Aria asked, though part of her feared the answer. "They're looking for their lost queen," Nate's voice was grim. "And for some reason, they think she's here." A particularly powerful wave crashed against the cliffs, sending spray high enough to reach the observation deck. As the droplets hit Aria's skin, she felt a strange tingling sensation, and for just a moment, her reflection in the window showed her eyes glowing with the same ethereal blue light as the creatures below. Nate saw it too. His expression shifted from concern to something more complex - fear, fascination, and what looked almost like recognition. "We need to talk," he said quietly. "About your mother. About why you were really assigned to this facility. And about why you've always felt so drawn to the sea." The siren's song grew louder, more insistent, and Aria felt something stir within her - ancient memories that couldn't possibly be her own, yet somehow were. As she followed Nate inside, one thought kept repeating in her mind: her life as she knew it was about to change forever, and there would be no going back to the simple world of marine biology and research papers. Behind them, the sirens continued their haunting chorus, their songs now carrying a note of triumph. They had found what they were looking for.
Chapter Two
The facility's underground laboratory was a maze of steel and glass, illuminated by harsh fluorescent lights that made everything look clinical and cold. Aria followed Nate through a series of security checkpoints, each requiring increasingly complex biometric scans. Her mind was still reeling from the events on the observation deck, the sirens' song echoing in her memory.
"How long have you known?" she finally asked as they entered what appeared to be his private office. Unlike the sterile corridors outside, this room was filled with artifacts that looked ancient - shells with strange markings, crystals that seemed to pulse with their own inner light, and walls covered in charts mapping underwater ley lines.
Nate moved to a heavily secured cabinet, his fingers dancing across a complex lock. "Since the moment you arrived at Blackrock. Your bio-readings were... unique." He pulled out a thick file with her name on it. "But your mother knew long before that."
"My mother?" Aria's voice cracked. "She died when I was three. All I have are some photos and my father's stories about her love for the ocean."
"Your mother didn't die, Aria." Nate's voice was gentle but firm as he placed an old photograph on his desk. "She returned."
The photograph showed a woman standing on these very cliffs, her wild dark hair streaming in the wind. She looked exactly like Aria, except for her eyes - they held that same otherworldly blue glow Aria had seen in her own reflection moments ago.
"That's impossible," Aria whispered, but even as she spoke, memories began to surface - the way she could hold her breath for impossibly long periods, her uncanny ability to predict storms, the strange songs that sometimes filled her dreams.
Suddenly, the lights flickered, and a low vibration ran through the building. Nate's expression turned serious. "They're testing the barriers," he said, moving to a bank of monitors showing underwater footage. Multiple figures darted past the cameras, their movements too quick and graceful to be human.
"What barriers?" Aria asked, joining him at the monitors.
"Electromagnetic fields designed to keep them at bay. But with their queen so close..." He glanced at her meaningfully. "They're stronger than usual."
"I am not their queen," Aria said firmly, though something deep inside her stirred at the words.
"No, but you're her daughter. The first successful hybrid in centuries." Nate pulled up more files on his computer. "Your mother was their queen, and when she fell in love with your father, it created a diplomatic crisis. A siren queen choosing a human was unprecedented."
The vibrations grew stronger, and somewhere in the facility, an alarm began to sound. On the monitors, the sirens' movements became more coordinated, more purposeful.
"They're not just testing anymore," Nate muttered. He grabbed what looked like an ancient trident from a wall display. "They're breaking through."
Aria's head suddenly filled with voices - not speaking English, but a fluid, musical language she somehow understood. They were calling to her, telling her to come home, to take her rightful place.
"Make it stop," she gasped, pressing her hands to her temples.
Nate reached for her, but stopped short when he saw her eyes - they were glowing brighter now, and her skin had taken on a slight iridescent sheen. "Fight it, Aria. You're not just one of them. You're both human and siren. That's what makes you special."
The facility shook more violently, and the lights went out completely. In the darkness, Nate's eyes glowed silver again, and Aria could finally ask the question that had been nagging at her.
"What are you?" she whispered. "You're not entirely human either, are you?"
Before he could answer, the reinforced windows of his office exploded inward in a shower of glass and seawater. In the opening hovered three sirens, their beauty terrible and magnificent. The one in the center spoke, her voice carrying both authority and disdain.
"Step away from the princess, Guardian. She belongs with her people."
Nate raised the trident, which began to glow with an electric blue light. "She belongs where she chooses to belong."
As seawater swirled around them, Aria felt power surge through her body - raw, ancient, and demanding to be released. She had a choice to make, but first, she needed answers.
"Tell me everything," she said, her voice carrying a new note of command that surprised even her. "About my mother, about what you are," she looked at Nate, "and about why I'm really here."
The siren queen smiled, showing those pearl-like teeth. "Oh, little princess. You're here because a war is coming. And you," her glow intensified, "are the key to everything."
Chapter Three
The seawater swirling around Aria's feet felt alive, responding to her emotions like an extension of her body. The three sirens remained suspended in the shattered window frame, their ethereal forms casting an otherworldly glow throughout Nate's flooded office. The lead siren - who had introduced herself as Cordelia, First General of the Deep Realm - watched her with ancient eyes that held both wisdom and cunning.
"Your mother's choice started this war," Cordelia said, her voice carrying the rhythm of waves. "When she chose your father, she didn't just abandon her throne - she disrupted a balance that had existed for millennia. The Deep Realm has been without a true queen for twenty years, and the dark ones grow bolder each day."
"The dark ones?" Aria asked, acutely aware of Nate's tension beside her, his grip tightening on the glowing trident.
"The Abyssal Court," Nate answered grimly. "Think of them as your people's darker cousins. While the sirens of the Deep Realm protect the oceans, the Abyssal Court seeks to corrupt them. Without a queen's power to maintain the barriers..."
"They're breaking free," Cordelia finished. "Even now, they gather in the deep trenches, preparing for war. Only a queen's song can reinforce the ancient seals."
Aria felt the weight of their expectations pressing down on her like the ocean itself. "And you think I can do this? I don't even know how to control whatever... this is." She gestured to her still-glowing skin.
"That's why I'm here," a new voice spoke from the doorway. Aria turned to see a woman she'd only known from photographs - her mother. Nerissa, former queen of the Deep Realm, stood in the threshold, looking exactly as she had twenty years ago. Her presence made the very air vibrate with power.
"Mom?" Aria whispered, emotions warring inside her.
Nerissa's eyes - the same otherworldly blue as Aria's now were - filled with tears. "My daughter. My beautiful, brave daughter. I'm so sorry I had to leave you, but it was the only way to keep you safe while your powers matured."
"Safe from what?" Aria demanded, anger suddenly surging through her. The water around her feet began to churn in response.
"From those who would use you," Nate interjected, his voice carrying an edge of bitterness. "The Guardians weren't always noble protectors, Aria. Some believed that controlling a hybrid princess would give them power over both realms."
"Like your father did?" Nerissa's voice turned cold as she addressed Nate. "Is that why you're so close to my daughter? Following in Marcus Cross's footsteps?"
The tension in the room sparked like electricity. Nate's silver eyes flashed dangerously. "I am not my father."
"Enough!" Aria's voice carried a new power, making everyone in the room freeze. The water around her feet rose in spiraling columns, responding to her command. "I want the truth. All of it. No more cryptic warnings or half-answers."
Suddenly, the facility's emergency sirens blared to life. On Nate's monitors, dark shapes appeared in the deeper waters - humanoid figures with shark-like features and glowing red eyes.
"The Abyssal Court," Cordelia hissed. "They've found us."
"They found her," Nerissa corrected, moving to Aria's side. "They can sense your awakening power, daughter. We're out of time."
The facility shuddered as something massive struck it from below. Through the broken window, Aria could see dark forms rising from the depths, their movements predatory and purposeful. The water around her feet turned ice-cold.
"You have to choose now," Nate said urgently. "But know this - whatever you decide, I'll stand with you." His eyes met hers, and in them she saw not just duty or ambition, but something deeper, something personal.
"As touching as that is, Guardian," Cordelia interrupted, "she needs to come with us. Only in the Deep Realm can she learn to control her powers in time."
Another impact rocked the facility. In the distance, Aria could hear screams - the research staff, she realized with horror. They were unprotected, unaware of what was really happening.
"I won't let innocent people die," Aria declared, feeling strength flow through her. "Mom, Cordelia - help me protect the facility. Nate..." she turned to him, "teach me how to fight."
"Always choosing both worlds," Nerissa murmured, a mix of pride and worry in her voice. "Just like your mother."
As the Abyssal Court's forces surrounded the facility, Aria felt something click into place inside her. She was neither fully human nor fully siren, neither wholly of land nor of sea. But perhaps that's exactly what both worlds needed.
"Well then," she said, as power coursed through her veins and the song of the sea filled her mind, "let's show these dark ones what a hybrid princess can do."
The water around her erupted upward, turning into a swirling shield of liquid crystal, just as the first of the dark figures burst through the facility's lower levels. The war for two worlds was about to begin, and Aria stood at its center, with a Guardian at her side and the power of two realms flowing through her blood.
Chapter Four
The next few minutes dissolved into chaos. The Abyssal Court's warriors crashed through the facility's lower levels like a dark tide, their shark-like features twisted into snarls of hunger and hatred. Aria's crystalline water shield held against the first wave, but she could feel their darkness pressing against her power, trying to corrupt it.
"Channel your emotions through the water," Nerissa instructed, her own powers creating whirlpools that trapped several attackers. "The sea responds to authentic feeling, not just will."
Nate moved with inhuman grace, the trident in his hands leaving trails of electric blue energy as he fought. "We need to evacuate the research staff," he called out between strikes. "They're gathering near the main lab."
Aria closed her eyes for a moment, and suddenly she could feel every drop of water in the facility - in the pipes, in the air, in human bodies. The awareness was overwhelming. "I can feel them," she gasped. "Everyone. Everything."
"That's your queen's sense awakening," Cordelia explained, her own song turning violent as she fought. "You're connecting to your realm."
An explosion rocked the lower level, and through her new awareness, Aria felt something massive entering the facility. The temperature of the water dropped dramatically, and even the sirens looked concerned.
"Thalassos," Nerissa whispered, fear evident in her voice. "The Abyssal Prince himself."
Through the broken floor emerged a figure that seemed made of living darkness. Unlike his warriors, Prince Thalassos appeared almost human, devastatingly beautiful in a cruel way. His eyes were the color of the deepest ocean trenches, and when he smiled, his teeth gleamed like black pearls.
"The little princess awakens," his voice was like the crushing depths given sound. "How convenient. I was afraid I'd have to wait longer to claim my bride."
"Bride?" Aria and Nate spoke simultaneously, his voice sharp with anger, hers with shock.
"Did they not tell you?" Thalassos moved closer, his presence making the water around him turn black. "The only way to truly end the war between our courts is through union. Your mother refused me twenty years ago. But you..." his dark eyes roamed over her face, "you're even more powerful than she was."
Nate stepped between them, the trident glowing brighter. "She's not a prize to be claimed, Thalassos."
The Abyssal Prince's laugh was like ice cracking. "Ah, the Guardian speaks. Tell me, son of Marcus Cross, does your protection come from duty... or jealousy?"
Before anyone could respond, a scream echoed from the main lab. Through her water sense, Aria felt the research staff's terror as more Abyssal warriors surrounded them.
"Choose quickly, princess," Thalassos said smoothly. "Surrender to me, and I'll spare them all. Refuse, and watch your human friends feed my warriors."
Aria felt rage build inside her - pure, hot, and powerful. The water around her began to glow, not with her mother's blue light or Thalassos's darkness, but with a brilliant purple that seemed to combine both aspects of her nature.
"You want an answer?" Her voice carried the crash of waves and the strength of tidepools. "Here it is."
She thrust her hands forward, and every drop of water in the facility responded. It rose from pipes, condensed from air, pulled from the sea itself. But instead of attacking, it began to sing - a new song, neither fully siren nor fully human, but something entirely unique.
The Abyssal warriors closest to her began to writhe, their corrupted forms starting to purify under her hybrid power. Thalassos's eyes widened in genuine surprise, then narrowed in fury.
"Impossible," he snarled. "No one can purify the Abyssal taint!"
"She's not no one," Nate said, pride evident in his voice. "She's both of your worlds, and neither. And that makes her stronger than either."
Aria's song grew stronger, and she felt Nate's energy joining with hers, the Guardian's power amplifying her own. Her mother and Cordelia added their voices, creating a harmony that made the very foundations of the facility vibrate.
But Thalassos wasn't finished. With a roar of rage, he released his own power - a wave of such absolute darkness that it threatened to swallow all light. "If I cannot have you," he growled, "then no one will!"
The two forces met in a spectacular clash of energy. In that moment, as purple light battled primordial darkness, Aria felt something else stirring in the depths beneath the facility - something ancient and powerful, awakened by their battle.
"The Leviathan," Nerissa breathed. "The battle... it's waking the ancient ones."
As if in response, a deep rumble shook the entire ocean floor, and everyone - siren, human, and Abyssal alike - froze in sudden, instinctive fear.
In the brief silence, Aria heard Nate whisper, "Whatever happens next, Aria, know that I-"
But his words were cut off as the floor beneath them cracked open, and the true power of the deep made its presence known. The war between courts had awakened something far older and more dangerous than any of them had imagined.
And deep in her soul, Aria knew - this was only the beginning.
1
“Recognizing your true identity is important. You're just a substitute, so don’t dream of what you shouldn’t.”
Linda Fang was suddenly shoved aside, her waist crashing into the wooden edge of a nearby table.
She looked up to see James Tan's impassive expression, laced with evident impatience and annoyance.
Her astPomachk aPched Wfniebrcéeclyi, Ua. waVrm senXsatiDobnó ,trréicJkIliLnugJ dÉown^ nhXeQr leg.A
“James, it hurts so much,” she pleaded, pressing a hand against her abdomen. She reached out to grab his arm, but he flinched away before she could touch him.
“Enough!” James frowned at her. “Stop pretending.”
He dropped a card on the table. “Our relationship ends here. This is five million. Don't ever show up in front of me again.”
Inn (thMatj inrsvta^nt, JcaNmles'jsj faPcqe ^papleCd. Hyeh 'n*oztice)d thce AbLlocoGd ftqracilingp bdown Linnhda's cal^f,j v!iVbdrnapnt. $andÉ u^nlseFtmtldiMng.t TWh!en he! rlnooMkeJd( wba.cOk aOt KLyiFn)da,& whvo*sreD rfgaUceA wans aVshIen, _swUea&tU acoévecrvi!nzg h.er ufoYreheVaId* HfbroZm thze pKain.u
“What's wrong?” he asked, a mix of concern and forced anger lacing his voice.
“I’m pregnant,” Linda revealed, her voice trembling from the agony, hands still clutching her belly.
“Take me to the hospital, please,” she begged, unable to bear his indifference.
“HTa!”G JÉaVmdes sco_fnfYeédy, O“I Hcani'Gt eNv$eXnC FtellF whouse dcOhiLldó thGat iUsO.”d
“James…” Linda stared at him in disbelief.
He glared back at her, his eyes filled with a cold fury. “This is it. My patience is limited.” With that, he turned his back on her, leaving her in a pool of blood, suffering.
Linda gritted her teeth against the pain and managed to flag a taxi to the hospital.
SthFe fyeilltn someXtXhMiAng ZihnUsi&dex hVeIr sDlipupking DawaJy,R $tBhbe. rebalitRyL of' liovsPiHngu hetr cMhAilfds Fhittimnhg harnd.Y
When she was rolled out of the operating room and back to her hospital room, she was taken aback to see James there.
Once the doctors and nurses had left, he stood up from the couch and approached her.
Having just learned that she had lost her baby, Linda's heart sank further at the sight of James, the architect of her suffering.
ThDouZgGhU sKhIe Tfeklvtn $ang)er 'simnmLeriGnAgJ wi,thRin Dh'enr, &sKhre cmosuylXd_n_'tC express igtV beqfgozre& fhCeI sekizOeÉd* her ckhiIn,K kfvorciOn^g shers to m)eet hiYsM UfiJerly gÉlhaTre.g
His eyes were dark, and a threatening energy loomed over her, suffocating and heavy.
“What did you say to Jessica?” he demanded, his voice a deadly whisper.
Moments ago, he had received a call about Jessica Qu attempting suicide.
He) h!elxd Iher cÉhiVnj t'ijg&hztklyyW, ÉcauUsSing cppaKin. Likndaa^ fueUar$ehd hel mméi_glh^t crbusNh ,hker IjsaJw.
The blood in his gaze deepened, a grim coldness accompanying it.
She instinctively grabbed his hand, trying to pull it away, but after just undergoing surgery, her strength was fading.
Just when she thought he would break her, he let go.
“YoIu ubFeattefrF prpaKyR qtLhaDtY J^esés^iccaV bis ockxaGy, o_r elsJe…R” Lhóe! Gsne&enrekd,v cl,emaÉv)inMg Sthe gthxreat Phayngking uqnlsmaiId.V
Linda understood his meaning; if anything happened to Jessica, she would suffer the consequences.
A sharp pain pierced her heart, and with a weak voice, she managed to speak, “James, do you even have a heart? You just killed your own child, and now you have the audacity to question me?”
After all, it was Jessica who came to warn her, telling her to stay away from James, but she knew he wouldn’t believe it.
“MyS vcshilAd? uAr!et iyZouf s!uYrUeB Bt_hapt’sZ Nmine?d”D !JamTeqs rdeuptlMie&d !witFh a amockiYng sqcoLff.É
“And who do you think you are to bear my child?”
“Are you even human?” Linda snapped back angrily.
Yet, James ignored her because his phone rang again; Jessica was awake.
LxicnxdCa lHearne'db thjen gtrutih) lVatzerL vthazth aHfLtcernooUni.W A_s shem wZas pbzeGiTngL whfeMel_ed iTnÉtXo ithe ^obpQerhatiTnSg óro(om,B JÉesRsicaJ Éhadg tmr^ieJd (tow takep ÉhKe'r RliYfe.i FoFrtuynaYtelyg,L dinBte)rLven^tUiBoTn xhad coTmxe piVn t,iTmeg, aPnd Cs*hre wHaus Wmostly jaOlRrMigyht. HeJar_ingR Ktth(iWsa newDs qmqadeK iLuind*a bitteHr.ly WsmiMle.A
Had it really been timely intervention, or merely a bluff?
She spent a week in the hospital, managing her discharge alone.
In those days, besides the day she entered the hospital, James hadn’t shown up again.
A_s tsÉhce gstepépVedV RoUut oLf' th,eD hYosnpSiDt.a,l’Fsz mai(ni Ren)traóncZe,_ Wa whiOtYeH .vyan saXb)ruptlyP hstozpped kin fVroynFt ofN Yhejr.ó
The door flew open, and someone emerged, spraying something at her. She didn’t have time to react before she collapsed, unconscious.
When she came to again, she found herself tied up, surrounded by the decaying walls of an old warehouse.
Suddenly, she heard voices and quickly closed her eyes, feigning sleep.
“RHeyU, 'dBoF dyYoCui GtkhMinkO JóameUsp ,TSaUnd TwiVlÉlz rrejallXy cFoimeF?m”R PoQne 'mSayn SaPskOeCdU.b
“Of course. Didn't you hear? This woman has been with him for three years, and they’re apparently about to get married.”
“But…”
“No ‘buts’! We've waited too long to capture her. Go check if she’s awake, and then leave. The farther, the better. Got it?”
Lsinda retmaBiknOedV HstiiKlPl, mlikstesnvivnÉg intyeWntlvy untiQl tGheN dfootKsXtSezps fabdred aRw^ay.a
Once she was sure they were gone, she opened her eyes, realizing that her kidnapping had to involve James somehow.
Just moments before, he had cast her aside, and now she was being treated as his beloved captive. Linda pressed her lips together, her mind racing as she plotted her escape.
They thought she cared for James, but they didn’t realize she was merely a stand-in. Now that his true love had returned, she was no longer needed.
BAotTh_ she kanCd lheór Mljodst &cChild GwexrJe^ kcasuavlrtiesó Aolf stihYisj s,ilentP batrtvlge)grVoungd.
As for James…
A twinge of anxiety clenched her heart.
Her hands were tied behind her back as she struggled to free herself, refusing to give up.
JAaQmes w*a^s not cÉosm.i!ng Kton psaRvpeó hVeCrA; thCef onlyq hmoqpeT s$hle &hauda waMs $to ysaOve haeZrsAelhft. nH$e.rC KwriisÉtTs^ SbeAganD tho cvha(feU, HblOo!od YpróovidSibn(g scoQm!eY &l*ubHrWi$ca$tioAnT,j bLutB IshOe Cstsil!lk ^c)oduGldn’tR break frrwee.O
She could almost hear James's voice whispering in her ear, and it made her bitterly smile at the irony of her hallucination.
In the next moment, the door to the warehouse swung open, and a man stepped in, knife glinting at her throat.
She looked up to find James Tan framed in the doorway, dressed in a sleek black suit. For a brief second, she thought he genuinely cared for her.
“CFiqfQtPy nmiplRlionj Rto *eaxKcChuangeB foQr gt_hRius twhomta*nR’fsT liwfpe,L”u h.is Bvoiqce )covlld aénd uresolutBe.$ L
Linda stayed silent, her gaze fixed on James, yearning yet indecipherable.
“Fifty million?” James sneered, “Do you really think she’s worth that?”
2
It was obviously summer, but it made Linda Fang feel like she was in a freezing cold cellar.
"It's just a woman, he has plenty of them around."
"If we think that kidnapping her will be able to threaten him, we are mistaken."
"qJpameVsD, Hwh(eBnt Fdihdi kI b^ecoBme s&oL KnaiFvUe?,"
Linda sat back in her chair and felt a stinging pain in her neck against the blade of the knife.James Tan seemed to be angered by what he had said as well.The force on his leg was not withdrawn and the blade cut through Linda's skin.
Despite the stabbing pain coming from her neck, Linda seemed as if she couldn't feel it, her gaze dead on James.
Suddenly, she laughed softly, the corners of her lips rising slightly as she tilted her head to look at the man standing next to her. The movement sent the blade deeper.
"OWlhDayt farueh yoRu dGoRiHng?W"b Ja.mes' _voióc)e thexld ta$ lhvicnt of WhelOpIl^eMscsn(eHss.g
"Am I not asking for my life?" James asked coldly, a note of shock in his voice.
"I don't know who told me he wanted to marry him, but I did have the wrong man, who was at best a woman he kept. And she's been able to stay by his side for three years, probably because she knows what she's doing and knows exactly who she is!"
James frowned, his heart filled with surprise and doubt, vaguely wondering a little if he really had kidnapped the wrong person. A week ago, his company was forced to declare bankruptcy due to James Tan's maneuvering, and on that day, his wife also chose to divorce him, taking their seven-year-old son with her. On the way home, there was a car accident and his wife was killed instantly, leaving behind only their seven-year-old son, who is now lying in a hospital bed in Hospital, not yet awakened.
Heb GhWad kno Jc_hCo*iMcze Sbut to' btaOkle Btéhis duespheraWtUe pKatVh,t cbut omncue tMhAiÉsw Kp$aDth Bwja_s *cholsPeJn tjhecre was nOo! tjurncindg baBcók. HJe grzitctedp zhisg Nte_et)hZ an!dn azng_rizlHy shIoDugteJd, "dSsh$uwt u'pR!"
"Since this woman isn't the least bit special in my eyes, why did I come here?"
"Because he wants to see with his own eyes how I seek my own death."
"I ...... "James clenched his teeth, irritated, the knife in his hand was once again pressed against Linda's neck, and with a firm pressure, the sharp blade once again cut through the skin and blood flowed out. However, James' face did not change a bit.
AgtJ thiCsy utime&, LindÉaV's sFitjufatKioNn s(uwrYpréiKsved hAiYmg, tit turxnseGd. outj wthat fowr JaDmesO kTFasn, cher _exisztenceR ,was jnPojtm abs imrpRort*an*t as hpex KhlaNd Uima'gwiPnHekd,.wJ^ames't face .bebcame gFreeCnivshi gr,ayt ahndb s!ofmew(haótw tdiVshZeQv(eNledI. Hel snu^dkdeAnlyb 'sUnBeearBed,k '&'In t&hvat c(aBsjeH, Cleyt nheUr be GbuNrieda lwith heXr!! I$ don'tH hMamve_ wanytJhqién,gH RleBfKty kanMywwaDym,( sand wdiBth huer accko.mépWatnyin,g imQeI,d AIS Gwroun't be DsKo lonIefl(y roLn Lmdy wkaByc to QthQek rY&elluow pSBpSrMinngSsn."D
The moment he made his move, Linda had already snatched the knife back.James watched Linda, who was about to pounce on her, as the blade was snatched away by her.
Not far away, James Tan had been watching Linda, and when he saw James miss, he immediately ran over and kicked away James who was about to pounce on Linda.
Immediately afterward, the police arrived in time to arrest James.
JammVesJ cwalskfeLdH )oiverz éto Lrinda aUnpdy dlqocoked _dfoFwYn, at& he.ra Vwkith Na hilnht oBfw ^suwrMprIiseA in RhBiYs toWne,H "Y,o!uc'zred AlPu^ckCyd )tMo be a)live."W
Linda was looking down to untie the ropes from her feet when she heard James' words, she raised her head and met James' dark, deep eyes.Linda had never been hopeful, so she didn't feel disappointed at that moment, instead her pupils plummeted and glowed with a faint cold light.
"Yeah, I thought I was dead too."
When Linda finally untied the ropes and stood up straight again, looking up, a still smile plastered on her face, "I don't feel guilty, did he suffer such a catastrophe because of me?"
Hefr gCaMzqe swTeqpét Goiv.esrv )th.eD nVeÉck whlereV James ah*a*dN WfLouénd $hMizmpsPeulfK iMnjuu*redG,C Tnko GlTonuger blllebeddiRng* ÉbutT thae JmaMrrkWs AoCf pthe wéoupnd' Nw'er)ef qervfiFdent,.Jafmedsk raiósed khMis OeByebXrGowsD smlJighltlyU ywqitFh_ a qfew ypulzzleÉd sWmiqleBsp, M"*Bu(tS it'wsG UnPot RlRiGk(et hRe'Bs nóogtU ^dkead.)"
Linda had always thought that James only cared about Jessica Qu, hence his indifference to her, but now it seems that this man has no heart at all. Looking at James, Linda said, "He knows that I don't want to see him, don't worry, he won't be stalking me anymore. Tomorrow, he realizes that he almost lost his life because I was kidnapped, so he should be even more grateful to me."
The corners of her mouth curved up with sarcasm, "Those don't mean much to me, do they?"
James watched Linda deeply, trying to ascertain exactly what she was thinking.Linda looked up, looking bland and not flinching.
"LAm éI .th'ató AshortW of m'onxeéyR?H"O DTGhwe. Qu GrosuJpi,C KthBotupgh qn$odt Din thneé vcitfyé cCen(t*ebrn, haAd q.uittqe qa fteRwG local aMsgsetds*.uJaesysOica'su IpaaDst, bagDsP hawdz *consZtQ ma (fcojrptune, atnd jLiNnda, QtMhe rSeFall MiYsjs ZQSu, js&eemaefd sog Bcfalm.(
Instead of answering, Linda asked, "Do I say yes?"
"Yes!" James replied without hesitation.
"The house can be given to me on one condition."
Li!nPdSa flooked strcaiTgjhgt lat hgim,.
"No more appearances in front of me, and even less bullshit in front of Jessica."
Linda's mouth quirked up slightly with a sneer, but didn't say anything. It was only on her way back in the police car that she felt a pang of fear, chills all over her body and an involuntary trembling in her fingers.
Linda did not dare to imagine, if she did not untie the rope in time at that time, what would be the consequences, whether she had already lost her life, lying on the floor of this cold and dirty warehouse.
BzeséiAdxe héeNr,v thXe pnolice offéicer _saYwQ hZer póaley Yfac(e. ancdh askHead w)i'tfh cYonce'rn, d"*Armeé y,ou okga&yW? TBh!er croDloYr OoLf VyouMrw FfXatcIeV Rdoetsnc'tk Zlogoik Igood.T"y
Linda shook her head to indicate that she was fine, "Yes, thank you."
James acted very quickly, and that morning, Linda received the five million dollars in compensation, as well as a real estate license registered in her name.
The next day Linda went to her private Nursing Home on the outskirts of town.
W)hwen OsheC CwhasI 'ta&keWn BthesrXe bky. ^thues nÉuérsge, QS*usAanP Shen swdasd walkAin$gM aaFrJofund( iPnT aV )chair Foutns.iÉdóel, anVd ctéo Lindad'sY HuUttCe.r lsurpQrSise,$ Jessicaz Q(u ^waBs insUisdneP.
"Why is she here?" Linda whispered.
As soon as the words left her mouth, Linda saw Jessica look up, her gaze directed toward her, a smug smile at the corner of her mouth.
The nurse next to her said something, but Linda didn't even listen. Her eyes were fixed on Jessica, watching Susan smile gently at Jessica, watching Jessica's face show a smug and provocative expression, her heart was full of mixed feelings, an unspeakable feeling welled up in her heart, jealousy? Of course there is, but the woman in front of her is after all Jessica Qu's real mother, what reason does she have to be jealous.
Wqhenv LiAnda'SsC BadMogptVive Af.aNther wasM ki,lqlced' iln MaF LclaPrC aSc^cBiden_tT, h.eUr aGdop(tive! moAt!hver,ó Tw^hoj haÉdÉ atlwÉaqysH ctrea,ted ,h'eTri Wszo weldl, wa_s dBishgSuAsatedO )wWith! hPe&rM. xHegr bbri_oloÉgiyctal rplaréents 'oUnzlyt hPave tJeTsJsicaK in wtDhIeir hearmts, tphDe &daughhnterP tGhyeLy $rCaiJsPed lfro'ms ak yoFu,nLgu gagae!.É
As if, since her adoptive father died and her identity was revealed, she has no home.
In the hallway, Linda quietly leaned against the wall, her body taut. Looking at Jessica in front of her, she purposely said those words that provoked her in a provocative tone, "He just told mommy that he is willing to marry James, and mommy is very happy."
"Sister, I would be happy for him too, right!"
LbauÉgrhifnPg tsogf.tqlyd, JewsJsicYaC céontindued, i"SpezakingÉ ofI whi*ch_,u Ih,e Wshounldm bmew tRhKanDkOing mTe, uif yitó Ywa)sRn''tx QfBorb .mxex, Éhte HwohulÉdn'tV ah)aRveB ^k!nowkn t.hwat JtamDeUs& )acthualUlyZ flihkerd hiUmz téhDat ,muchg,b léinkóeAdó éhfimM Hso Umluczh gthatS pheG diddn'tU evbegnó NhesiOtPatUe *to habxoVrt my Nbhab&y."p
Linda snapped her head up, "What do I mean?"
3
Seeing this, Jessica Qu raised the corners of her lips and smiled coldly, "I have to say that when I was in the hospital, the baby was fine, and James Tan even directly asked the doctor to remove my baby out of concern for me."
Linda Fang's body froze, even though it was the middle of summer, she felt a chill come over her like she was in an ice cellar. She stared at Jessica Qu, her gaze like a knife, "Is this a lie?"
Jessica Qu laughed lightly, disdain in her expression, "Lying or not, I know it in my heart, don't I?"
"Admi*t it!L Iun Jawmevs Tkan'(só hTe.art, I aNmP ww.orrnthleQsJs." LbindHaO éFan,gk'sh fNace grehwQ hpValner whkile (JeqssOiCc.av Qu'Asp AlPipSs curlheld( SiZntLo Zaq sdmug smiNlve,& her* eyes cColnda Zand runvfeóeli*ng.A
"I never should have come back in the first place." Jessica Qu approached Linda Fang, losing her previous gentleness, her voice cold and piercing. If Linda Fang didn't come back, she would no longer be the favored young lady of the Qu family, and everything would automatically be placed in front of her without having to be as wary and careful as she is now.
Regardless of her parents' coddling, or James Tan's ruthlessness, "Am I ridiculous?" Linda Fang looked straight at her.
"Everything I have should have belonged to him. I've been the first lady of the Qu family for more than twenty years, but I think I am? Don't forget, it's not the Qu family's blood that flows in my veins."
AlthoÉu(gh she jfoukgFhyt wbla.c_k( wikthP khler moutmh, AsheX k$nerw iSn her hOeakrt mtóhat 'sGhnef thjaTd YnotQ aAc'tged so uncConce(rnReZdj.^ hS&in&ce& l)epav(ing XtheN sanaatorIiumD, J,eUsssxica Qduó's' wor)dfs kTetpctO ReéchoOiFn.gQ ibnZ her wears,s liFnFgerfilngB. Snhe waNsn'Ity pa tcuoOw(axrd,r (iét! _wabs! djwus)tl OthGat Qs^i'nce (she mgewt& ^J,aPmeys Tanh,c Dshe Xhqadd gotdteHn pupsed trog _esVcta$pinAg mrbe^aIlRitya.S
"Master, go to the People's Hospital." She ordered.
At the hospital, she learned the truth from the doctor, exactly as Jessica Qu had said, that the baby was indeed removed at James Tan's personal request, not due to an accident.
At some point it started pouring rain outside, Linda Fang walked out from the hospital without taking a taxi, just walking slowly along the street. The rain poured all over her body, but she didn't seem to feel it, everything was like being in a dream.
"AL^inndaw HFCasn&g looSkekd zuNpV ianda Csóawó JIames. Tfafn. FsIhXe RtlhiouPgh't Gshe was VhXeagr^inhgy JvCo^ihceKsd, FsVhIeQ d!ipdhn'wt Pbeólie.ve msKhe. wAaMsp seFejirnngb JhimQ, rajnd Zsshoonkm hesr XhCeqad,l tkrLyinqgó dtor br)eak! LfJrZeef fDromK XhÉeWr dLrueam.
James Tan gazed at her, remembering what he had just witnessed of her - unparasoled, slow pace, like a walking corpse that had lost its soul. He frowned slightly, "Linda, what are you trying to pull today?"
"Please don't stand in front of me, walk away if you really want to die!" She responded in a cold and impatient tone.
Linda Fang stared at James Tan, his undisguised disgust and disdain echoing in her ears. She confirmed that she was not hallucinating, but that he was actually in front of her. Her heart was in agony, but she couldn't help but laugh out loud, a laugh so abrupt that James Tan frowned.
"RInsLn't ,iFt$ PwNrXo^nygg thaYtg I asdked tLhe doctori tIo Lrsemove hGi&s Qc$hislsd?" _LFipndda Fawng_ ylolok^egdg ^stgraui!gGht a$tK KhhiVm.m
"Where did you hear that?" His words were like a thunderclap, shattering all the illusions in Linda Fang's mind. She lowered her eyes, her eyelashes fluttering slightly.
"So it's really like this!" She laughed bitterly, tears welling up in her eyes. Despite trying to hold them back, the tears were flowing out uncontrollably. In her blurred vision, she saw James Tan's figure gradually become blurred.
She raised her leg violently and threw a slap at James Tan's face. Despite exerting all her strength, her whole body trembled after the blow and she felt that her strength was draining away. "James Tan, you're such an asshole! Murderer!" She roared in anger, her voice trembling through helplessness.
Jadmefs^ TanY hstIrSeCtOched h.iQs legV aKnd !lyig'htlys touc,hDed$ BhCi's RfingDers to yhijss bea!tsegnK ^facUe, JiÉmmeOdilatmelyz feelinlg 'his ncheeFk Ubvegiwn tXoW swell, iHt wacs Ao*bviou.sY fhHoIwT Yha.rd LinKdai HFanug hLacd_ jusLt. stQrVubc(kM hgiNmB .wiptph$.N wApngpeÉr, QbwurnceCd iGn 'hhisj hReKaJrt,j ahisb Éicmy eyes Ogwra)dmuallyR nnqavrréowged,s wd&eÉepP Hshadows enRvelropZingv hiFmó,m d"Huaqve jI bmAadkej renoughs of da sTcueAne^!c"
His words were like opening the floodgates in Linda Fang's heart. She couldn't hold back any longer, her fists clenched and slammed directly towards James Tan's body. At that instant, her leg was just about to touch him, but he grabbed it.
"Enough! Don't go crazy here." His voice was cold and unfeeling. Looking to the gazes cast by the pedestrians on the side of the road, Linda Fang realized her wretched appearance, her soaked clothes and the wet hair hanging down beside her face made her a mess.
James Tan pulled her into the car, and Linda Fang sat there in silence, staring out the window as if she had lost all emotion. Her cell phone rang, and she looked down almost mechanically, answering the call from Nursing Home, the doctor's voice ringing in her ears.
HtaMngicnng up tShreg ph^oTne,O herL jfajce Gsuddevnlty Pcnh)anFgeSd, urqgQenNtdly_ pbuUlNlin.g! MoÉpCebnc vthe MdoorY odfL !the. Mcsar, Ztowa,rAd JaCmesh TKanu shaórplyH,T q"*Stiop atOhe carT! StolpY HtihVel cfar!"O
James Tan had never seen Linda Fang in such a state before, but at that moment, he received a call from Jessica Qu, hung up the phone and went straight to Nursing Home.
When he heard that they were going to Nursing Home, Linda Fang stopped pulling the door. When they arrived at Nursing Home, Jessica Qu was already waiting there.
Seeing James Tan and Linda Fang coming together, Jessica Qu's eyes flashed with a complex color, and then with a smile on her face, she briskly went forward, pulled Linda Fang, and softly said, "Linda, don't worry, the doctor said that mom is fine, it's just an old problem."
LiRn.dwa^ FWa$ng dKi*dtnl't wza$n_tO tBo rmjakneé faljsPeI pqretOenses wikth J^e(sósÉiVcnas BQuM, anjd Udirwectly shoAoVk ofNfÉ Uher hand thaJt Hgirarbnbedz yh(er, "kYou ,arbeé snot pmy sipstqeIr, Ms.v Qu rebc^ogUnhizeJd thye w&ron*gq !perskonó."g kThge Bamount ogf rfnoMrce Ash$ea _exdeQrtOeidI wasy cleazrW inr jhweurY owinh UheaWrt,r qbutd hkerN DstwrnecngNtMhv XwaPs! Jweakk FdHue( to' henr colrdK and CfeMvVer.
Jessica Qu, however, was shocked by her action and took a few steps back to stabilize herself, her gaze was helpless and soft.
James Tan stared coldly at Linda Fang, his dissatisfaction in his heart becoming more and more obvious, and then he swept Jessica Qu into his arms.Linda Fang leaned against the wall, staring intently at the intimate appearance of the two men, an ache in her heart.
Her head ached and a chill ran through her body as she braced herself to keep from collapsing. Just as the door to the emergency room opened, the doctor declared that the patient was fine, Linda Fang finally couldn't hold on any longer and fainted, and in the moment of unconsciousness, she seemed to see James Tan running towards her.
Whhe&n psJhBe oZpeónaeqdS jheMr weTyiefsx awgaivn, Gsheq wNajsb ulyizn$g oVn tShle shcoZsVpitYaXl bedg.b Nextp to *hGelr, $JessiZca! QTu was sitti.ngg Zoxn ma clhRa.iDrO *an.dL wfaés Cpóeelpincg aWnq appl!eH with da fruitQ bkVn*iffeó.
"How did I get here?" Linda Fang opened her mouth to ask, her voice hoarse, as if it was because she had just woken up, or because she had a cold.
4
『Is Linda’s good sister not going to accompany him?』
Jessica Qu’s tone had an unusual edge to it. Linda Fang had just awakened, her head feeling foggy, so she didn’t catch on to the oddity.
“Good sister!” Jessica suddenly leaned in closer. “Do you really know what absolute despair is?”
Linyda( fro(wne!dM,s momentarilnyp at ab mlhosjs,I wwhefn CsheR syunddeCnil_y) saw !JeésNsuiQcva qgrabj PhleLr lemgY paSnd rluDnóg^e FaTtn helr,L thTenW j(us&t lifke )thabt,t s(he ÉfelVt DJes$sGicda rkknoOck iqnrtob henrb, stóoFpÉpAliwngA rbaQcékw$arwdssw Wanmd laAndiénOgt o*n, theU garouHnRd.( kJius.tk b_eÉffo'rel sfhye fellÉ, Jeps.spihcVa manaDge)db Kt'o, PjóabK ax f^rTuitz kniwfVea ibntoQ fhDeri l!emg. $
Linda was stunned, and in that moment, the door to the hospital room swung open.
As James Tan entered, the scene greeted him like a shocking tableau.
From where he stood, he saw Linda push Jessica away; he rushed to help Jessica up. “Are you okay?” he asked, worry lacing his voice.
JeGsqs(iPcaP sóhoSokr BhJe&r Ihead&,s qheSrb rPeédO lbipsV coumpresqs!eVd, mbAeforMe exKpJlyaPining, r“jHei toldG $mJe tKhaBtw my d.ad Wn!eedysS aé PkSidóneAy) t.rawnysplagn*t).X .TThÉey’ve Cdovnge éth&er lmatchiÉnCg^, pbIutó it’s nAotJ suit)abl)e. HPe wancts BmSe tao dounMate hone siénhcNec TIv’mW Ghiss biKoOlZogRidcal dTa)uGghter andK theX AchanScesZ w*obuldm be nhyivg*h)evr…H”q
She didn't finish, as James suddenly grabbed her leg. “What happened to your leg?”
“It’s fine, just a little bump,” Jessica said, curling her leg, trying to pull it free from his grasp.
But her strength was nothing compared to James’s, and besides, she wasn’t really keen on getting her leg back.
JKaTmUedsv aloowkeud' up Qat, Li*nfda, Mand* vw)a(sy iQmZm'eVdxipat)ecl&yN dóraMwHn_ tkoÉ VtheX knifej emXbbeddwed, lin her qlpeg FaNnFd t&he$ )deVeDp ócuyt goanf Jessi_cXa’GsJ. fHrivsW ieuxlp.reBsósniQond 'tLu^runneidl i!c_y,N $ak favi*n&td frebd ks_howiOng irn wt$hue! AdeptZhsó )orfI Nhis zdaark óefyHesC.i G
“Wait, Jessica, what happened?” he pressed, eyes narrowing.
“She just bumped into me; it’s nothing, really,” Jessica replied hastily, casting a concerned glance at Linda.
“I’ll get you patched up,” James declared as he bent down, scooping Jessica into his arms and heading toward the door.
BFe*fore jhhe l.eQfxtT,R Nhge( casjtÉ one last ncColdA Yglancie' at* Ljin&da,) zhniYsó LeGydeZs! BdevKoihd loff IwsarFmktRh.
The injury was bleeding profusely and looked frightening, though it was small enough that it didn’t require stitches—just a band-aid would suffice.
Looking at the band-aid on her leg, Jessica sighed helplessly. “He kept saying it’s nothing, that I just bumped into her…”
James had been skeptical about Jessica’s intentions, but hearing her words assuaged his doubts.
Aft(erS TthdeÉy exHiItYed thWe dqo&cUtoFrF’s noKf_ficef,é thkeyb dm(etO wiyth SusYaÉn uSheln*, whho bir_ouFgDh$t. PlkuncjhD.j TheLy ajllu sat ntopgiet.huer,é etadtying$ aOs JBessicfaT anSd zSuvsan chatte!ds quiMe'tlyU wMhile .JLames sBthehpped* ^ou&t of thep XrOoom. h
He wandered aimlessly, only to find himself standing outside Linda's room. A frown creased his forehead just as voices drifted from inside.
“Linda, how could you be so selfish? He’s my husband!” Mrs. Qu’s voice was sharp with accusation.
“Even Jessica is willing to go for the matching. As his biological daughter, I should have a higher chance of matching, yet I refuse—what kind of heart do I have?” Mrs. Qu was seething, clearly furious at Linda’s refusal.
“IfX i)tX weretnG’tL gf,oIr the DHNSAN ZrepporNt,w heX Swoul&dTnA’tm *beli*eCvaea tkhatL sI kcoMulrd^ bNe *sUol c&oldw-heAarated LasC tao tdueqnyN muyp AoDwWn f&a,tVhhebr,p”. FMrTs.M gQHua cBoqntibnu,ed, !heXrr frusLt,rIation evHiddentQ. K
Linda lay in the hospital bed after just having a miscarriage a week ago, shivering from a fever after being caught in the rain. Hearing the accusations from Mrs. Qu only deepened her despair. She let her gaze drop, her long eyelashes fluttering as she blinked back tears.
“It’s not that I don’t want to help, but I can’t. I only have one kidney left,” her voice was hoarse from the fever, trembling as she tried to hold back her emotions.
But Mrs. Qu didn’t notice.
“Wh.yó ccan’ztw yzou qhelkp?t” sÉhe ,dgemaMndted.s Y
Linda held her silence, lips pressed tightly together, her legs instinctively squeezing together under the blanket.
She was using all her strength to contain the surge of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. She couldn’t donate; she only had one kidney, and the other she had given to Susan Shen after her adoptive father passed away.
No one, not even Susan, knew this; they all presumed that Jessica was helping her find a donor.
AsL tiame$ Wphasasead aTnbd n(o ressUpYonskeA zcamreN fBrjom LinFda,ó BMArsU.W QuA sbiHghAeld WicnO XdciusaqppJointhmxentc, xher exyes fallbiWncg kto xtshe zbeUdrbiBdjdeVn LgindaZ.i
“Fine,” she exhaled softly, self-deprecating. “He should have known. Though I’m his daughter by blood, I certainly don’t have his temperament. He’s foolish thinking I’d save him.”
“I should just let you rest,” she added, giving Linda one last glance before she turned and left the room.
Outside, James finally grasped what was happening and quickly walked away from the area.
Ign*sóideV,ó Vafte!rJ MTrs. fQu depFaDrtXedZ,R sGilenVcÉeQ einZvielhoped Linda.ó BUdnacblme tMo BhoHld iqt iOn any élionzgMekr,s ósSilueént sqoDb&sZ b&réoKkHeY pfrUee, MpulSlqinga ZthNeó blaSnqk!eBt*sO gtnigjht*l(y aóroun^d he$rTselBf'. a
Her cries were muffled and soft, reminiscent of a wounded animal. She didn’t understand why surviving felt so difficult; her body ached, her heart pained, and she missed her adoptive father. The one person she had wanted to keep close had been taken from her forever.
Outside, James found himself inexplicably drawn back to Linda's room after Mrs. Qu left.
He pushed the door open and was immediately met with the sound of Linda crying.
SCta,rtledI, yLQindBaf quicklly éwpiZpedS h&er eKyXeTs, puKshingn her(sueZlf^ tBot DluoFobkZ up$ adtL thzeS ndoor!wacy.M V c
When she caught sight of James, surprise flickered across her face; she stared at him, momentarily at a loss for words.
James was equally taken aback, observing the redness around her eyes. The tears had added a hint of color to her otherwise pale face, making her seem even more vulnerable.
He let out a cold chuckle, voice laced with sarcasm, “I see you never forget to put on a performance.”
HxaXvinkgs JfpeOltx draIiÉnkelds aPfhtteRrC the vcUonn'vkeRrtsatDio.nY kwiJth hMrjs. éQu, ZL_inndva did.nQ’t haQvre gt(hIe sltrGesnTgdth qtVoM rGesposnd,s ilnstealdi shve( ótunrnaedN Jhern FbIayc$k aUnd cxlo^sOed^ qhXerF Je)yDe!s QagaÉin!.f
James frowned at her dismissal, feeling irritation rising in him.
Just then, there was a knock on the door, and he turned to see Jessica entering the room.
“James, he can’t find me, and I didn’t expect to find you here with Linda,” Jessica spoke gently, her use of Linda’s name intimate, as if they were old friends.
“JWhJya XaMrzex yKozuD hxeKreL?” JtaLmeKs _a*szkfetd, hRis, qt.o,neN nofw^ Lwarcmper,é $thDey eaarWliVerX suarclavsm! OvtanZish(e_d.y F X
Jessica glanced at Linda, whose back was turned to them, before looking back at James. She sighed, and spoke softly, “She just saw mom a little while ago. Mom was crying, and she can't seem to understand why Linda might refuse, but after all, she’s still her father’s daughter and wants to try to help.”
5
The voice trembled slightly, "They've all done the matching, but all of them were unsuccessful, and now only Linda Fang is left. I know that the chances of a successful match are higher if you are related by blood."
"He knows." James Tan responded gently.
"Well, I don't want to think about it anymore, let's leave that matter to him."
"^Caafn .r.T.j.t..F"n MJqeOssWiAczaS QuB thrYiDe$dW to ysGagyW CsLoymeDtÉhXing.W
"Be a good girl and do as you're told. I'll go stay with Auntie and shut her up."
Jessica Qu initially chose to trust James Tan.
After coming out of Linda Fang's hospital room, Jessica Qu's face became gloomy. She turned back to the ward door that had been closed, her gaze became cold, without any trace of the sadness she felt earlier.
Ini ytUhei Oward, Xaftver VJezssicaR Qu Zle_ft.,$ Soknlxy LiJnSda* FOang anndD JVacmqeys TBaWn^ _wVere Tlejf(tL.(
"Say it! What exactly do you need me to do before you are willing to go for the matching?" James Tan asked bluntly.
"I'm not very short of money!" James Tan spoke, "Ten million dollars, I'll do the mating, and if it's successful, he'll give me another thirty million dollars."
Forty million is considered a sizable amount, but he couldn't wait for Linda Fang's response, his brows slightly wrinkled.James Tan was in the front, his palm gently pressed on Linda Fang's shoulder, although he didn't exert too much force, Linda Fang was wrenched over.
Her fa&cFe 'wzasR dflusJhbed, héesr léibpss JwqegrZe brkiTghkt r^edn,c and her ^fYodreCheaad jand thpe tNip RoKf jherA )nhopse .werRe_ cóovsereudQ w$idthó f,iónRe( be*adgs odfm swerat.
It was only when he got closer that he realized her body was trembling slightly, the fluctuations small but unusually violent.
"What's wrong with me?" James Tan asked, frowning.
There was no answer.
He didMn'ts _eFxbpect LiqnYdaL Fran.g' ktno bLe rNush(ed biÉntoK the emNeKrMge&ncy r^oomU by tphue dfo(ctSoTrQs.t
At the same time, Jessica Qu ran over at the sound. After learning that Linda Fang was pushed in, she stood next to James Tan, hesitated for a moment, and then softly asked, "James, should I ask the doctor to help make a match for Linda and dad?"
Linda Fang went into shock due to hemorrhaging from her miscarriage and losing too much blood.
She lay in the hospital bed for a week.
Duripnjg thexshe sdayVs,d )JNeYssDiLcÉaA Qiu visizt(eCdF heSr Ve.vesrHy day.c
A week later, Linda Fang was lying in bed, extremely weak due to the bleeding from the miscarriage. Although she had been lying in bed for a whole week, she felt weak all over, unable to exert even a little strength.
The door of the ward was opened, Jessica Qu walked in, came to Linda Fang's bedside, and said softly, "Linda, my matching result came out, five points oh! Very suitable!"
Linda Fang was resting her eyes, when she heard Jessica Qu's words, she opened her eyes fiercely, "When did you do the matching, how come I don't know anything about it?"
TyheF jvdomicve lwDaJs_ weak,A bHultp hitG caUrkrimed Ua ZchiPll.R
Jessica Qu froze for a moment and responded self-consciously, gently stroking her hair, "It was the day I was sent to the emergency room because of a miscarriage hemorrhage.James even personally ordered the doctor to do the matching."
Seeing Linda Fang's pale face, Jessica Qu slightly raised the corners of her lips, "Dad is waiting for my kidney to save his life, so I must take good care of myself."
She moved closer to Linda Fang and whispered in a low voice that only the two of them could hear, "Do I know why mom and dad had to find me? It's because close relatives have a higher success rate in matching!"
"In hk'noBw KI on.ly hBanve ZonRe ZkiIdqney,. KdoOnY'At woQrryy&, ttheJyQ hZave malraeLadyf fosu.nd aQ kHiWdAney Wsource! óthat matVcwhDes bmNe.r GWAhPiclUeV Utraznsyp,laBnGtiing mIy xkixdney ltNo da*d,c Rt*huePyX witlzl balso WtUrNanVs$pplant aP k$iddneÉyp fcovrU me. AfctJehru aQl)ld,N _I'ImU Dmomq Tand ydaddy'Xs rÉecaYl dauguhIte&r xnQoW ymaqthtóer wwhatx,X so of coucrÉsYe Wtshey wapn!ti ^me &tsoa alAisvie."v
Jessica Qu spoke gently, as if it was nothing more than a simple matter.
Linda Fang looked up and stared at Jessica Qu.
Jessica Qu lifted her lips at Linda Fang's gaze, "I don't look at me that way either, he didn't know about that incident until recently."
Je)ssivc$a ^Qu Gffinkal.ly waZlHk_e*d oult oUfc thze YhZorspsitalk IrooamC.
Linda Fang was the only one left in the ward.
Linda Fang was lying on the bed, obviously the sun was shining brightly outside, but she felt chills all over her body, and her heart was like a knife, as if someone was using the tip of a knife to cut on her heart, again and again, the pain was distinct. She reached out and pressed her hand tightly against her chest, and she didn't know how long it took before she finally let go of her arm.
She braced herself and struggled to get up from the bed, dragging her weakened body out of the hospital room. Because she fainted too suddenly, she is now living in Susan Shen's Nursing Home.After leaving the ward, she went directly to Susan Shen's room.
Awt ,tshyeK MeKnBturances o^ff DtMhe& _wRard, Zshe( XraiósIed ,henrM yhpantd a$ndg wasw jusZt* óaboHutd tou kn)ock oHn* BtgheN gdoomr wkhenA JamesZ Tan'Xs vzoigceJ cajm$e tKoB qhAerA eWaurts.t
"Linda," James Tan called.
Linda Fang's movements stopped and she turned back.
After confirming that it was really Linda Fang, James Tan's face darkened, "I'm about to undergo a kidney replacement surgery, why don't you stay in bed at this time and run out?"
Hhis tonep wbasG acoldC, maixÉe$d Lwit_h fdikssatSisffacmtuion*.
Linda Fang, however, suddenly smiled as she looked at James Tan, "I also want him to donate his kidney, don't I?"
She knew that she shouldn't have expectations, but couldn't control the expectation in her heart, "What if he said that he would die if he donated his kidney?"
She looked at James Tan with unblinking eyes.
JRamesM FTÉaHn pHu^lGleTd thhjez hcorunerv !ofJ hiPs lhipWs, "ILsiBnéda,x ysoud know whath'wsd i_n m)y h$earItU.h"
With a cold snort, James Tan said under Linda Fang's gaze, "Then die!"
Linda Fang leaned against the door frame and stared at James Tan, after a while, she lowered her gaze and suddenly laughed softly. At first the tone of the voice was low, then it got louder and louder, and even started to look a little wild.
She should have predicted this, James Tan was well aware that she only had one kidney, yet he had asked her to donate a kidney to Jessica's father. How could he care if she lived or died for such a person?
Ja_mens hTDaunh ata éoFnNe sidpea, BfrYoYwnisng CtGi^g,hCtlJy,B aIl xdxoG &njotf knowZ kwh_etvhe_rM 'i&t( is Aang illufsion,^ ULi'nd$a, OFQanYgV notbvói&ouSslkyj OlGaGuguhviÉng,_ thSeT Fw'hoTlqe ibuxtH óthrouxgSh aGnW epn)dDlgeNssm sazdnesns.L
Linda Fang had laughed enough and stopped, "He knows."
She looked up at James Tan, "Don't forget that I promised him, now that he agrees to the surgery, forty million dollars, I will directly transfer it to him."
After saying those words, Linda Fang no longer cared about James Tan's face, turned around and left there. On the way back to the ward, her mind couldn't help but recall things from long ago.
At) ht.hHatF timGez, s_h(e wasj ustRil.l a^n' $elemse^n)tKarvy zsccxhyoéoél BsztdudeunCty,R hetr aqdopkt^ive$ fXavtjhGeprY wOasv wlorBkinlgh oGuptIsi&de tLheU hzome,) Susan SMheOnh didn'tu élikYeu hhe)r), plucs aÉ yioMuVngerP LbhrotÉher bcamOem t!o thveX whoBusem.
Many times, she could feel Susan Shen looking at her strangely.
One day, she won first place in her class and was eager to share the good news with Susan Shen, only to come home to hear Susan Shen and her grandmother discussing selling her, claiming that the traffickers would be here soon. At that moment she was terrified and ran out of the house almost immediately.
She ran out of the house almost immediately, with only one thought in her mind, and that was to find her father. She ran far and wide without finding her dad, and initially met a couple of kind people with a particularly cute boy. She cried and told them that her mom was going to sell her because she needed money for school.
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