Chapter 4
I couldn’t fight back against my mother’s blows until a hand pulled her away.
It was Bastian Hanson.
My father was surprised.“What are you doing here?”
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Bastian Hanson simply said, “I heard Quilla wasn’t doing well, so I came to see. Don’t worry too much; I’ve found a blood source for Quilla. She’ll recover soon.”
My mother, who had been crying, fell silent.
“Really? Where? Quilla’s going to be okay?”
Bastian Hanson confirmed, “I have some… resources. I’ll perform the surgery myself. Quilla will be fine.”
My body trembled at the words “I’ll perform the surgery myself.”
Then I laughed, not surprised.
After my mother left, Bastian Hanson, feeling the heat radiating from me, carried me to the ward.
He thoughtfully prepared blankets and hot water.
In bed, he checked my temperature with a thermometer.
His brow furrowed
at
the reading:105.8°F. “You have fever. Why didn’t you
a
call
me?”
I curled up, sarcastic. “You are so brilliant, a miracle worker, probably didn’t think that spending four hours on a rooftop in near–freezing temperatures would make someone sick.”
He simply didn’t care.
He didn’t care about me, so he wouldn’t care about my health.
He only cared about the healthy blood flowing through my veins.
He paused, then, seemingly guilty, murmured, “I’m sorry.”
His voice was so low, I almost dismissed it as a hallucination.
He sat beside the bed, taking my burning hand. “I’m sorry. After this, I promise, we’ll live a good life together. Tell me what you want, and I’ll give it to you. I’ll love you.”
I withdrew my hand without looking at him.
After a night of IV fluids, I felt a little better the next day.
Bastian
Hanson didn’t
go
back to
the
but hospital
stayed, bringing some pills.
They were bitter, and I winced as I swallowed them. He offered orange juice.
“How long will it take for me to recover?”
“A typical cold takes seven days. Yours is severe, maybe ten days.”
“Will that delay the blood transfusion for Quilla Lewis?”
I asked as casually as if it were a trivial matter.
Bastian Hanson looked at me with complex emotions, suddenly feeling like he couldn’t understand me.
He hesitated.
I continued, “It shouldn’t matter if I have a cold. After all, once the blood is drained, I won’t be alive anyway. Does it matter if I have a cold or not?”
The words were brutal, yet I said them calmly, like a cold blade.
Bastian Hanson felt a pang of something, insisting,“I’ll make sure you’re healthy for the surgery.”
08:17
16.0%
< Chapter 4
Healthy enough to go under the knife, then never wake up?
I didn’t understand the point of his insistence.
My father walked in, holding a stock transfer agreement.
He slammed it on my face.“As you wished. All of Quilla’s shares are yours.”
Half were mine, half were Quilla Lewis’s.
Twenty percent total.
Enough to secure a seat on the board.
I was satisfied and signed it.
After everyone left, I called my lawyer.“I want to make a will.”
My lawyer and my best friend, Candy, arrived together.
Seeing my pale, gaunt figure, Candy burst into tears.
“Those bastards! How could they do this to you! I’m going to get them!”
I stopped her.
Meru
During my time pursuing Bastian Hanson, I hadn’t met many good people, but Candy was an exception. She always stood by me, the first to help.
Without her, I wouldn’t have lasted this long.
Candy was also the second person besides Bastian Hanson who knew about the system.
Now, I told her everything about changing targets.
“So, you’re finally free of that jerk Bastian Hanson?”
I nodded.
Candy jumped up, “That’s great! The system finally did something right! You should’ve dumped that bastard sooner! Let him suffer!”
I laughed, turning to the lawyer, “I want to leave all my Lewis Corporation shares, my company, and some cash to Candy. The rest will go to children in the mountain areas.”
The lawyer wasn’t
“Nothing for them.”
surprised
but asked the necessary
questions, “And your family?”
Candy’s eyes were red.
“I’ll just keep it for you until you come back after getting a new body. You have to come back.”
I nodded, wiping her tears.
Bastian Hanson entered. “What do you mean, come back?”
His eyes were wary.
I didn’t know how much he’d heard.
“I told Candy I’m going on a trip abroad after I recover. She’s sad to see me go, so I’m bringing her back gifts.”
He showed no expression, his suspicion fading quickly.
“Remember your checkup later.”
I breathed a sigh of relief.
He took me for the checkup himself.
I knew it was to assess my heart’s blood production and the suitability of my blood for donation.
) 08:17
16.0%
< Chapter 4
Leaving the examination room, I bumped into Quilla Lewis,
She sat in a wheelchair, frail in her thin hospital gown.
Her long hair draped around her, creating an almost ethereal beauty.
She looked heartbreaking
“Sister, I heard my husband found a blood source for me, Quilla Lewis said suddenly “You’re happy for me, right?
I looked into her dark eyes, so bright, so innocent.
Yet, beneath that innocence lay a deep malice.
Did she really know nothing?
“Happy,”
I smiled, with a hint of genuine feeling. “I’m happy,”
There was no expected outburst.
Quilla Lewis seemed slightly displeased.
She casually touched her hair.
“That’s great. You’ve always been biased against me. I thought you didn’t want me to have the surgery.”
A woman’s wedding band on her ring finger was conspicuous.
It matched Bastian Hanson’s.
I didn’t pretend not to notice.
She quickly removed it.
“Sorry, it’s a gift from my husband. Nothing else. I usually wear it on my middle finger, but my hand is swollen.*
“Don’t be mad at me, sister.”
