Chapter 4

The basin of water didn't wake Nora up. Instead, it gave her a high fever.

"What's going on? Quick, save her!" A doctor happened to be making rounds and noticed something was wrong with Nora's complexion and lip color. After a quick check, he said, "Get her to the emergency room now!"

James stood frozen, his fingers numb. He lost control for a moment and grabbed Aiden by the collar. "Didn't you say she was faking it?"

Aiden panicked a bit too and swatted James's hand away. "How would I know? She's always acting. Haven't you heard the story of the boy who cried wolf?"

"Don't worry, she won't die." Ava walked over in her high heels, full of confidence. "Doctor, she already agreed to donate a kidney to our Evelyn. While you're at it, check if her kidney is usable."

The doctor frowned. "Let's focus on saving her first."

"Dr. Williams, your father and Owen are good friends, so I won't spell things out too clearly." Ava spoke meaningfully, clearly wanting the doctor not to make a big deal out of this and just do the transplant surgery first. After all, the person involved had agreed, all the paperwork would be signed, and even if something went wrong, the doctor and hospital wouldn't have much responsibility.

As the emergency room staff took Nora away, John Williams stood up, straightened his white coat, and glanced at James and Aiden. "Mrs. Adams, I'm just a doctor. Saving lives is my duty. As for other matters, they're not within the scope of what this coat represents."

"You!" Aiden got angry and wanted to say something, but Ava stopped him.

"Why the rush? In a bit, have your dad call John's father. These doctors care about their reputation. Some things shouldn't be said out in the open." Ava glanced at James. "James, Evelyn is your fiancée. You have a responsibility to take care of her."

James nodded. "I will."

Emergency room.

"Nori, you have to hang in there, you must hang in there. I'm waiting outside for you. Don't be afraid, don't be afraid of anything. I'm here."

"Nori, I won't abandon you."

Under the bright lights, Nora's consciousness was a bit hazy.

Five years ago, when her child was born premature, she had nearly died from severe bleeding.

No one cared whether Nora lived or died. Ironically, the brother who stayed outside the hospital room telling her to stay calm wasn't Aiden, but her biological brother she hadn't met in over twenty years—Jasper Thomas.

"Dr. Williams, take a look at the patient's condition. Long-term malnutrition, lots of old injuries, and new ones too. Should we call the police?" In the examination room, a nurse asked nervously.

This woman looked like she'd been abused for a long time.

"No need." John frowned.

He knew about Nora, the fake heiress of the Adams family. Five years ago, her case had shocked all of Emerald City. She must have just gotten out of prison, so malnutrition made sense.

"Where are the patient's family members?" John looked up and saw James leaning against the smoking area door, smoking.

"She doesn't have any family here." James said in a low voice.

"The patient is very weak, with sinus bradycardia, probably related to long-term malnutrition. She doesn't meet the conditions for kidney donation." John ignored James and just gave his assessment.

"John, right?" James threw away his cigarette butt and looked at the doctor coldly. "She's already agreed to donate. As a doctor, don't overstep."

John closed the examination report. His presence was just as strong as James's, maybe even more intimidating. "I'll give you two choices. First, take her home and take good care of her. Get her nutrition up, bring her weight to standard, then come back for testing. Second choice, find a suitable match from the list of volunteers I'll provide and do the transplant as soon as possible."

James frowned. "I choose the first one."

With that, James left.

"Dr. Williams, does this woman have some grudge against them? Why do they insist on her kidney?" The nurse muttered quietly, confused.

John didn't say anything, just shook his head.

He didn't want to get involved in the bad blood between the Smith family and the Adams family.

Hospital room.

Nora, who had just left the emergency room, was leaning against the headboard getting an IV.

Once the doctors all left and no one was in the room, Nora pulled out her IV needle and climbed out through the bathroom window.

She knew the Adams family and James wouldn't let her go. She had to find a way to save herself.

If only for her son, she had to survive.

Five years ago, she had nearly died giving birth to that child.

Even though she didn't know who the child's biological father was, the child was innocent.

Nora had never blamed that child, never hated him.

She only knew that he was the continuation of her life, the motivation that kept her barely hanging on and surviving those five years in prison.

After running out of the hospital, Nora made a call from a phone booth.

"You're finally willing to call me?" On the other end, a man's voice was low. "I told you, if you want to survive, there's only one way—work with me. All these years, if I hadn't been protecting you, you would have died in prison."

"I agree. I'll try to get close to Michael." Nora's voice trembled. "But I'm not confident Michael would be interested in me."

Who was Michael? The golden boy of the Smith family, a business genius, a man standing at the very top of the business world's food chain.

Not a height that Nora could reach now.

"Don't worry. James won't let you go easily. You'll have plenty of chances to get close to Michael. Just make sure you seize them."