Serana’s stiff expression eased ever so slightly at his words, but her face remained ghostly pale.
She subconsciously glanced around, as if afraid that Johnson might suddenly appear from somewhere.
It had been just like that back at the orphanage. He had taken her away when she was completely
unprepared, snatching her from the safety of her mundane life.
The memory of facing Johnson alone was etched into her mind, a stark terror she could never shake.
He was like a madman, completely disregarding the fact that she was still a child back then, subjecting
her to merciless punches and kicks. He genuinely wanted her dead.
If she hadn’t scrambled up into the safety of an old oak tree, and if help hadn’t arrived just in time,
she’d be six feet under instead of here. What if he still wanted revenge?
Her hands twisted together nervously, unsure, “I think that maybe I should go back to my room.”d2
The assistant nodded in agreement and followed her upstairs.
Mr. Boyd had been swamped all afternoon, missing lunch and ordering a double portion of takeout
instead. A backlog of work kept him at his desk until seven in the evening.
If it hadn’t been for Serana’s call, asking if he had left the office yet, he might have worked through the
night. After a brief conversation, he hung up and stared at his phone screen, thumb hovering over
Yasmine’s contact.
He thought about how seldom she reached out to him first. Especially when they were at odds, she
never initiated contact. The only exception had been earlier that day at the hospital.
With a heavy sigh, he rubbed his temples, set down his phone, and leaned back in his executive chair.
She never backed down. Whatever she said went, and she’d make decisions without giving anyone a
chance to question them.
The office was eerily quiet as he rested for a moment, eyes closed. Then, he sat up, took a deep
breath, and sent Yasmine a text. He needed to see if her mood had improved.
Yasmine was reclining on the bed, a laptop resting on her lap as she watched a movie. Her phone
rang, and she turned her head to glance at the illuminated screen. It was a message from Boyd, and
she nonchalantly returned her gaze to the computer screen.
It wasn’t until the credits rolled that she finally picked up the phone and read his text.
—[Are you asleep? What did you have for dinner? I skipped mine.]
With a roll of her eyes, Yasmine deleted the message and shoved the phone under her pillow. “Jerk.”
Unsurprised by Yasmine’s silence, Boyd wrapped up his work and left the office around nine. Since his
assistant had stayed with Serana, he didn’t visit the hospital the next day. A cocktail of disappointment
and understanding flowed through Serana. She knew all too well how preoccupied Boyd could get. Her
phone was fully charged, prepared for the day. After a morning filled with hesitance and anxiety, she
finally gathered the courage to dial Yasmine’s number in the afternoon. The calls went unanswered.
Yasmine hung up without a word. To act out such a drama at the hospital and then have the audacity to
call her? The nerve.
The phone didn’t ring again, and Yasmine thought maybe Serana had given up. However, a message
came through instead.
[Yasmine, I think there’s been a misunderstanding about Boyd at the hospital. I can’t leave here right
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtnow, but I want to talk to you. About why Boyd has looked after me all these years, and about the child.
I know you’re proud and probably disdainful of these matters, but for Boyd’s sake—he loves you so
much—could you maybe set your pride aside? Even if you’re breaking up, it’s better to understand
everything first, right? You could ask Boyd directly, but I doubt he’ll tell you much.]
Yasmine stared at the text for a long time, torn between curiosity and pride. Eventually, she tossed her
phone aside.
Clever girl. Her message was certainly tempting.
Yasmine’s curiosity was piqued. She wanted to know what Serana would reveal, but she didn’t make
her way to the hospital until two days later.
Boyd’s assistant couldn’t hide her surprise upon seeing Yasmine.
“Ms. Yasmine.”
As Yasmine took in the two towering bodyguards stationed outside Serana’s room, their eyes filled with
warning, she smirked at Boyd’s assistant. “Quite the VIP treatment.”
“Uh.” The assistant squirmed. “Please don’t misunderstand, Ms. Yasmine. It’s just that there are special
circumstances.”
“Another special circumstance?” Yasmine teased, twirling a stem of lilies in her hand. “Don’t beat
around the bush. Just say Serana is someone special, and be done with it.”
Her words were casual, yet they cut deep. Everyone knew Boyd’s affections, yet she always managed
to twist the knife.
“Ms. Yasmine, please.”
Yasmine passed the bodyguards with a nonchalant smile and entered the room.
Serana was sitting up in bed, expecting her. She remained seated like a host awaiting a guest. “You
came?” Serana smiled and said.
Yasmine placed the lilies on the bedside table and took a seat, her posture exuding her usual air of
aloofness. “Spit it out. What’s so important that you had to say to me?” she asked, legs crossed, her
cool gaze fixed on Serana.
Serana faltered slightly before continuing, “Do you know why Boyd slap me back at school?”
Yasmine stayed silent, waiting for the story to unfold.
“Because he knew about my pregnancy. Honestly, if it was someone else, Boyd wouldn’t have been so
livid.”
Yasmine’s lips curled into a frost-tinted smile, “You don’t need to remind me between the lines how
special you are to Boyd. Do you think that, since I’ve reached this point today, I would care about such
things?”
Serana shook her head, “Because I have a heart condition.”
Yasmine’s eyes narrowed in an instant.
Now that she finally showed a different reaction, Serana smiled wryly, “We ran into you at the hospital
the other day. It looked like Boyd was going to tell you, but I stopped him on purpose. From your
reaction, I bet you had no clue I’m actually a heart patient, huh? I’ve always wanted to keep it under
wraps, so I also asked Boyd not to tell anyone. Because I wanted to live a life just like anybody else.
“Back when I was at another school, people around me knew about my condition. Their words and
actions were filled with caution. Most were afraid of trouble, worried that my sudden illness might
impact them or I might suddenly die and they would be responsible. Consequently, they were reluctant
to have anything to do with me. So at my insistence, Boyd helped me transfer to Summit Ridge
University. Obviously, I couldn’t go broadcasting my illness in a new place.
“This condition has been with me since I was a child, before I came to the orphanage.”
Serana’s smile held a touch of bitterness.
“The year my parents died in a car crash, it was because of my illness. That man tried to kidnap me
from the orphanage, also because of this.”
Yasmine watched her, her expression unwavering.
Serana didn’t expect a response and continued, “My heart disease was only at a stage one or two back
then, but being young and playful with a frail body, I had my episodes. Looking back, I realize my
parents really loved me. They probably wanted me to have a childhood no different from any other kid,
so they rushed to get me a heart transplant. As you know, it’s not as simple as just doing it. Finding a
perfectly matched donor could take days, months, or, if you’re unlucky, years.
“The wait was so long because I wasn’t the only one in need of that heart. Before me, there was an
older kid in line, waiting for that life-saving transplant. His family had struggled for years with his
condition, and they weren’t well off. My parents offered them money to let me have the heart. Giving up
meant getting back in line, and naturally, they refused.
“So my parents took a back door, cut in line right in front of that family, and snatched the heart for me. It
was in P City, and to save time, they rushed there with me. But fate had other plans.”
Serana sighed, “You really can’t tempt fate too much, or it’ll bite you. We arrived in P City overjoyed,
only to have an accident on the way. The heart expired before the surgery, and I missed my chance.
The kid didn’t last two years after that. And that man, who tried to kidnap me from the orphanage, was
the kid’s father.”
Yasmine scoffed, “With Boyd taking care of things all these years, you couldn’t find a suitable heart?”
“You’re giving him too much credit. He was starting a business, and it took all he had to keep the
company afloat. He didn’t have the resources to hunt for a heart for me. It’s only been the past couple
of years he’s started to look.”
“So what’s the deal? Is he planning to follow in your parents’ footsteps, snatching a heart from
someone else?”
Serana nodded, “Maybe he didn’t think that way before, but since you started holding a grudge against
me, he’s been considering it.”
Yasmine paused for two seconds before abruptly standing up from her chair, looking down at Serana
with a frosty disdain. “Let me guess, you’ve got a lead on a donor, so you got pregnant as soon as
possible to keep yourself tied to him?”
Serana didn’t deny it.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmIn that moment, Yasmine truly thought Serana was insane. To cling to a man with no ties, no promises,
she was willing to gamble her life.
“Your parents took a risky path, even sacrificing their lives, to give you a complete childhood and a life
without regrets. And here you are, throwing away your life for a man.”
“Do you find this ridiculous?” Serana suddenly asked her, “If there ever comes a day, would you risk
your life for Boyd?”
Yasmine frowned, “I’m not as foolish as you.”
Serana said with a laugh, “You were more honest as a kid. What were you thinking when you saved me
back then? Weren’t you afraid he’d misunderstand, despise, and hate you?”Books Chapters Are Daily
Updated Join & Stay Updated for All Books Updates…
Yasmine hesitated, then narrowed her eyes at her, “You’re mistaken. I saved you on a whim of
conscience, and it wasn’t a life-for-life situation. Saving you didn’t mean I had to die. Besides, while I
don’t care if he misunderstands, despises, or hates me, more than that, I’d rather he lives with guilt
towards me for a lifetime, never able to live in peace. And now, I’m not a ten-year-old child, and I
certainly won’t do something brainless.”
Serana seemed entirely unconvinced, “As for the child in my womb, rest assured, it’s not Boyd’s.”
Yasmine scoffed.
A frown tugged at Serana’s brow, “Don’t you have even the slightest bit of trust in him?”
“You’re wrong again. It’s you I don’t trust. There are way too many shameless women in this world. You
definitely qualify as one,” Yasmine didn’t hold back her contempt for Serana, “Not only are you
shameless, but you’re also senseless. Given a situation like yours, the quickest and wisest solution
would have been to have his child, but you went off and got pregnant with another man’s child instead?
Hah…”
It was like a giant joke.
Serana’s brow furrowed slightly, tears swirling in her eyes as her hands clenched tightly, her whole
body trembling. “Because I love Boyd, and Boyd loves you.”
Yasmine closed her eyes briefly, her patience wearing thin.
“I wanted him to be happy, to be well, so I had to make it happen for him. If it weren’t for you pushing
me and Boyd, I wouldn’t have come to this. So now you can rest easy, I’ll never be anything to him.”
“Why should I rest easy?”
“You…”
“Why should I believe you when you say the kid isn’t his? What’s in it for me to trust you, huh? What,
so you two can play house behind my back until the baby’s born, then I find out I’m the sucker and it’s
time for me to pack my bags and hit the road? I’ll tell you what, the best play here is not to buy any of it.
That way, I don’t have to spend my nights tossing and turning, worrying about getting played for a fool.
“But look at you, getting your way in the end. Doesn’t even matter if the kid is his or not. Given the
mess he’s in, he can’t just leave you high and dry. You’re over here, heart condition and all, talking
about having a baby and needing a heart transplant. The man is swamped, and it’s going to be years
before he can catch a break. You two got more drama than a soap opera, and frankly, I don’t have the
time or the interest to waste on this circus. So, count me out.”