Perhaps none of them had expected that their reunion would take place under these circumstances. Whether it was because she was about to become a mother or not, Liora had become much gentler in her demeanor. Upon seeing Freya again, there was no trace of the jealousy or resentment that had once existed. During her pregnancy, she had come to some realizations. Freya didn’t owe her anything. Elijah was never hers to begin with. She had only gotten close to Elijah by replacing Freya. Yet, she had selfishly claimed those moments as her own, taking them for granted.
“You’re…” Freya was about to speak.
But Liora beat her to it, her voice weak, “I never expected that we would have such an encounter. Here, at the end of our lives.”
Her eyes lowered slightly, “We graduated from the same school, worked at the same hospital. You were always superior to me, and I used to envy you, even more than I was jealous…”
Freya had once despised Liora. But now, as she looked at her fragile existence, on the verge of slipping away, she felt a sense of acceptance. She asked directly, “You have amniotic fluid embolism. As doctors, we both know the chances of saving you are slim. If you were to die, would you be willing to donate your heart?”
Liora’s expression froze for a moment.
“Who needs it?” Liora asked.
Freya answered, “Zane Sone.”
After hearing that name, Liora fell silent for a moment. “I’m willing, but… I have one condition.”
“Tell me.”
Liora looked at Freya, “I’ve done many wrong things in the past. Please, don’t hold any grudges against my child, can you promise me that?”
A parent’s love for their child knows no bounds. No matter how bad Liora had been before, now that she had become a mother, her thoughts were solely focused on her own child. As parents, we always think about our children. Liora was now just a mother.
Freya looked at her coldly, “You are you, and your child is your child. I won’t hold your actions against your child.”
Liora tugged at the corners of her lips, “I am willing to donate my heart as a repentance for my past sins.”
She stared at Freya with raised eyes, “I killed Yolanda Steele. If I can save her son now, it would be a form of redemption.”
Perhaps knowing that she was about to die, she wasn’t afraid to speak about the things she had done. In the face of death, words can be kind.
“Mm…” Liora’s condition worsened.
Freya immediately had a consent form for donation brought to her. She placed the pen in Liora’s hand. Liora struggled to sign her name, but as she finished the last letter, the pen slipped from her hand and fell to the ground with a snap.
Liora went into respiratory failure, and her heart stopped. Doctors rushed to save her. But in the end, the heart monitor emitted a flatline. The once fluctuating heartbeat turned into a straight line. The doctors instructed the nurse to inform the family that the patient was in critical condition.
Outside, Rylan Hawke was waiting. Last time, Liora had miscarried their child in an attempt to frame Freya. Rylan Hawke held a grudge and had kept Liora captive, only relenting when she agreed to bear his child again. Now the child was born but Liora was gone.
“You must save her.” Rylan Hawke’s hand trembled as he signed the consent form.
He truly loved Liora. If only Liora had realized this sooner, perhaps she and Rylan Hawke would have had a better future.
But sometimes, fate has its own plans.
…
Liora didn’t make it through the resuscitation and passed away. To save Zane, Freya immediately arranged for a heart transplant. She was one of the top experts in this field. Although the procedure was risky, the surgery was ultimately successful.
Zane was placed in the intensive care unit, closely monitored for any signs of rejection. However, Rylan Hawke found out that Liora’s heart had been taken, and he caused a scene at the hospital.
“You didn’t want her heart? You deliberately killed her, didn’t you? I’ll make sure this hospital pays for it, mark my words!” Rylan Hawke shouted, furious.
The hospital provided the signed consent form for donation, and the handwriting matched Liora’s. But he still refused to believe it. Perhaps, grieving over Liora’s death, he just needed an outlet for his emotions and decided to take it out on the hospital, threatening to sue. There were indeed some irregularities in the donation process. If Rylan Hawke pursued it, the hospital would definitely face trouble. Freya knew that she had some responsibility in this, so she took the initiative to meet Rylan Hawke. When Rylan Hawke saw her, his eyes immediately sharpened.
“It was you who caused her death?”
Freya remained calm, her gaze indifferent as she sat down in a chair. “We have our grievances, but her death has nothing to do with me. You can find any institution to perform an autopsy on Liora’s body!”
Rylan Hawke sneered, “You’re a doctor. You could have tampered with her body. Even if I have it tested, they won’t find anything, will they?”
“I do have the ability, but I wouldn’t stoop so low!”
“Is that so?” Rylan Hawke sat down, his gaze fixed on her without wavering, “You and Liora have always had a conflict. Given the chance, wouldn’t you want to see her dead?”
Freya met his gaze head-on, unafraid of shadows, “You can check for yourself how dangerous an amniotic embolism is. It’s a death sentence for any pregnant woman, once afflicted. The doctors tried to save her, but they couldn’t. She was a doctor herself, and she knew it too. When she found out that I was trying to save Zane Stone, she agreed to donate her heart after her death.” She paused for a moment, her tone softening, “You should know why she was willing to donate her heart to Zane, shouldn’t you?”
Rylan Hawke fell into silence.
Freya continued, “Yolanda Steele’s death, it was her doing, right?”
“And what if it was? Do you have any evidence?” Rylan Hawke replied coldly.
“I don’t have evidence, but she admitted it herself. She wanted to accumulate virtue for her child, that’s why she was willing to donate her heart. Now that you’re a father too, you should understand the importance of a child to their parents. She was a mother, of course she wanted to make a change for her child. Was there really no difference in her during her pregnancy compared to before?”
Rylan Hawke reminisced.
At first, Liora resisted, but then, after much difficulty, she became pregnant again. He had people watching her every moment, afraid that she would lose the child again. But slowly, as the months went by, her belly grew, and she became gentle. Liora no longer thought of getting rid of the child.
Could a child truly change a person?
Rylan Hawke fell into deep thought. At that moment, Freya asked him a question, “If your child were sick and required a great sacrifice from you, would you be willing to make it?”
“What sacrifice, I would be willing to make any!” Rylan Hawke answered without hesitation.
“In the same way, Liora’s choice was for the good of her child. You refuse to believe it because you’re grieving too much and don’t want to accept the fact that Liora is gone. But she would want nothing more than for you to take good care of your child.”
Those last words struck a chord in Rylan’s heart. Perhaps, Liora truly wanted him to take care of their child. He simply couldn’t accept the fact that Liora was gone, which is why he was being so stubborn. But he gradually calmed down. Instead of causing more trouble, he left the hospital with the child, taking Liora’s body with him and arranging for a funeral.
Rylan stopped causing a scene, and Freya breathed a sigh of relief. As she prepared to leave the hospital, she saw someone waiting for her at the entrance.