bChapter /bb53 /b

Eleanor hit the table, shattering the porcin vase, and passed out.

Instantly, Anna and Andrew cried out.

Fiona originally wanted to shield Anna. When she saw what was caused by her action, she was stunned.

Eleanor was rushed to the hospital.

Despite the excruciating pain wracking her body, Ste fought to stay strong.

The entire family was consumed by worry in the hospital.

Ste felt she was on the verge of copsing into unconsciousness. Just in time, someone held her.

“Lionel.” When Anna spotted Lionel, she immediately stood up.

“I’ll be right back,” Lionel said as he hurried away with Ste in his arms.

Max frowned slightly and said, “Anna, wait here. I’ll go to check.”

Anna couldn’t sit still any longer and bolted after them.

As Lionel examined Ste, he noticed the needle marks on her arm. His eyes brimmed with apology and guilt, shadowed by bitter self–reproach and

deep regret.

Lionel was never one to cry easily, but in an instant, tears welled up and spilled down his face.

He said, “Ste, I’m so sorry. I knew you weren’t well, but I still let Henry draw your blood. I had no choice. My father-”

“What did you say?” In utter disbelief, Max burst into the room, seized Lionel by the cor, and stared at him.

Seeing this, Anna hurried over to intervene. She said, “Max, let go of Lionel.”

“Let him say what exactly he did?” Max demanded.

Anna said, “Even if Lionel did something, he must have had his reasons. Max, let’s hear him out.”

Anna desperately tried to pry Max’s fingers open from Lionel’s cor, but no matter how hard she struggled, his grip remained irond.

Lionel gave Anna a weary look and said, “It’s alright, Anna, Step aside. This is between Max and me.”

Anna remained uneasy.

But Lionel said, “Max, I wronged Ste. When I had the nurse drug her, and when I drew her blood, I felt my heart was bleedingb./b”

Anna stared at Lionel in disbelief. “Lionel, why did you do that?b” /b

“I had no choice. Henry was ckmailing my father. I had to do it,” Lionel said.

Max gradually released his grip on Lionel’s cor. But as something suddenly urred to him, he grabbed it again with renewed bfury/b.

Max said, “Lionel, Ste trusts you more than anyone. I let it slide after what you did to her before, but now byou’ve /bbhurt /bher bagain/bb. /bbHave /bbyou /bbno /bbhumanity /b

left bat /bball/b?”

Lionel said, “bYou’re /bright. bI’m /bba /bbmonster/b. bI /balways end up hurting bher/b. But bMax/bb, /bbif /bbyou /bwere in my shoesb, /bbwhat /bbwould /bbyou /bbhave /bbdone/bb?/bb” /b

b1/3 /b

Max was stumped. He thought, ‘Had it been my dad… No, even nowb, /bthe Hayes family still ends up sacrificing Ste

Max gradually loosened his grip.

Annaforted Lionel by saying, “Lionel, this isn’t your fault. Henry is truly wicked. You were just being a devoted son. How could anyone bexpect /byour te stand by and watch Mr. Charles Quinn suffer?

“If anyone is to me, it’s me. Even though Ste and I are twins, our blood types don’t match. If it were possible, I’d dly let byou /bdraw bmy /bbblood /b

instead.”

“Not yours,” Max blurted out without a second thought. “You have poor health. Drawing your blood would be like killing you.”

Everyone fell silent.

After a long moment of silence, something dawned on Max. He looked at Ste, whoy motionless on the bed, and asked, “How is she?”

Lionel replied, “After having so much blood drawnb, /bshe is extremely weak inow/ii. /iShe actually needs a transfusion herself.”

Max said, “Then do that.”

After all, Ste was his sister. Even though the Hayes family had gone through so much because of Ste, Max couldn’t just stand by and bwatch /bher suffer.

Lionel said, “But her blood type is extremely rare. I’ve been searching for a match in blood banks for days, but it’s nearly impossible to find.”

“What kind of blood type is that rare?” Max asked.

Lionel answered, “The golden blood type, or to say, the Rh–null blood type.”

Anna had never even heard of such a blood type. She asked, “Why does Ste have it, but I don’t?”

Lionel exined, “There are fewer than fifty documented cases of this golden blood type worldwide. I’ve traced it back to your great–grandfather. This rare trait is bound to reappear inter generations, and Ste happens to inherit it.”

This blood type was even rarer than other Rh–negative blood types. No wonder Ste was their only hope back then.

Anna asked hesitantly, “If Ste doesn’t get the transfusion, will she…

Lionel remained silent.

Max abruptly strode out.

Anna asked, “Max, where are you going?”

Max said, “I’ll go get that blood. She’s not dying on my watch.”

Anna clenched her fists tightly as she watched Max’s back.

No one else noticed, but Anna had seen it long ago: Although Max always seemed to dislike Ste, his lips would curl into ban /b

she was near.

Max might have seemed to favor Anna, but Anna could keenly sense the deep affection he had for Ste.

Anna’s deepest fear was that everyone in the Hayes family woulde to adore Ste instead of her.

Anna thought, ‘So, don’t me me. I’m just scared.‘

She asked, “Lionel, is there anything I can do to help?”

Lionel gazed at Ste lying unconscious on the bed. She wouldn’t be waking bup /banytime soon. bShe /bbneeded /bbsubstantial /bbrest /bbto /bbrecover /b

bary /bsmile bwhenever /b

b10:59 /bbThu /bb31 /bbJul /b

Finding a matching blood donor would be ideal. Otherwise, it was all up to fate whether she could wake up or not.

Lionel said, “You can go visit Mrs. Eleanor Hayes. I’ll stay here with Ste.”

Anna said, “Mom and Dad are with Grandma. I’ll stay here with you. Lionel, I know

you need someone right now.

Anna sped Lionel’s hand and rested her head on his shoulder. She said, “Lionel, don’t worry. No matter what happens, I’ll balways /bbbe /bbright /bbhere /bbby /byour side. You’ll never have to face anything alone.”

Lionel looked at Anna and was still moved.

When Lionel realized he had wronged Ste, he was consumed by

remors

He tried ito /ifind her several times, but to no avail.

For a period, he neglected his work. When his parents found out, they scolde

I him back to his senses.

His parents told him back then, “If you can’t focus on your work, then maybe you shouldn’t stay at the hospital. Didn’t you be ba /bbdoctor /bbbecause /byou couldn’t stand seeing Ste suffer?”

Though Ste rarely fell ill, every time Lionel saw her in pain, it itore /iat his heart more deeply than anyone else’s.

His parents also said, “If Stees back and needs you, how would you possibly help her if you’re no longer a doctor?”

Therefore, Lionel kept working while searching for Ste. During that time, Anna stayed silently by ihis /iside. She just quietly kept himpany.

Gradually, as Lionel came to terms with the possibility that Ste might never return and, unwilling to let Anna downb, /bhe agreed to engage with bAnna/bb. /b

Fate always seemed to y cruel jokes. Just as Lionel had finally let go and was ready to embrace a new future, Ste reappeared.

But before Ste returned, Anna sought iLionel /iout and wept uncontrobly because she was terrified that he would abandon her.

Thinking of all that Anna had sacrificed for him over ithe /ipast three years, Lionel made iher /ia solemn promise that he would never have anything bto /bdo with Ste again.

However, deep down, he couldn’t help but care about Ste.

Anna was well aware that Lionel was itorn /iinside, but she wasn’t worried. Ever since Ste came back, no one from the Quinn family, except Lionel, had bothered to visit iher/ii. /i

The iQuinn /ifamily had been iso /ifond of Ste before. iThey /ieven hoped she would marry Lionel one day when she grew up. But now, Ste had lost that chance for good.