My breath caught in my throat.
Then my gaze shifted slightly—and my heart sank.
Randall Evans.
Caleb’s father.
I barely recognized him.
He had aged so much since the last time I had seen him. His shoulders looked thinner, his face more hollow.
Why has he lost so much weight?I hoped his health was still okay.The last time I had seen Randall was at the hospital after Caleb and I had both been shot by Jeremy.
Randall was the reason Caleb had come into my life in the first place.
Before my thoughts could spiral further, I quickly looked away and hurried into the donation room.
Sitting down in the chair, I let the nurse prepare the equipment. The procedure took about half an hour, and before long it was over.
“You need to rest for about ten minutes,” the doctor said afterward. “I’ve kept a glass of juice and a sandwich here. Make sure you eat it before you leave.”
I nodded, taking the juice.After a moment of hesitation, I looked up at him again.“Would it be possible to see the recipients just for a minute?” I asked quietly. “I just wanted to wish them good luck.”
I didn’t want to see Eleanor.After what Elle had said earlier, I felt the urge to see Malaika—just once—and tell her that everything would be okay.
“I’m sorry, but that’s not possible,” the doctor replied. “Hospital policy.”He paused before continuing.“By the way, I informed the family that someone came forward to donate. Since you wanted to stay anonymous, they asked me to give you this.”
He handed me an envelope.
“I’ll be back soon.”
Once he left, I slowly finished the juice and opened the envelope.
A white card with elegant gold lettering slid out first.
It read:Thank you.
When I opened the card, another piece of paper slipped out and fluttered to the floor.I bent down to pick it up.Turning it over, my eyes widened.
It was a cheque for $20,000.
Most people would have been overjoyed to receive that kind of money.But all I felt was a familiar ache in my chest.
The cheque immediately reminded me of Eleanor.Her cruel words echoed in my mind, each one still capable of cutting deep. She had made it painfully clear that I was never good enough for her son.
And yet here I was.
Saving her life.
Soon, my blood would be running through Eleanor’s veins.
I looked back down at the card and read the message written inside.
Whoever you are, I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for saving my daughter, and thank you for saving my mother. I will forever remain grateful. I hope this small token of thanks will help you.— Simon Evans
My chest squeezed.
Quietly, I placed the cheque back into the envelope but kept the card.
