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“Yes, I was fucking Layla. It didn’t mean a thing. But you… you’re moving in with some guy, aren’t you? What’s next? You marrying him, Emilia? Are you dreaming of becoming his little wife?”

I lock my jaw in anger at the mere thought of her living with someone else. Does that asshole get to wake up to her? Spend lazy Sundays in bed with her?

“Was?” she repeats. “You were fucking her or you are?”

Out of everything I just said to her, that’s what she’s focusing on? Interesting. “Does it matter?”

Emilia takes a step away from me and grits her teeth. “No, I guess not. She seemed pretty damn upset to see me yesterday, so if you’re still with her, you might want to reassure her or something.”

I freeze. “Where did you see her?”

Emilia looks away. “I went in to get my blood tests done. I know Dad won’t agree to it easily, but if I can, I’d like to donate my kidney.”

My heart fucking drops. She got the blood tests done already? She’s only been here for a little over a week. “You can’t. I’ll find a solution, Emilia. You aren’t doing that.”

She crosses her arms over each other and stares me down. “It’s my choice, and my mind is made up.”

“I’m sure Layla will have told you this, but for women the main risks are related to pregnancy. Are you aware that women who get pregnant after donating a kidney have a lower likelihood of full-term deliveries and a higher likelihood of fetal loss? What about those two kids you told me you wanted to have? A boy and a girl, right?”

I still remember her lying in bed with me, dreaming out loud about the children we’d one day have. She told me they’d have my eyes and her nose, and that our son would be a mini me. I remember how fiercely she wanted all of that. I know not every woman wants to have children, but the Emilia I used to know was close to picking their damn names.

She glares at me, a flicker of something dark in her eyes. “Layla told you all that? I’m well aware. Sam is a doctor too, and he ran me through all the risks. I’m fine with it.”

She’s dating a doctor, huh? Why couldn’t he have been some sort of fuck up? Why did it have to be a fucking doctor? I inhale deeply and shake my head.

“No. You aren’t doing this. I’m not having you risk your health like that, and neither will your dad. The recovery will be brutal, and the health-related consequences will impact you for the rest of your life. I’ll find a black-market donor before I ever let you risk your life.”

She looks at me with those stubborn eyes of hers and I almost grin at her. She’s still got that spark. She just keeps it hidden.

“You’re crazy if you think you can tell me what to do. There’s nothing I won’t do to save my father’s life. He would’ve done the same for me,” she says, pushing past me.

She slams the kitchen door behind her, and I sigh. There’s no way I’m going to get her to change her mind. If nothing else, I need to keep her from getting her hands on those blood tests. For now, at least.

Chapter 12

Emilia

I’m still reeling from my conversation with Carter this morning. I hate all these memories that are suddenly assailing me. I’ve never once imagined myself having a child with Sam, but I wanted children with Carter. I wanted it so badly that I could even imagine what they’d look like. I wanted everything with him. I wanted him to propose and I wanted to call him my fiancé before finally getting to call him my husband. I wanted to be Mrs. Emilia Clarke, yet I can’t even imagine being Mrs. Emilia Holden. I guess it’s because I’m older now. I don’t have time for childish fantasies anymore.

“What are you thinking about so hard?” Dad asks.

I blink at him and adjust his blanket. He’s hooked up to his dialysis machine, and according to the clock we only have a couple of minutes left. I shake my head and smile at my dad. “It’s nothing, Daddy.”

Dad smiles at me and brushes my hair out of my face. “You know you don’t have to sit here with me every day. It just makes me feel bad. Why don’t you help Carter out with work? That boy has done so much for me, but I can’t repay him myself. Why don’t you spend a few hours a day working with him? I won’t feel so guilty about leeching off him, then.”

I’m about to make an excuse, but dad holds up his finger. “And don’t give me that crap about your work contract in London. You’re a lawyer. Find a loophole.”

I sigh. He’s not leaving me much choice, and he’s right. I can’t even imagine how much all of this equipment costs, and then there’s the nurse, the chef and the personal trainer. Carter has gone all out.

“Fine. I’ll talk to him and check what he might need help with. I just wanted to spend as much time with you as possible, Dad.”

The timer goes off and Dad yanks the needle out, startling his nurse. She runs up to him and shakes her head anxiously, and Dad sits back in annoyance. I glare at him and cross my arms over each other. “Let her do her job,” I warn him.

“Fine, but I’m tired of staying in. Let’s go for a drive, shall we? I need to pick up some stuff from the house anyway.”

I nod and lead Dad to the front door, but he pulls on my hand and shakes his head. “This way,” he tells me. He walks me to a garage that houses five different cars. All supercars, it seems. Dad grabs a set of keys from the hook by the door and walks straight up to a red car. He throws the keys my way and I shake my head.

“Dad, I don’t think we should be driving any of these. I’ve been borrowing your old car. It’s parked out front.”

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