No sooner had I hung up the phone than Arturo frowned at me.

"Who were you calling? I remember you said you had no family in Marinella."

I looked up silently at the man I had loved for five years.

The memory of that fateful encounter five years ago came rushing back.

I had been at the Marinella harbor that night, just passing an old abandoned warehouse on my way to a private yacht, when I stumbled into a shootout.

The moment the gunshots rang out, the driver slammed on the brakes. Bullets shattered the car window, and the flying shards cut my cheek, leaving a shallow gash.

I let out a small gasp when a man suddenly yanked open the car door and pulled me into his arms. Another three loud bangs rang out as more bullets grazed the door. The man shielded my head with one hand while returning fire with the other.

After what felt like forever, silence finally returned, leaving only the smell of gunpowder and sea air.

Suppressing my wildly beating heart, I spoke the first words I had ever said to Arturo.

"Is this what nightlife in Marinella is like?"

He fell silent for a moment, then flashed me a handsome smile.

"No… it was just Sfortuna—bad luck."

To prove that Marinella was a safe city, he took me to all the nearby attractions, showing me a sight completely different from Brenlor.

I fell in love with the city… and him.

But Alexander Aldric, my father and the head of Aldric Conglomerate, strongly opposed my choice.

"Selena, you're my daughter, the sole heiress of the Aldric family. You've received an elite education since you were a child. How can you fall for a street thug?

"If you dare step out of this house, then I, Alexander Aldric, will disown you!"

So back then, I had lived with Arturo pretending to be an orphan. To this day, he still didn't know I had a family who loved me. Despite my willfulness in leaving them, they still dropped everything and rushed to my side at the sound of a single phone call.

"Si, I don't have relatives in Marinella, because they're in Brenlor. They're already on their way here with the best medical team. Arturo, believe me, Per Favore. They can save Nina—"

I hadn't finished speaking when Avelina's soft laugh interrupted me.

"Donna Selena, sorry to interrupt your story. But even if you really do have family in Brenlor, there's no way they can get here in time to save your critically ill daughter. Right now, the only person she can rely on is me!"

She held up a new consent form.

"The patient's in critical condition right now. I have to warn you that she simply cannot hang on until your relatives from Brenlor arrive."

Arturo's brows, which had only just relaxed, furrowed deeply again.

"Selena, whether or not you actually have family in Brenlor, it's already too late. Avelina is my childhood friend. She wouldn't lie to me. Our daughter is on the operating table right now, waiting for a life-saving surgery.

"Let's sign the consent form first. The medical team you called can handle the follow-up treatment instead," he persuaded gently, trying to break me out of my irrational stubbornness.

But I refused to give in, even throwing the torn form to the floor.

Minutes ticked by. I kept glancing up at the clock on the wall, feeling that time was moving far too slowly.

Finally, Arturo lost his patience and summoned two bodyguards.

"Selena," he said, his gaze icy. "I don't know why you're stopping the doctor from saving Nina, but she's dying right now. I have to sign the form and save her! If you insist on causing trouble, I'll have no choice but to have the bodyguards escort you away."

Panic surged through me. Memories from my past life assaulted me like a nightmare.

I clutched Arturo's sleeve desperately, my voice trembling.

"You can't sign, Arturo! The moment we sign our names on that form, they'll hollow out Nina's body like monsters! And… And her daughter will take Nina's heart!"

Avelina's face stiffened instantly.

After hearing my last sentence, Arturo sighed deeply.

He said, "Selena, none of what you're saying is possible. Maybe you're just too worried. I've told you—Marinella is actually very safe."

The surrounding nurses also covered their mouths and giggled.

"Dr. Bianchi is still single. How could she possibly have a daughter? This family member must be suffering from hysteria. Maybe she should go to the psychiatric department."

"Single? Impossible!"

In my past life, I had seen it with my own eyes—a girl who looked very similar to Avelina had called her "Mamma". Then, under Avelina's encouragement, she had also called Arturo "Papa". Arturo hadn't stopped her and had even carried her around the mall.

Even now, thinking about it again, my heart still felt like it was being sliced open with a knife.

After Nina's death, I personally tracked down the whereabouts of all her organs, the first of which was her heart. When I found out that it had been transplanted into Avelina's daughter, I almost had a mental breakdown.

And meanwhile, Arturo—my husband—was with the murderer who had killed my daughter!

"Donna Selena, you can doubt my medical skills, but you cannot question my character!" Avelina argued.

Tears streaked her face, but her expression was stubborn and resolute. "I've been trying to save your daughter for four hours straight, without even eating. Her condition has worsened now, and she could be in life-threatening danger at any moment. According to regulations, we must have you sign this consent form!

"Yet, you disregard your daughter's safety and accuse me instead…"

Her voice carried a sob, and anyone who heard it would feel sorry for her.

Sure enough, the surrounding patients and bystanders scolded me indignantly.

"Do you even have a conscience? The doctor is doing everything she can to save your daughter, and you're causing a scene here? This is a hospital, not a place for you to throw a tantrum!"

"Where are the security guards? Might as well call the cops."

"Yes, take pictures of her ugly face and let the police deal with her!"

"I heard her daughter is still in the OR. With how much of a fuss she's making, I bet she just doesn't want to save her."

"Could she be the stepmother? Maybe she's deliberately stalling so the patient dies. How cruel!"

Everyone crowded around, separating me from Avelina. In the chaos, someone kicked me. It hurt so badly that my whole body trembled, and my grip on Arturo loosened involuntarily.

Arturo's expression was dark. Without saying a single word, he grabbed the new form and signed it himself.

My pupils constricted, and my mind went completely blank, as if I had been struck by lightning.

"Arturo, Fermati! You're going to get Nina killed!" I screamed, lunging forward and trying to snatch the form from him.

But it was as if the crowd intended to torment me, pushing and blocking me from getting closer.

Arturo turned his head, his gaze icy cold.

"The one who is going to get her killed is you. I won't let you continue with this madness! Avelina, have someone get a sedative. My wife has lost it. She needs to calm down."

Avelina's lips curved into a subtle, meaningful smile. She waved her hand, and a few male nurses suddenly appeared out of nowhere, approaching me with large syringes in hand.

"Don't worry, Don Camollo. Donna Selena is just having a little psychotic break because she's too worried about her daughter. A few injections will fix it."

My whole body trembled as I stepped backward. I knew that once I was injected with the sedatives, everything would be lost, and Nina would still die right before my eyes.

Was I still unable to change Nina's fate despite being reborn? Was I doomed to watch helplessly as all her organs were harvested?

"Arturo, are you really going to help an outsider kill your wife and daughter? If anything happens to Nina, I'll never forgive you!"

My voice was sharp and desperate, making even the onlookers hesitate a little. Arturo's steps toward Avelina faltered, and a shadow of doubt crossed his face.

Avelina sauntered forward, gracefully taking the consent form from his hands.

"Arturo, you may not trust others, but don't you trust me? We grew up together and have been best friends since childhood. How could I ever harm your family?"

The patients also chimed in. "Esatto! Dr. Bianchi is kind and gentle. How could she ever take someone's life?"

Arturo's gaze became determined again.

"Avelina, I trust you. We'll leave Nina in your hands."

I was restrained by two bodyguards, so no matter how hard I struggled, I couldn't move. I could only watch helplessly as Avelina returned to the OR.

I remembered that in my past life, less than half an hour later, Avelina came running out in a panic to announce Nina's death. The consent form, which included the organ donation clause, had allowed her to freely harvest all of Nina's organs.

And now, she had already re-entered the operating room with the form in hand.

As the male nurses with the syringes got closer and closer, I struggled and screamed in desperation. But no one around helped me. Some even seemed eager to watch me get my so-called karma.

"Stop! Unhand her right now!"

A familiar angry roar came from behind me, instantly causing everyone present to freeze.