Olivia was in unbearable pain,but she forced herself to endure it.She reached out with difficulty,trying to find her phone to call for help.

However,the pain from her shattered bones and torn flesh was so overwhelming that she could not even lift her fingers.

In the depths of her despair,she heard Cassie’s low,delighted laughter.

“In one hour,Lucian will be here.Then you can ask him yourself,who matters more?You,his wife of ten years,or me,his first love,the one he has loved and lost?”

Olivia was so enraged she wanted to curse.

The moment she opened her mouth,a sharp,nauseating pain twisted through her chest,her heart,liver and lungs searing as though they were being wrung dry.

Not daring to act recklessly,she lay there,staring blankly at the sky.Even if Lucian cared about Cassie,he could not possibly ignore her.

He was not a fool.He should at least realize that if she truly wanted to act against Cassie,she would not have chosen such a sacred place where any harm to her enemy would only hurt her even more.

Time dragged on.Blood seeped from her wounds,her body growing colder.Lucian finally came.

"Dear..."Olivia struggled to breathe,forcing out a weak plea.

To her surprise,he walked straight past her and gathered Cassie into his arms,his voice filled with panic.“Cassie,are you okay?Are you hurt?"

Cassie’s face was streaked with tears,looking wronged and innocent."That day at the hospital,Mrs.Rhodes asked me if I would come to the operating room to support her.I thought…the surgery is only a few days away…I should apologize if I accidentally offended her that day.”

Her voice trembled as she continued,“So I knelt all the way from the foot of the mountain to the top,buying a peace charm from the famous spiritual store to bless her since I heard she is into that kind of stuff,but I never thought…she…”

Cassie’s delicate hands trembled as she slowly lifted the hem of her wide-leg pants.

The deep red and purple bruises on her knees stood out starkly amidst the scratches left by the jagged stones.

Lucian’s eyes instantly turned red with fury."Olivia!"

Olivia’s hazy consciousness was jolted awake by Lucian’s furious questioning.

She bit down hard on the inside of her cheek,forcing herself to stay conscious."It wasn’t me.I’m not that foolish and I have no reason to do this.”

“Who else could it be if not you?”Lucian snapped,his gaze filled with disgust and impatience.“Don’t think I didn’t notice the torn peace charm scattered all over the ground when I arrived.You’re still angry about what happened that day,aren’t you?That’s why you heartlessly ripped apart the peace charm that Cassie went through so much trouble to get,isn’t it?”

The weight of his accusations crashed down on her like the final snowflake that triggered an avalanche.

Olivia’s bloodshot eyes burned even redder than the blood trickling from the corner of her lips.

She knew.She knew Lucian would never save her.Even if he had the resources and the power to do so,he would not spare a second thought for her life.

Ignoring him,Olivia reached for her phone again.

She refused to sit here and wait for death.

They did not care whether she lived or died,but she did.

If Lucian would not save her,she would find someone who could.

It did not matter if it was the emergency services,Liora,or even the lawyer who had only received a deposit but not the full payment.Anyone was better than pinning her last shred of hope on Lucian.

"What?Nothing to say now?Feeling guilty?"

Before she could grasp her phone,Lucian kicked it aside,his cold,towering presence stinging more than the venom of a scorpion.“Don’t blame me for being heartless,Olivia.You know as well as I do that Cassie wouldn’t tear the peace charm.She wouldn’t lie about something like this.”

Before she could even argue,Lucian had already turned away,carrying Cassie in his arms.

As he walked off,he gave a final command without sparing her another glance."Don’t save her yet.Let her calm down and reflect on what she’s done.”

With the rustling of retreating footsteps,the last person who could have saved her hesitated for a moment,then followed after Lucian.

Olivia was left lying there alone.After a long time,she mustered the strength to crawl on her knees.

Even moving just a few meters felt as if it had drained half her life.

At last,she found her phone,which had been kicked far away.With the last of her strength,she reached for it only to discover in bitter disappointment that the screen had been shattered beyond repair.The device would not even turn on.

A wave of despair crashed over her,but she could not afford to linger.

She feared that Lucian truly would not return,that she would be left here to die.

Gritting her teeth,she forced herself forward,ignoring the sharp stones tearing into her already battered skin.Every movement sent fresh waves of pain through her,but she refused to stop.

Her determination was strong,but her body had reached its limits.

Leaving a trail of blood in her wake,she struggled forward until she became wedged beneath a slightly larger rock.That was when her body gave out completely.She could no longer crawl,nor could she even lift a finger.

All she could do was watch helplessly as the sky shifted from white to dusk,the mountain wind howling around her.Distant cries echoed through the night,sometimes near,sometimes far,as if whispering right beside her ear.

“Am I really going to die here?”

Cold tears slipped down her face.Unable to hold on any longer,Olivia finally lost consciousness.

When she awoke,she was in a hospital ward.

The moment she opened her eyes,Lucian stood up from his chair.His handsome face was clouded with a dark expression as he stared at her.

“Have you thought it through?”he asked.

Olivia had already brushed shoulders with death once.Even if it was just an act,she refused to wrong herself again.

"Yes,I’ve thought it through.Since Cassie is your sweetheart and you’re so determined to save her,then go ahead and cut out her liver yourself.If her match isn’t compatible,buy one off the black market at a high price.If that doesn’t work,put out a bounty,kill for it,or do whatever you want.Just don’t come after me.”

"You…you knew?"Lucian’s eyes widened.

Olivia pressed her lips together,saying nothing.She had thought foolishly that he might at least feel a sliver of guilt.

However,in the next moment,Lucian grabbed her wrist,lifting it from the quilt to administer the IV drip.His voice was heavy with accusation.

“So this is why you tore up the peace charm in a fit of rage and pushed Cassie off the cliff?No wonder.No wonder you used the nurse to scheme against Cassie that day.You must have bribed her long ago and found out the truth about Cassie’s condition.”

"Let me go."Olivia struggled to withdraw her hand.

Lucian’s face was grim,his grip unrelenting.“Answer me first,Olivia.How did you become like this?When did you turn so vicious?”

Vicious?She was vicious,he said?

Olivia almost laughed from sheer anger.

Seeing that he refused to let go,gripping her wrist tightly without even caring about the blood flowing back into the tube,she became even more stubborn.Without hesitation,she reached for the IV line and yanked it out.

The movement was too abrupt,causing blood to spill drop by drop.Without a sterilized cotton swab,she rolled up her sleeve and pressed down on the wound with her bare arm.Her unflinching defiance startled even Lucian,momentarily rendering him speechless.

"Olivia,do you really have to go this far?”he finally asked.

"I admit it.It wasn’t me who had liver cancer.It was Cassie.But wasn’t it you who misheard,crying and making a scene,insisting on donating your liver to her?”

“And for your so-called sincerity,I tolerated it.I let you make it up to me in your own way.”

“I put aside my work to cook for you,to share meals with you.No matter how rare or expensive,as long as you wanted something,I spared no effort to get it for you.From the smallest trinkets like jewelry and handbags to the grandest luxuries like a house,a car and whatever caught your eye,I never hesitated and never complained.Was that not enough?Not enough for half your liver?”

Not enough…for half her liver?

Having spent years navigating the industry,Olivia considered herself well-versed in the ways of the world.Yet,he had never encountered such brazen shamelessness.

With vacant,dark eyes,he stared at Lucian in disbelief.“Do you even remember who I am?Do you remember what you were thinking when you pursued me,when you married me and made me your wife?”

Lucian’s gaze deepened,his thin lips pressing into a firm line."I understand that asking a woman to donate her liver to another woman might seem unreasonable,but you agreed yourself and your match with Cassie is perfect.So,there’s no need to search elsewhere.”

In other words,even if she exposed the truth,even if she confronted him,even if he risked turning this matter into a public scandal,he would still demand that she give up her liver.

If she dared to refuse,he would simply have her restrained and sent to the operating table.

The answer was already clear,yet Olivia still asked,“Did the doctor tell you what my condition is now?”

Lucian hesitated."What?"

Olivia turned her head away,refusing to look at him.“After everything that happened,did the doctor check me?Did they reassess my condition to see if I can still go through with the surgery in a few days or if I need more time to recover first?”

Lucian only heard what he wanted to hear.Softness,obedience,a resignation heavier than death itself.

Yes,Olivia loved him so much.She had sacrificed her beauty,her body,her health.She was even willing to donate her liver to save him,to bear him a child.How could he possibly turn away from such deep devotion?

"Dear."He took her hand,pressing one against his face while placing the other over his chest.“Once this is over,let’s start fresh.We’ll move somewhere new and have a child.If you don’t like Cassie,I’ll keep my distance from her.I won’t see her in private anymore.I’ll stay by your side day and night,all right?"

Day and night.The same promise he had once whispered to Cassie.

How heartless could a man be to make the same vow twice to two different women?

Olivia wanted to laugh,but after the storm of emotions raging inside her,she finally chose to nod.

She had endured this long.Why insist on breaking free now?

Wasn’t her original plan to get Cassie onto the operating table first,to have her chest cut open before leaving with the divorce papers in hand?

In the days that followed,Lucian stayed in the hospital with her,behaving as a devoted husband.

Perhaps he sensed her reluctance,so he no longer brought up nourishing meals for her liver,no longer busied himself with work.Instead,he lingered close,waiting for her to sleep before quietly handling things in the background.

After several days of treatment,Olivia had mostly recovered from her internal injuries,though the wounds on her body still remained.However,Lucian had run out of patience.

“Cassie fell into a coma again yesterday.It might be because of the fall days ago.She’s been getting weaker.The doctor said she needs surgery as soon as possible.If we delay any longer,she might not be strong enough to endure it.”

"Olivia,you’ve always been healthy.You’ll just have to endure a little discomfort.Let’s go through with the surgery first and then we’ll recover together.I promise you,even after it’s done,I’ll take care of you just like I am now until you’re fully healed.”

He had trapped her in this ward,cut her off from the outside world,refused to let her see anyone and even denied her a phone.Did she still have any room to refuse?

Rather than pretending to ask for her consent,he might as well save himself the effort and push her straight into the operating room.

Olivia curled her lips into a weak smile.“Lucian,lend me your phone,will you?I want to call my mother and tell her I’m safe.After all,my body and everything in it came from my parents.The thought of losing half my liver is…scary.”

Lucian ignored the fear in her voice as if just realizing something.He pulled out a phone with a SIM card inserted and handed it to her.“Look at me,forgetting things.I’ve had this with me for days and never gave it to you.”

Olivia gripped the phone tightly,saying nothing.

Lucian,sensing no further reaction from her,grew bored.He found an excuse to step out,leaving her alone in the ward.

As the door clicked shut,Olivia’s eyelids fluttered slightly.She cast a glance in the direction he had left before lowering her gaze,her expression dark.Then,she turned on the phone.

Lucian returned late that night.

As soon as he walked in,Olivia caught the scent of perfume clinging to him.A long strand of hair,which was clearly not hers,rested on his shoulder.

“Are you hungry?I brought you some porridge from my old house.You’re not in the best health right now and porridge is easier to digest.It’ll help you absorb nutrients better.”

Was porridge really the best for her?Or had Cassie been craving porridge and now,whatever she did not finish had been repackaged and brought to her?

Olivia mocked him silently in her heart,but her face remained calm.Without a word,she took the bowl of porridge from Lucian’s hands and ate every last spoonful.

After finishing,she washed up and lay down to sleep.

Half-asleep,she noticed Lucian’s phone screen lighting up again and again.He kept taking it out,checking messages and making calls,clearly unable to get enough of his conversations.

This continued throughout the night.

The next morning,when Olivia woke up,she found Lucian sitting by the bedside,dark circles under his eyes,his usually handsome face carrying an awkward expression as if there was something on his mind he could not quite bring himself to say.

After all the cruel things he had already done,was there really anything left that he could not put into words?

Olivia let out a soft chuckle.“Still worried?”

Her smile seemed to unsettle him.For once,a flicker of guilt appeared in Lucian’s eyes.“Something urgent came up at the company.I have to go in.If I can’t make it back in time…”

“I’ll go to the operating room myself.”Olivia cut him off,her tone unwavering.“Honey,don’t worry.Since I promised,I’ll keep my word.I won’t back out.”

Lucian hesitated for a moment but did not argue.He leaned down,pressing a soft kiss to her forehead,then turned and walked out.

The moment Lucian stepped out,Olivia wiped away the lingering touch on her forehead as if erasing a stain.She gazed up at the ceiling,its scent of disinfectant thick in the air,her expression eerily calm,almost lifeless.

So,he really could not resist Cassie’s whining and had gone running to her side again?

How predictable.

In just a matter of days,she had plummeted from heaven to hell.She had even swallowed humiliation like it was nothing.After everything she had endured,what kind of monsters had she not encountered before?

Suppressing the cold amusement in her heart,Olivia reached under her pillow,retrieving her phone.She dialed her agent’s number.“Hey,Liora,is everything I asked for ready?”

Receiving a firm confirmation,she made another call,this time to her lawyer.“Please send the divorce agreement to the liver surgery operating room at Hazelbourne Hospital within the next hour.”

With both arrangements in place,Olivia turned off her phone,slipped it into her pocket and quietly waited.

Half an hour later,a nurse arrived to escort her to the operating room.

When she arrived,Cassie was already there.

The once frail and sickly woman now looked remarkably vibrant,her complexion glowing with an unnatural rosiness.

“Olivia,do you know?Lucian was worried I’d be nervous,so he stayed with me all night,online and offline.He sang to me,told me stories,anything to keep my spirits up.He didn’t want my mood to affect my sleep or today’s surgery.”

“He sat by my bedside the entire night and only returned to your ward at dawn.But not long after,he left you and came straight back to me.He said you were his past,someone he had lived with,but I am his present and future,the woman he truly wants to spend his life with.”

“He stayed with me in the ward until I was wheeled into the operating room.Right now,he’s taking a shower,disinfecting and changing into sterile clothes.He said he wanted to be there for me during the surgery,to personally witness this operation.The three of us,together until the end.”

Olivia listened,then simply closed her eyes as if she had not heard a word.

Cassie prattled on for a while,but upon receiving no reaction,she eventually found it dull and fell silent.

The moment finally arrived.The surgery officially began.The two women were wheeled into separate operating rooms.

Inside the sterile space,amidst the rhythmic beeping of the monitors,a cold scalpel sliced through Cassie’s body.

Lucian stood outside,witnessing the incision being made.His fists clenched involuntarily,his knuckles white,his eyes burning red.“Where is Olivia’s liver?When will you remove it and proceed with the transplant?”

The doctor was unbothered by his impatience and continued the procedure at his own measured pace.

Minutes later,Cassie’s abdominal cavity was fully opened.They were moments away from removing her failing liver and replacing it with a fresh,healthy one.A perfect resolution was within reach.

Then,suddenly…

Bang!

The doors to the operating room were suddenly thrown open with force.

A man in a white coat rushed in,panic written all over his face.

“Dr.Zayne,Mr.Rafayel,bad news!Miss Winslet’s donor…she’s missing!”