After a long while, she snapped back to reality and realized something. With trembling body, she asked, "You … you're speaking to my sister …."

Leon swept a quick glance at her at the back and sneered, "What? Do you think our marriage contract is still valid? Dream on! From the moment you did that, you've been nailed as a vile woman, now Ella is my fiancée.” 

Leah felt as if her heart had been split in half.

Her sister used to scoff and label Leon as an immature brat unworthy of her attention and she did not take him in her eyes. Yet, in just three years, everything had changed.

"Leah, once you donate your kidney to Ella, your parents will send you abroad. Don't ever return to this country in this lifetime. I warn you, don’t interfere with me and Ella's marriage," he stated.

Leah felt as if she was being strangled. If Leon married her sister, what would happen to her child?

Her body trembled uncontrollably. Three years ago, when she was thrown in prison, she had no idea she was pregnant.

She only found out after she was beaten unconscious for the first time. A prison guard had taken her for a check-up and discovered she was two months pregnant.

She had always followed the rules, never acting recklessly. The only time she had let her guard down was the night before her arrest when she had visited the Diakos Villa and drank too much.

She had assumed the child was Leon’s. She believed that once she gave birth, he would come for her. It didn’t matter if her parents abandoned her, she was sure Leon would come.

She waited and kept waiting. She was still waiting when her belly grew bigger. She even endured near-death experiences to bring her baby into the world, only to hear him call her child a "worthless bastard."

She wasn’t worthy of being a mother. Her poor baby had been taken to an orphanage the moment he was born.

Leah found that she no longer had tears left to shed.

Upon arriving at the hospital, Leon yanked her out of the car without a word.

She bit her lips to endure the pain as she was being pulled into the VIP ward by Leon.

They were greeted by seeing Ella. She was lying on the hospital bed like a pampered princess with a rosy complexion. Their parents stood by her side, one feeding her apple slices, the other offering water.

Jeff Remington did not even spare Leah a single glance. Instead, he barked in annoyance, "Why did you bring her in? She’s bad luck! Don’t let her prison stench taint Ella. Just take her straight to the operating room."

Kathy Lennox's face twisted in disgust. "Leon, you know how fragile Ella's health is. Get that filthy girl out of here before she pollutes the air."

Leah shrank back into the corner with a lowered head. She did not dare to look at them.

These were her biological parents, yet their voices dripped with loathing. They even felt disgusted at how dirty she was. They found her unlucky.

However, she clearly hadn't done anything wrong.

The weather had turned colder significantly these past few days, yet she still wore clothes that were so thin and tattered that they were not able to hide the scars on her arms. Yet, no one cared about that fact because they did not even see her properly.

Leon shoved her toward the exit. Her steps faltered and she nearly collapsed. Fortunately, a strong powerful arm caught her just in time.

Leah kept her head down and whispered, "Thank you … thank you."

The man had a distinctive scent that entered Leah's nose. She was too heartbroken to think about it. She slowly forced herself to move forward.

She actually did not want to go through with this, but she overheard her parents saying that if she donated her kidney, she would receive a sum of money. With that money, she could use it to find her child and escape abroad, far away from this nightmare.

However, with this weakened body, could she even survive with one less kidney?

Leon’s impatient voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Can’t you move any faster? What the hell are you doing?"

"Leon, what are you doing here?" A deep, steady voice rang out.

Leah’s head jerked up. That voice … she knows this voice. Yet, where did she hear it before?

Leon immediately scurried past her and bowed respectfully to the man. With a fawning face, he said, "Uncle, good evening. I’m here to be Ella. She’s unwell."

Leah's bags had fallen over her eyes so it was difficult for her to see clearly. 

What she saw was a tall and imposing man. He dressed in a custom-tailored black suit. His entire presence exuded an aura that warned strangers to keep their distance.

Was he the one who had just steadied her?

Judging from Leon’s reaction, he was clearly afraid of this man. Leah racked her memory to search for any recollection of him and then it hit her. He was the head of the Diakos Family, Nico Diakos.

He was a man that was shrouded in mystery, all that people knew about him was his reputation. Leah had heard about him a few times from Leon. However, Leah had always assumed he was in his fifties. Seeing him now, she realized he was only in his early thirties with a well-preserved, sophisticated and power oozed from his body.

“Leon,” Nico's voice was calm yet commanding, “I recall your engagement three years ago was to Leah. Who is this ‘Ella’?”

Leon stiffened, caught off guard. His uncle had never meddled in his personal affairs before. After all the engagement had been arranged by his parents, so why was Nico suddenly asking about it?

When Leah heard her name called, she raised her eyes and looked at Nico. Their gazes met and for a brief moment, she caught a playful smile on his face. Startled, she quickly looked away. She was unwilling to have anything to do with the Diakos Family anymore.

From the moment she learned that Leon had framed her, all she felt for him was hatred. However, she was powerless against them. It was so hard to protect herself, what was more she had another child.

Leon said, “Uncle, don’t you remember? Leah was convicted of intentional assault and sent to prison three years ago.”

Nico’s brows furrowed. “She went to prison? She doesn’t look like someone capable of that, she is so weak and fragile.”

Leon scratched his nose, he looked embarrassed. “Well, as you know, appearances can be deceiving. You’ve been overseas for years, so it makes sense you wouldn’t know.”

Leon’s sharp eyes fell on Leah. He had already noticed the scars and wounds on her. If Leon was here for Ella, then why was Leon walking with Leah?

She remained silent and leaned against the wall. She did not want to join their conversation. Her pale, gaunt face seemed to evoke a flicker of pity in Nico's heart. He had never been nosy before. "I know the hospital director,” he said coldly. “Take her for a check-up first.”

Leon immediately panicked and blurted, “That’s not necessary. She’s going into surgery soon to donate her kidney.”

Nico raised his brow. "Surgery for kidney donation? Leon, donating a kidney requires that the donor and recipient perfectly match. Also, has she been deemed medically fit for it? Has she been properly tested for compatibility? You do realize the donor must be in good health, don’t you? With her condition, are you still taking her to have an operation?"

Afraid Nico saw something was wrong, Leon blocked him from seeing Leah. "Of course! They’ll run tests before the procedure.”

Leah, who had stayed quiet until now, finally spoke up, her voice soft yet firm. “Thank you, Uncle.”

The word ‘Uncle’ sent a jolt through Nico. A long-buried memory resurfaced.

Three years ago, during a rare visit home for his father’s birthday, a woman had handed him a drink. He had taken a sip and immediately felt dizzy, his mind clouded. Someone had drugged him. When he stumbled back to his room, he found a woman there.

He had been furious and wanted to push her away but her soft voice made him lose control. 

A fragment of memory suddenly flashed in his mind. That woman who was in the bed at that time also called him uncle and begged him not to do it.

The next day, before he could investigate what had happened, he had been called away on urgent business overseas. The overseas company had a problem and he directly took a plane to go there.

As for that woman, he only thought it was a one-time mistake. It wasn't until now that he realized he might have done something wrong that night.

Before he could say another word, Leon shoved Leah forward. “Stop running your mouth! Who the hell you are? How dare you call him uncle? He is mine! He has nothing to do with you! Don’t go calling him that like you have any connection to him.”

The man Leon scared the most was Nico. He held the fate of the entire Diakos Family in his hands, whether it was his and his parent's life or death.

The reason they currently had shares and got dividends was all because of Nico.

Nica watched as Leon furiously berated Leah. As he frowned, he pulled out his phone and made a call.

Leah was quickly wheeled into the operating room without undergoing any preliminary tests. Several doctors in surgical scrubs entered and before she could react, a syringe of anesthesia was injected into her arm. Her consciousness faded almost instantly.

In her hazy state, she seemed to catch fragments of conversation. "I've never seen a family like this. The girl is perfectly healthy, yet they're insisting on a kidney transplant and even faking surgery."

"Haven't you heard? The two sisters are fighting over the same man. The older one obviously wants to punish the younger."

"What? Are they really sisters? I heard she’s an illegitimate daughter. So, which is it?"

"Shush, don’t talk too much. We can't talk about rich family's issues. We’re just here to do our job and take the money."

The cold touch of the scalpel against her skin sent a chilling realization through her.

It turned out her sister was truly healthy and all of these were just a test to determine Leon's true feelings for Ella, she deliberately wanted to take Leah's kidney.

Was she not her parents’ biological daughter? Whose illegitimate daughter was she?

Despair swallowed her whole. She was going to die on this operating table because everyone wanted her to die.

***

Leah thought she had died. How else could she explain the vast expanse of white before her eyes?

"Is this heaven?" she murmured weakly.

As soon as she finished talking, Nico who had just finished reading a medical report, set the paper down and strode over to her bedside. "Are you awake? Do you feel any discomfort?"

It took Leah several seconds to register who was speaking.

Seeing him up close for the first time, she realized Nico was far more striking than Leon. His sharp, well-defined features exuded an air of authority and strength. He had an intense presence that was almost suffocating.

"Uncle... you saved me?" she asked hesitantly, instinctively shrinking back and avoiding his gaze.

Nico chuckled. "Your body is in terrible shape. You’ll need at least a month to recover. Even if you wanted to donate a kidney to save your sister, there was no need to rush into it so recklessly."

Leah didn’t know how to respond to his statement. She also did not have any idea how she had ended up here instead of on the operating table.

However, it seemed Nico had saved me. Still, he was a man constantly occupied with business. How many times could she expect him to intervene in her life? She had relied on herself.

"Thank you," she said simply. After that, she remained silent.

Nico vaguely recalled seeing Leah years ago when Leon was still a student. He had picked his nephew up from school a few times and noticed that Leon always walked alongside a lively, talkative girl.

How had she become like this?

"Rest well. I have work to do. Nico will take you home," he said.

Leah wanted to refuse. She did not want to have anything to do with Leon. However, compared to him, she was even less familiar to anyone in Diakos's family.

"Is ‘thank you’ all you can say?" Nico asked, his voice carrying a hint of amusement.

For some reason, he found himself unusually invested in this frail, battered young woman. When he saw the scars on her body, a rare flicker of anger stirred within him.

Leah averted her gaze. Nico didn’t press further. He set the report down and left the room.

Leon stormed in not long after and pointed his finger at Leah's face. "What the hell did you do to my uncle? How did you get him to take you off the operating table?"

Leah jerked her head up and looked at Leon incredulously, “He carried me away?”

She had only met Nico once before. He didn’t seem like the type to meddle in others' affairs.

Leon couldn’t stand Leah's feigned innocence. To him, she was manipulative and always acted like she was the victim. Fury surged through him as he stepped forward and raised his hand. He was ready to slap her across the face.