Chapter 2

The air in the hospital room froze solid.

Liam looked at me like he'd just heard the world's biggest joke, and then his expression turned venomous.

"Vera, are you trying to threaten me?"

He leaned in fast, grabbing my chin so hard I thought my bones would crack.

"Who do you think you are? You think you deserve to be Mrs. Hayes?"

I bit back the pain and let my eyes fill with tears, letting them hover right on the edge of falling, playing "devoted and pathetic" for all it was worth.

"Liam, I know I don't deserve it. But... if I lose a kidney, my body's never going to be the same. I have nothing left. I just want a title. Even if it's just on paper."

"If you marry me, I'll go into surgery right now. Otherwise..."

I closed my eyes and let the tears fall. "You can kill me, and I still won't sign that consent form."

It was a gamble.

A bet on exactly how much weight Lily carried in his heart.

Sure enough, murderous intent churned in Liam's eyes as he stared me down for a full minute.

Finally, he yanked his hand back from my face and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe it off in disgust.

"Fine. I'll agree to it."

His voice was cold as ice. "Tomorrow morning, the marriage registry office. Vera, you'd better pray Lily's surgery goes well. Otherwise, I'll show you what it means to wish you were dead."

With that, he turned and strode out of the room.

The moment the door shut, the tears on my face vanished instantly.

I grabbed a tissue off the table and scrubbed hard at the spot on my chin where he'd touched me.

Disgusting.

I picked up the surgical consent form, a cold smirk tugging at my lips.

Donate a kidney?

Keep dreaming.

You think my kidney is something trash like you two deserve?

That night, I slipped past the bodyguards outside, snuck out of my room, and knocked on the office door of the attending physician, Dr. Ian.

Ian was one of the country's top kidney specialists, and the surgeon set to perform tomorrow's operation.

He looked startled when I walked in.

"Vera, you're having surgery tomorrow. What are you doing out of bed?"

I walked over, locked the door behind me, and slapped a bank card down on his desk.

"Ian, there's twenty million in here."

Ian jumped, leaping to his feet. "Vera, what is this supposed to mean?"

"It's simple." I pulled out a chair and sat down, fixing him with a sharp stare. "Tomorrow's surgery goes ahead as planned. But my kidney stays exactly where it is, in perfect condition."

Ian's face went pale. "Are you out of your mind? This is medical fraud! If Mr. Hayes finds out, he'll kill me!"

"If he doesn't kill you, I'll ruin your reputation myself."

I pulled out my phone and played a recording.

It was Ian flirting with some woman, and him discussing a massive kickback from a pharmaceutical rep.

Ian broke out in a cold sweat instantly, collapsing back into his chair.

"How... how do you have this?"

"If you don't want people to know, don't do it in the first place." I put the phone away and looked at him coldly. "Ian, you're a smart man. Liam won't be standing in the operating room watching you cut. All you have to do is make a small incision on my side, just for show. As for Lily, find some pig kidney on the black market or whatever low-grade kidney you can get your hands on, just enough to fool the early rejection tests."

"Twenty million, plus your career. A fake surgery in exchange for all that. Do we have a deal?"

Ian was shaking all over, sweat soaking through his white coat.

A full five minutes passed before he gritted his teeth and picked up the bank card with trembling hands.

"Fine... I'll do it."