Chapter 4

Adrian's ghost lingered by my side day and night, repeating the same plea over and over:

"Just let Lily do the compatibility test. It's just drawing one tube of blood. What if she's a match? Noah really can't wait any longer."

I was setting out Lily's dinner when I looked up, my gaze coldly sweeping over his ethereal form:

"And if she matches? Then what? Make Lily give her heart to the bastard child? Can Noah just die then?"

Adrian's anxiety made his ghostly form ripple, his tone full of desperate justification:

"It's just compatibility testing! It's not deciding on donation! Noah is also my child. I can't just watch him die!"

"Your child?" I put down the utensils and laughed coldly. "When you were having your fun behind this family's back, didn't you think Lily was also your flesh and blood? For Melissa and her son, you neglected us mother and daughter for years. Now you have the nerve to make demands of me?"

"During those days when you were bedridden with a brain tumor, I stayed by your side every moment, caring for you. But behind my back, you secretly transferred money to Melissa, even planning early on to donate your heart to save her child. Did you ever think that if you'd been honest from the start, we might have had room to work things out? But from beginning to end, you treated me like a fool, deceiving me!"

These words left Adrian speechless. He could only pace frantically in place, his ghost flickering, his eyes churning with unwillingness and despair.

I'd still underestimated Melissa's madness.

The next afternoon, I was chairing a senior management meeting when my phone rang at an inopportune moment. The caller ID showed Lily's homeroom teacher, her tone full of hesitation and unease:

"Lily's mom, a lady just came to pick up Lily, saying she was the child's aunt and that you asked her to take Lily to the dentist. I verified the photos of you on her phone and let her take the child. But thinking it over, I should confirm with you."

Those words were like a bucket of ice water poured over my entire body.

I had no sisters, and I'd never asked anyone to pick up Lily!

"That was a scammer!" My voice trembled uncontrollably, my fingers gripping the phone turning white. "What did she look like? What was she wearing?"

After hearing the teacher's description, my heart sank. I was certain it was Melissa.

She dared to openly abduct my daughter!

I immediately interrupted the meeting, quickly briefed my assistant on follow-up matters, grabbed my car keys and rushed out the door.

On the way to the parking lot, I immediately opened Lily's smartwatch location. The little red dot on the screen was rapidly moving toward the downtown hospital.

I sped toward the hospital, the gas pedal floored, gripping the steering wheel tightly, my palms covered in cold sweat, my heart pounding almost out of my chest. Only one thought filled my mind: Lily can't get hurt.

Arriving outside the pediatric ward, I immediately spotted Melissa and Marcus guarding the door, their faces wearing strange, triumphant smiles.

Through the glass of the ward door, I vaguely saw several doctors surrounding Lily, seemingly preparing instruments for pre-surgical examination.

I rushed over and grabbed Melissa by the collar, fury burning my throat, my voice trembling with extreme anger: "You actually dared to kidnap my daughter!"

Melissa struggled forcefully to push me away, her eyes full of crazed stubbornness: "You refused to budge. I had no choice but to use this method! Noah can't hold on much longer. I absolutely won't let him die!"

Marcus also stepped forward, pushing me and threatening fiercely: "Evelyn, if you know what's good for you, just let Lily do the compatibility test. Otherwise don't blame us for not being polite!"

"Dream on!" I slammed open the ward door and rushed over to pull Lily protectively into my arms.

Seeing me, Lily's pent-up fear instantly exploded. She burst into tears, her small hands tightly hugging my neck:

"Mommy! I'm scared! They want to stick me with needles!"

I raised my hand to shield Lily's head and looked up at the doctors present:

"Without my signed consent, anyone who touches a single hair on my daughter's head will answer for it!"

The ward instantly descended into chaos.

Adrian's ghost floated in a corner, watching Lily crying non-stop. A flash of fleeting guilt crossed his eyes, but the next second he was still shouting at me:

"Evelyn, it's just a test. It won't hurt Lily!"

Just then, a nurse rushed in hurriedly, saying loudly to Melissa:

"Ms. Thompson, good news! A brain-dead car accident patient is a compatible match, and the family is willing to donate!"

Melissa let out a shriek of wild joy, tears mixed with excitement sliding down: "Really? That's wonderful! Noah is saved!"

Adrian's ghost also trembled violently with excitement. The look he gave me was full of mockery and triumph:

"See that? Even without Lily, Noah can live! No matter how heartless you are, you can't stop him from surviving!"

Melissa's eyes were red, her face wearing a twisted smile:

"Evelyn, even heaven is helping us! You'll go to hell sooner or later!"

Holding Lily, I had no extra words. I turned and walked out of the ward.

As long as Lily was safe, I didn't care about their taunts and triumph.

Noah's surgery went smoothly. Melissa specifically sent me a text, which I deleted directly.

I thought everything would end there, but a week later, Adrian's ghost appeared again, his eyes full of despair and pain:

"Evelyn, are you satisfied now? Noah is dead."