Chapter 6
The next day, Leah set fire to every trace of their shared history in that house.
Countless photos, gifts, and letters from his business trips went up in flames.
As the fire devoured it all, she felt as if she were burning away a foolish dream. Everything she once treasured was reduced to ashes in an instant.
However, at the very next moment, Alexander put out the fire she had started.
Alexander dragged her all the way to the hospital and shoved her into a ward.
His tone was chilling as he looked down at her. "Leah, why do you keep picking on Rachel?
"I've already found out that the kidnapping was planned by you. I thought you were just jealous and wanted to teach her a lesson, but I didn't expect you to go this far. You actually had someone inject her with some unknown toxin."
Leah looked up, her eyes filled with confusion. "I've already told you it wasn't me. I didn't do it."
However, Alexander just stared at her indifferently.
He crouched down, trying to stay gentle as he spoke again.
He said, "Leah, give me the antidote. If you do, I'll just let it go."
Before anyone could react, Alexander's friends rushed in, panic written all over their faces. "The toxin in Rachel's blood is reaching her heart.
"She just started coughing up blood. The doctor said if this keeps going, she's going to suffocate and die any moment now."
Alexander's eyes widened in shock.
He stormed out of the room, seized the doctor by the collar, and roared, "If she dies, I swear I'll take this whole hospital down."
The doctor trembled, his voice shaking as he stammered, "Mr. Rivers, if we find someone with the same rare blood type willing to donate, there might be a slim chance to save Ms. Summers."
"Then get moving and find me that person. I don't care how much it costs," Alexander shouted.
The doctor said, "But Ms. Summers has the rare blood type—matching her in such a short time is impossible."
Hearing that, Alexander turned to Leah once again.
He remembered clearly that Leah had that same rare blood type.
He hesitated, frowned, and asked, "So, if we do a transfusion and swap out Rachel's blood for someone else's, that'll save her, right?"
The doctor nodded.
"What about the person who donates her blood? What will happen to her?" Alexander demanded.
The doctor said, "We've already got the antidote, but there's not enough time to help Ms. Summers. The blood donor, however, can receive the injection, and it won't pose a threat to their life, but—"
"But what?" Alexander pressed, frowning.
"She could go through severe pain, and there's a risk of serious side effects afterwards," the doctor added.
Alexander's hesitation vanished the moment he saw Rachel vomiting blood.
Not wasting a moment, he hauled Leah straight into the operating room.
The next second, Alexander clamped down on Leah's hand, holding it with a crushing grip.
He approached, thrusting a document at her. "Sign it."
It was only then that Leah saw what it was—a consent form for blood donation.
She wrenched her hand free from Alexander's grasp, staring at him in utter disbelief. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Leah, if it wasn't for you, Rachel wouldn't have ended up like this. You owe her." Alexander spat out each word, his tone merciless.
Leah barely had time to protest before Alexander's bodyguards pinned her down, forcing her into the operating room.
However, soon enough, the doctor came rushing out with the test results, looking conflicted as he blurted out, "Mr. Rivers, Ms. Evans is pregnant.
"If we do the transfusion right now, it'll cause her intense pain, and the baby probably won't make it."
Alexander stared at the ultrasound report, a storm of emotions swirling in his chest.
He felt both the excitement of being a dad for the first time and the gut-wrenching agony of having to choose between two girls.
His friends all swapped worried looks. The room was thick with tension before one of the guys finally blurted out, "Alexander, what's there to hesitate about? You can always have a kid, but Rachel is dying.
"Wait, Alexander. Don't tell me you've fallen for Leah."
That last line hit Alexander right where it hurt.
However, with the doctor declaring Rachel's condition critical, Alexander could only grit out, voice low, "No, I haven't.
"Forget the baby. Do the transfusion and save Rachel."
Leah, pinned down on the operating table, could do nothing but watch in terror as the whole nightmare played out before her.
Just moments ago, she had learned the happiest news of her life, yet in the blink of an eye, she lost her baby.
Leah screamed in pain, "No, Alexander. Please, don't hurt the baby."
Her desperate cries were muffled, dissolving into broken sobs.
As the operating room doors slammed shut, Leah closed her eyes, sinking into utter despair.
Pain swallowed her whole, and blood trickled down her legs.
Before Leah passed out, she saw a child lying bleeding on the floor. She stretched out for him, desperate, but he only slipped farther and farther away.
Her vision was awash in red until she felt hollow inside.
As the needle kept stealing blood from her veins, it also completely wiped Alexander from her heart.