Chapter 3

Elsie Gardner gritted her teeth against the pain as she made her way to the hospital for treatment. Once she'd gotten her prescription, she passed by an adjacent room and spotted Frederick West, Harlem Riley, and Jordan Daniels, standing guard outside Greta Chapman's room. Their concern was visible in their expressions.

"I've been saying it for ages—Greta's too kind-hearted. Keeping her at the Gardner Estate will lead to nothing but trouble for her. Once the arranged marriage goes through, we need to find a way to get her out of there. I can't bear to see her hurt anymore."

"Now that our parents understand Greta is who we truly care about, we have to keep her safe. So, whoever Elsie chooses, they need to go along with the marriage—no questions asked. It's the only way to keep Greta out of harm's way."

Elsie's heart ached as she listened in silence. In her previous life, the arranged marriage had been accepted despite the lack of love—all to protect Greta. Their noble intentions had caused her misery, not realizing they were sacrificing her happiness.

She let out a soft, bitter laugh as tears welled in her eyes. They could relax; this time, no one would have to be sacrificed.

After regaining composure, she wiped her tears and prepared to leave. But her phone suddenly rang, catching the men off guard and prompting them to open the door in surprise.

"What are you doing here? Are you here to apologize to Greta?"

"How long have you been here? Did you hear anything?"

"What happened to you? Why are you injured?"

Facing their barrage of inquiries, Elsie answered calmly.

"I got hurt because you pushed me aside to save Greta. I'm here for treatment, not to apologize—the hot coffee was thrown at me first, and I only defended myself. Running into you was just coincidence."

The men hesitated, their expressions now fraught with complexity. Reflecting on their frantic entrance to Greta's room earlier, Harlem Riley spoke up first, his tone softening.

"Greta didn't spill the coffee on purpose; she was already in pain and couldn't hold it. Don't hold it against her. When we saw the blood, we feared the worst for her, and emotions ran high. We're sorry."

Frederick West relaxed as he added, "We didn't intend to blame you; we just felt protective of Greta and wanted to speak up for her."

"Yes, we go way back. You'll always be important to us. Have you decided about the arranged marriage?" Jordan Daniels chimed in, and they all looked at her with anticipation.

Elsie considered their reactions and what she'd overheard earlier, feeling a twinge of irony.

"I've made up my mind about the marriage. You three, I..."

Her sentence was cut short as the monitor in Greta's room began to beep wildly. Alarmed, the men rushed back into the room, with medical staff converging.

"The patient's kidney damage has worsened following another injury. We missed the signs earlier, and the medication used has made things worse, leading to kidney failure. We're at a critical stage now!"

Frederick West's eyes filled with despair at the doctor's news.

"Are you serious? You've given her the wrong medication! Greta's so young, and if she suffers lifelong consequences because of your negligence, how will you face the consequences?"

Harlem Riley seized the attending physician by the collar, his voice trembling with fury.

"You have thirty minutes to come up with a solid treatment plan. If anything happens to Greta, you'll regret it—I promise!"

Jordan Daniels furiously dialed contacts on his phone.

"Dr. Smith, you're a top expert in nephrology. I need your help for someone very dear to me. Where are you? I'll get someone to bring you here right away."

The hospital room was a whirlwind of anxiety, everyone on edge over Greta's condition. The hospital swiftly assembled a team of specialists to devise an urgent treatment plan.

"The only viable option now is a kidney transplant, but finding a donor might take time. The longer we wait, the more serious her situation becomes."