Chapter 12

She hadn't even gotten the chance to speak when Desmond suddenly snapped, "Shut up." His voice was icy cold, like a punch of winter wind straight to the face. Isabella froze. The man reached out and gripped her by the neck, squeezing hard, his voice colder than ever. "With a heart as twisted as yours, I don't want to hear a single word from you dragging Nora down." Isabella could only choke out rough breaths, pain tightening in her throat as she stared at him—this man, who only ever showed cruelty to her. But to Nora? He was all in, no hesitation, no questions asked. She had tried to tell him the truth, yet he didn't care. All he saw was her trying to manipulate, trying to deceive. Like she was out to destroy him. A tear slid down Isabella's cheek. Her lips curled into a bitter smile. She would never mean anything to Desmond—not really. The room went dead silent. No one made a sound. Then Desmond's phone rang. Frowning, he let go and picked it up. Isabella crumpled onto the bed, gasping for air. But before she could even catch her breath, Desmond suddenly yanked her to her feet. Seeing her limp and weak, he frowned even deeper—and without a word, scooped her up in his arms and dashed out of the room. Isabella struggled in his hold, but Desmond's voice came low and stern. "Cut it out." The car sped toward the hospital. She looked over at him. His face was set and grim. Same expression he always wore when something had happened… to Nora. Pain throbbed in her throat, and she coughed slightly. They arrived at the hospital fast. Desmond got out, dragging her along. "Desmond, what the hell? I'm exhausted. I'm not going in there with you," Isabella complained, still groggy from the medication. "Nora's hurt." Isabella let out a dry laugh. "Well, it wasn't me. I'm definitely not jumping into this mess. Just let me go." Time and again, Nora had thrown her under the bus. And Desmond? He never needed convincing to pick sides. Isabella closed her eyes for a second. The worst pain wasn't a fresh cut—it was reopening the same wound over and over. "I know you didn't do it," Desmond said. "But she's your sister, and she's sick. Going to see her is the right thing, isn't it?" That moment of unexpected trust caught Isabella off-guard. A second ago at the hotel, he was ready to hunt for cheaters—now he believed her? Before she had time to unpack that, he tugged her wrist tighter and led her into the hospital. Outside the OR, the doors were shut tight. For the first time, her adoptive parents weren't fawning over Desmond like usual. Instead, they rushed over to Isabella. "Isabella, Nora tried to kill herself. She cut her wrists. We got to her in time, but she's lost a lot of blood. Please… help her," her dad begged. Isabella frowned. "You want me to help her?" "Nora's blood type is RH negative. The hospital's supply is out…"Isabella let out a cold laugh. "Aren't you her parents? You always spoil her, but now you can't even spare a drop of blood?" Yeah, right. They grew up together, but don't expect her to be that selfless. "We…" Her mother reached out and grabbed her arm. "Isabella, you and Nora have the same blood type as me, but I can't donate." "Why not?" "I'm her mother! The doctor said direct relatives might trigger a severe reaction—could put her life at risk." "I'm her…" Isabella suddenly paused, eyes widening as she stared at her mother in disbelief. Her body swayed slightly, and she instinctively stepped back. Desmond quickly reached out to steady her. Her face had gone completely pale, like she'd been drained of all color. Looking up at him, she realized—his face was calm. He must've known all along. No wonder he'd dragged her here so forcefully. It was for the blood. And for a split second… she'd actually felt touched, thinking he trusted her. God, Isabella, you're such a damn fool. She shoved his hand off, slumping against the wall, feeling the weight of everyone's eyes on her. Then suddenly, she let out a small laugh. "Makes sense now. If I were really your biological daughter, there's no way you'd treat me like this. Am I right?" Her mother dropped her gaze, too ashamed to look at her. Her father stepped forward then, dropping to his knees in front of her. "Isabella, think of the bigger picture. You're actually your uncle's daughter. When your aunt and uncle died in that car crash, we took you in. Haven't we treated you well all these years? For the sake of how we raised you, please—help Nora." "No." Isabella shook her head firmly. No way. She was pregnant for god's sake. The baby hadn't even settled yet. How could her body handle a blood donation? Then from behind, Desmond grabbed her shoulder hard and spoke in a low voice, "Isabella. You've already set Nora up twice. If you save her now, I'll let the past slide." She yanked herself free again, staring straight at him. Compared to her parents' desperate faces, Desmond still looked so calm, those deep eyes fixed on her like he was reading her mind. Her gaze was shaky and uncertain. It made Desmond falter for a moment. He looked away. "Do you even have a conscience, Desmond?" A loud slap echoed through the quiet corridor. Her parents' faces turned as pale as hers. Desmond's expression darkened as he ground out, "Isn't divorce what you want? Donate blood to Nora, and I'll sign the papers. I'll even throw in fifty million." Divorce. Isabella burst into a bitter laugh that made her chest ache. After a long moment, she clutched Desmond's shirt, her voice barely above a whisper, "Desmond… I'm pregnant. With your child. So now—it's the baby, or Nora. Choose."