Chapter 19

“Miss Harvey gave me this phone number - she told me to contact this person should she die on the operating table during the liver transplant procedure.” Aidan sucked in a sharp breath as he slowly clenched his hands into fists. “Who is this person?” “Carlin Gardner, the best perfumer in all of East Salavainstan.” “What else did she say?” Aidan asked further. “She told me not to let her father or her brother know anything if she passes away...she also said that she’ll leave everything that she’d inherited from her grandmother to Carlin should she pass away, and that Carlin will help out with everything regarding her father and her brother. She also said that…” Travis abruptly trailed off, as though as he was thinking about whether or not he should continue. Aidan noticed this and urged him on rather impatiently, “Go on, I’m listening.” Travis paused for a moment before he opened his mouth to speak again, “She also said...that she hopes that Carlin would take the divorce agreement that you’d signed and burn it should she pass away.” Aidan unclenched his fists, his eyes burning with anger at this revelation - Eliana is so vicious and treacherous that wants to get rid of me entirely even in death! Eliana, oh, Eliana - you utterly despicable and scheming woman! Alas, it’s a pity that you won’t succeed with your plan...after all, a liver transplant is a minor procedure. You can’t possibly die from it… Travis cleared his throat slightly as he noticed his friend’s face changed - “Well, I did say that this might not be something that you would like to hear, but you insisted…” Aidan was silent for a moment before he spoke up, “Alright, thank you - you may head back now.” Travis cocked a brow, “What? Don’t you want to have a drink together?” Aidan glared at him in response. Travis held his hands up in surrender as he slowly backed away, “Woah, woah, okay, okay, I get it. Alright, I’ll get going now - call me if you need anything, alright?” Aidan did not say anything in response. Just as Travis was about to walk out of the door, Aidan spoke up - “You did mention that a liver transplant isn’t a major procedure, did you?” Knowing just what Aidan was concerned about, Travis replied, “Yes, it usually isn’t a major procedure, but that only applies to healthy people - this procedure, however, might be potentially life-threatening to Eliana given her current condition. Aidan sucked in a sharp breath as he further questioned, “So are you saying that she might actually die if she were to undergo this procedure?” Travis nodded, “Yes, that’s right - in fact, she’s in no shape for any sort of surgery or operation at all. So it’s either you find another liver donor at this short notice, or you let go of either Eliana or Laura - you can only choose one of them.” Aidan couldn’t believe his ears - So he’s saying...that Eliana...that woman might actually die...no, she can’t die, I won’t allow it! Just then, the sound of porcelain being smashed onto the ground sounded from outside the door - Travis opened it to reveal a tearful Laura, looking at Aidan in an extremely devastated and pitiful manner. There were broken pieces of white porcelain around her feet, along with chicken soup spilled all over the floor. Aidan’s expression hardened at the sight of Laura - “Why are you here?” He asked in a rather cold and unwelcoming voice. Laura did not respond to him - instead, she turned to Travis and asked in a frantic voice, “So what you mean is...Ellie will die if she donates her liver to me - but I’ll die if she doesn’t donate it to me, is that right? Is that what you’re saying?!” Travis didn’t know how to answer - he looked at Aidan pleadingly, as though he was trying to ask his friend to help him out. However, before Aidan could even say anything, Laura turned around and ran out of the study to Eliana’s room. Travis turned to Aidan and frowned, “What’s up with her?” Aidan walked past him and replied, “You may head back first, I’ll handle this.” He then followed Laura where she’d ran off into Eliana’s room. Laura sprang onto Eliana and pulled off the covers that the latter had over her body as soon as she entered her room. “Eliana, get up.” Laura demanded. Eliana groaned as she glared at her cousin in disgust - just then, she noticed Aidan walking in right after Laura. She sighed internally - Well, here we go again, I guess. At this point, I don’t whether Aidan misunderstands me or not - I really don’t care anymore. And so, Eliana ran her fingers through her hair in frustration as she asked tiredly, “What the hell do you want now, Laura?” Laura grabbed Eliana by the wrists, shaking them vigorously as she bawled, “Ellie, please, please just go and leave this place - I don’t want you to stay here anymore, you’ll only suffer because of me! Please leave this place and never, ever come back again - I just want you to be safe and alright!” Eliana gawked at Laura, who seemed to be in a crazed-like state - Ha, does she think that I’m here by choice? I want to leave just as much as she wants me to! Just then, Aidan lunged forward to peel Laura off Eliana - “Alright, that’s enough, Laura - you may go now. You don’t have to worry about Eliana, let me take care of her.” Laura shook off Aidan’s grip on her and looked back at him - she then spread her arms and planted herself in front of Eliana, making it look as though she was protecting and defending her cousin from him. “Aidan, I know that you don’t like my aunt, but she raised me ever since I was young - I’m indebted to her. So please, Aidan - spare her daughter’s life and take mine instead. I can’t let you do this to Ellie.” Laura then turned around and held Eliana’s hands - she sobbed, “Ellie, I’m so, so sorry for insisting that you donate your liver to me before - I didn’t know that it meant that only one of us would live. I don’t want your liver anymore - you may leave.” What? Does this mean that...Aidan knew that I might die from the procedure but still insisted that I go ahead with it anyway? I mean, it’s not like I would mind dying...that’ll honestly probably be the best thing that could happen to me now, actually...but to know that Aidan wanting me to go ahead with it even though he knew right from the very beginning that I could lose my life...as though my life means nothing at all...it’s just… Eliana looked up at Aidan sadly as she asked, trying her best to cover the shakiness in her voice, “Is this true? What she said?”