Chapter 11

Her passive resistance drove Emmanuel insane. That night, he once again tormented Elena until she was utterly spent, turning her over and over in bed like he was out for revenge. Not long after, Emmanuel's phone rang. He finally let her go, got up to answer the call. Whatever was said, the guy suddenly looked like he'd hit the jackpot—he was beaming from ear to ear. The moment he hung up, he reached out again to pull Elena into his arms. She looked at him like he was completely out of touch with reality. Elena used to bend over backward for him—speaking gently, accommodating everything—and in return, he never gave her a kind look. Now that she wanted nothing more than to cut him out of her life, he just wouldn't leave her alone. Elena moved his hand away, wincing from the pain all over her body, and dragged herself to the bathroom. When she finally came back out, he was lounging at the head of the bed, phone in hand, looking elated and talking in a voice so gentle it made her nauseous. The look on his face made it obvious he was talking to Lilith. She could vaguely hear Lilith's sugary tone: "Emmanuel, I'm scared... Will it hurt?" "Don't worry. There's nothing to be scared of," Emmanuel's voice was soft enough to melt butter. "The whole procedure's under general anesthesia. You won't feel a thing." "But what if the surgery fails? What if I never wake up... and I never get to see you again?" "Kidney transplants are super safe now. The risk is really low. I've got Professor Chen coming to do it—he's top of the field. He'll be here tomorrow morning. Trust me, everything will go just fine." So it was about the surgery, huh? Elena gave a barely audible scoff. The idea that tomorrow she'd be handing over her kidney to that disgusting woman made her feel sick to her stomach. But it wasn't just disgust—it was fear. The thought of being cut open had her shivering. If she had even the tiniest choice, she'd never go through with it. But she didn't. She had zero options now. Once she gave up her kidney, they'd be even. She and Emmanuel could finally be rid of each other for good. No more twisted ties, no more sick love triangles. She really didn't want to keep listening to them play out this fake fairy tale. Pulling open the bedroom door, she walked out without looking back. That night, Elena didn't fall asleep until well past midnight. Come morning, Emmanuel woke her up. He was already dressed, standing by the bed: "Stay in the villa and don't go anywhere. I'll be back for you later." "What about Tobias? Have you let him out yet?" she shot back coldly. "As long as you do what I say, there's no problem. He'll be out." "Then it's a deal, Mr. Mitchell. I hope your word means something." Her icy tone made Emmanuel frown. He turned to leave but paused at the door, spun back around, and added sharply, "Let me make one thing clear. Just like I can get Tobias out, I can put him right back in. You don't want that, so it's best if you behave." Elena stared straight into his cold eyes and let out a bitter laugh, "You want a kidney, right? I'm right here. Take it. No need for all this drama. Relax, I'm not going anywhere."