Chapter 5

Alyssa couldn't believe her ears. She felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck her. Her lips moved slightly, but no words came out. Agonizing pain surged through every bone in her body. Seeing her in this state, Hendrix frowned and finally softened his tone. "It's just an apology. You won't be harmed or inconvenienced. Why are you being so stubborn?" Those words chilled her to the bone. She was trembling and about to speak when the butler suddenly burst into the room with panic written all over his face. "Mr. Ferguson! Something terrible happened! Ms. Hale jumped off a building. She's in the emergency room now!" Hendrix's face went pale in an instant. He dragged Alyssa with him and raced to the hospital. He even ran three red lights along the way. The red light outside the operating room glowed ominously. A doctor rushed out and said, "The patient has a ruptured kidney and needs an immediate transplant. According to the organ registry, only one match is available, and that is Ms. Alyssa Sonnet." Hendrix froze for a moment before whipping his head around to look at Alyssa, who instinctively took two steps back. But in the next second, he stepped forward and grabbed her hand. In a tight voice, like he was holding back a lot of emotions, Hendrix said, "Nicki jumped because of you…" Alyssa trembled and stared back at him incredulously. Was he serious about wanting her to give Nicole a kidney? Hendrix held on to her wrist tightly and continued, "If you hadn't arranged for her to be assaulted, would she be driven to such extremes? This is rightful atonement on your part." Alyssa flung his hand away and retorted hoarsely, "Hendrix, I'll say it one last time. I don't owe her anything! I never sent anyone to hurt her, and I will never donate my kidney to her!" She turned to leave, but four bodyguards blocked her path. Alyssa's blood ran cold. "Hendrix Ferguson, do you even know what you're doing?" Hendrix's gaze darkened. He looked at the doctor and said, "Prepare for surgery." "Let me go!" Alyssa shouted. She struggled wildly, her nails digging into the bodyguards' arms until they bled. Resisting their clutches, she sobbed and screamed, "Hendrix! You bastard!" They pinned her to the gurney. Then, they restrained her wrists and ankles with thick straps. As the anesthesiologist approached with a syringe, a memory flashed through her mind. Last year, she had accidentally cut her finger while slicing fruit. Hendrix had flown back from overseas overnight just because of that. He cradled her bleeding hand with reddened eyes as he said, "Alyssa, I'd rather it be me in pain." But now, he was the one who forced her onto the operating table to take her kidney. When the needle pierced her vein, her entire body convulsed in pain. It wasn't the physical agony. It was due to her heart being ripped in half. As the anesthetic took hold, her consciousness faded. Through the haze, she saw Hendrix standing at the operating room door. She couldn't hear what he was saying, but she saw his lips moving soundlessly. He seemed to be saying, "Alyssa, forgive me." A single tear slipped from the corner of her eye onto the white pillowcase. She screamed inwardly, "There won't be forgiveness. I will never forgive you!" … The pain from the surgery woke Alyssa at 3:00 a.m. Her kidney wound throbbed with a burning intensity as the anesthesia wore off. The hospital room was silent, save for the steady beeping of the monitors. Alyssa turned her head with difficulty. The sky outside was still dark. Joshua came in with a glass of warm water. "Are you awake, Ms. Sonnet? Mr. Ferguson… had to attend to something urgent. He asked me to take care of you." Alyssa smiled as tears welled up in her eyes. She had expected this outcome all along. As Joshua helped her up to drink some water, her phone buzzed. A flood of message notifications popped up, and they were all from Nicole. The first photo showed Hendrix peeling fruit for Nicole with an incredibly tender gaze. The second showed them lying on the same hospital bed with Nicole nestled in his arms. Hendrix's arm was wrapped around her shoulders. They were so close that it was painful to look at. Then, there was a video. In it, Nicole cried heart-wrenchingly, "Hendrix… Every time I close my eyes, I see those thugs touching and kissing me…" She tugged at Hendrix's sleeve. "Kiss me, please? Help me forget all about it…" Hendrix frowned and pushed her away. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm married." Nicole amped up her piteous act immediately. "I know you're married! I know you only love Alyssa. But don't forget that it's because of her that I ended up like this! I saved you. Can't you… just repay me?" Hendrix remained silent for a long time. After a while, he leaned down and kissed her. It wasn't a brief peck but a deep, lingering kiss. Nicole responded eagerly by circling her arms around his neck. The video timestamp showed that the kiss lasted five full minutes. The phone slipped from Alyssa's fingers and hit the floor with a heavy thud. The screen stayed lit and frozen on the image of Hendrix cupping Nicole's face in a passionate kiss. Suddenly, she couldn't breathe. She instinctively clutched her side, where the stitches were. Her fingers came into contact with a cold, wet patch. It was blood. Her wound had reopened, and blood seeped through the gauze. Yet, she didn't feel any pain. The flesh wound was nothing compared to the feeling of her heart being ripped from her chest. Alyssa curled up and buried her face into the pillow. Soon, the sheets were soaked. But it was hard to determine if it was wet with tears or blood.