Chapter 8

The assistant stood at the door of the blood donation room and heard the nurse's scream. He was struck as if by lightning and rushed inside. His gaze fell on Lawrence's pale face, which had once been handsome but was now completely bloodless, like a cold sculpture. A needle was still inserted into Lawrence's wrist, but the blood had stopped flowing. On the instrument's screen, the straight line was jarringly stark. “Lawrence... is dead?” The assistant murmured, as if unable to believe what he was seeing. Though he was not a supporter of Lawrence—and even harbored deep distaste for him—a complex mix of emotions welled up within him at that moment. He knew Lawrence had “betrayed” Aaliyah, that he was considered a man of questionable character, but... over the years, the assistant had witnessed Miss Bailey's feelings for him. That torment of love and hate, that unbearable pain—he understood it better than anyone. Now that Lawrence was dead, what would Miss Bailey's reaction be? The assistant’s mind was in chaos. He instinctively shouted at the nurse, “Quick! Quick, save him! Do whatever it takes to bring him back!” The nurse shook her head, her voice heavy. “He’s already stopped breathing. He had cancer to begin with, and after losing so much blood, there’s no chance to save him anymore.” “Cancer?!” The assistant froze. He had never heard that Lawrence had cancer. How could he have cancer? He had just been released from prison not long ago. How could he... At that moment, hurried footsteps echoed from the end of the corridor. Aaliyah strode over, her brows furrowed, her voice tinged with fatigue: “Jason has been released from the resuscitation room, thanks to the blood donated by that person. Arrange for additional compensation.” The assistant’s heart sank. He glanced at Lawrence lying on the bed, then at Aaliyah, unsure of how to speak. Aaliyah’s gaze swept over the blood donation room, seemingly unaware of the person on the bed. She coldly urged, “What? Is there a problem?” The assistant clenched his teeth but ultimately did not reveal the truth. He hurried to the bedside, covered Lawrence's face with a white sheet, then turned to Aaliyah and said: “Miss Bailey, the blood donor... has died.” Aaliyah's footsteps halted, her brows furrowing slightly in surprise, but she quickly regained her composure. She spoke indifferently: “Died? Then comfort his family properly and give them more money.” The assistant nodded, but his heart was filled with mixed emotions. Aaliyah's reaction was so cold because she believed the deceased was just an insignificant stranger. But... It was Lawrence. The man she had once deeply loved, the man she had hated for so many years. “Miss Bailey...” The assistant opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something else, but Aaliyah had already turned and left, leaving only a cold statement: “Jason is waiting for me. Come over once you've finished here.” The assistant stood there, eventually choosing to silently watch Aaliyah's figure fade into the distance at the end of the corridor. He glanced down at Lawrence, covered in white cloth, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him. He knew that Lawrence's death meant there would be no further obstacles to Miss Bailey and Mr. Cox's wedding. But he also understood that Aaliyah’s feelings for Lawrence were far more complex than she let on. “Lawrence…” The assistant murmured softly, a sense of inexplicable sadness welling up in his heart. “Don’t blame me. Miss Bailey is about to marry Mr. Cox. Her life is about to enter a new chapter. Whether you live or not, you must completely step out of her life.” The assistant took a deep breath and turned to leave the blood donation room. He knew he had to handle Lawrence's affairs quickly and not let Miss Bailey know about his death. He called the funeral home and arranged for them to cremate Lawrence's body. However, just as he was about to hang up, a nurse walked over, looking hesitant. “Sir, there's something I must tell you,” the nurse whispered. “Before he passed away, Mr. Lawrence gave me a phone number and said he had booked a sky burial two weeks ago. He asked us to help him fulfill it.” The assistant froze, shocked. Sky burial? Why would Lawrence book a sky burial? Did he already know he was going to die two weeks ago?