Chapter 2

The charade ended soon after.

I returned home alone to rest. By the time Julian and Seraphina came back, it was already deep into the night.

I stood by the window, watching them downstairs.

After a brief farewell, Seraphina left first.

Julian, standing there seeing her off, looked utterly reluctant to part.

The emotion in his eyes was like a torrent.

It wasn’t until Julian saw me later that he reined it in.

As if everything had just been my imagination.

But now, I saw right through Julian.

I was no longer the naive woman he could deceive and manipulate.

“Anya, if you don’t like her, you really don’t have to keep her here for my sake.”

Julian put on a show of considering my feelings.

But I felt not a shred of gratitude.

Hah, his words? Could they be trusted?

I shook my head, then simply ignored him and returned to my room.

But the next moment, Julian rushed in from behind me.

Before I could react, he had me pinned to the bed.

His eyes were filled with raw desire.

But I’d already seen through Julian.

And I knew that, from beginning to end, he only saw me as a tool to make money.

Because of this, I almost instinctively pushed him away.

“It’s not convenient these past few days.”

I just made a quick excuse to brush him off.

Julian’s face showed a hint of displeasure, but in the blink of an eye, he put on a happy expression.

“Hmm, then another day. Oh, by the way, Anya, I’ve just become the wealthiest man in the nation, and it’s all thanks to your help. How about we throw a celebration party? I’ll let everyone know about all your hard work behind the scenes all these years?”

Julian changed the subject.

But I had no interest whatsoever in a so-called celebration party.

I just mumbled a couple of vague replies.

“We’ll see.”

The night passed without a word.

The next morning, a call from the hospital broke the silence.

“Hello, Ms. Anya Reed. We’ve found a kidney donor for your Grandma.”

At that, I rushed to the hospital in a frantic hurry.

When I arrived, Grandma Helen was sitting by her hospital bed, as lively and cheerful as ever.

“Sweetheart, why are you so sweaty? You’re so grown up, yet you’re still so clumsy and scatterbrained?”

Grandma Helen’s tone carried a hint of scolding, but her eyes were full of concern.

“I’m just so happy, Grandma! Do you know your illness can be cured? They found a matching kidney for you!”

“I know, I know. Look how excited you are.”

“Of course! Grandma, you’ve been in the hospital for so long, I’ve missed you so much! Oh, and for the surgery, you have to be ready…”

“I know, I know. You nag more than an old woman! It’s just a small operation, don’t worry so much.”

Grandma Helen stroked my hair, her face full of doting affection.

Seeing her looking so relaxed, my worries gradually faded.

In my last life, Grandma Helen’s surgery was incredibly successful.

I remembered she had passed away peacefully in her sleep many years later.

Because of this, I slowly let go of the anxiety in my heart.

Meanwhile, Julian, who had accompanied me, also chimed in with some empty assurances.

“Anya, Grandma’s always been tough as nails. Don’t worry, this surgery will go perfectly.”

As Julian’s words fell, I suddenly felt a surge of unease for some reason.

I turned to look at him.

He still maintained a gentle and humble demeanor.

But the more he did, the more panicked I became.

Ultimately, I didn’t overthink it, and the surgery began soon after.

I stood outside the operating room, waiting for several hours.

Until the doctor opened the door and walked over to me, his face grim.

“During the surgery, an unexpected rejection reaction occurred. The patient…”

“Please prepare for the worst.”