Chapter 2

Iris Holloway POV

On the hospital bed, Jace Holloway leaned into Liam Sterling's embrace, his hands tightly wrapped around the man's waist.

And Liam Sterling not only didn't push him away but lowered his head, pressing his slightly cool lips gently to Jace Holloway's forehead.

It was a kiss full of comfort and affection.

My mind went blank with a "boom," and it felt as if all the blood in my body had been drained in an instant.

Liam Sterling was bisexual; this was an open secret in New York's upper echelons. But after our marriage, he had led a clean life, never involved in any scandals.

I thought he only loved me…

Yet now, my husband was holding my own younger brother, his eyes filled with a deep affection I had never witnessed.

"Liam, can the baby in Iris Holloway's belly really save me?" Jace Holloway looked up, tears still clinging to the corners of his eyes.

Liam Sterling's slender fingers ran through his hair, his tone firm: "Yes. The doctor said that once the baby is born, a stem cell transplant using the umbilical cord blood will completely cure your illness."

"But will Iris Holloway agree? She dislikes me so much."

"She doesn't need to agree." Liam Sterling's gaze turned cold, radiating bone-chilling frost. "She just needs to give birth to the child. I went to such lengths to marry her, gave her the title of Mrs. Sterling, and gave her the love and career she desired. She has no room to refuse."

The meal box slipped from my hands.

A muffled "thud" echoed, especially jarring in the silent corridor.

The sounds from the ward ceased abruptly.

I frantically covered my mouth, tears falling without warning.

So, all of this was a carefully orchestrated deception!

He married me, doted on me, put me on a pedestal, not because he loved me.

But because I was a perfect vessel, capable of bearing the medicine that would save his beloved.

I stumbled backward, then turned and ran frantically out.

The corridor lights were stark and blinding. I felt as if my heart was being brutally torn apart by an invisible hand, the pain so intense that even my breaths tasted of blood.

My proud love, the child I joyfully anticipated, all of it was a sacrifice prepared for Jace Holloway.

I don't know how I got back to the villa.

I collapsed onto the cold floor, looking at the room full of famous paintings and antiques Liam Sterling had collected for me, and suddenly felt incredibly nauseous.

My stomach churned, and I rushed into the bathroom, throwing up violently.

The person in the mirror was pale and disheveled.

I touched my swollen abdomen, feeling the faint kicks within, my heart twisting in agony.

"Baby…" I murmured, tears slipping through my fingers. "What should we do?"

Liam Sterling returned just before dawn.

He pushed open the bedroom door, bringing in a crisp chill. Seeing me curled up on the sofa, his brows furrowed slightly.

"Why are you sleeping here? You'll catch a cold." He walked over, instinctively reaching to pick me up.

I recoiled sharply, avoiding his touch.

Liam Sterling's hand froze in mid-air, his eyes darkening. "What's wrong? Are you upset I didn't stay with you last night?"

He sighed, his tone regaining its tenderness: "Jace's condition was critical, and Father and Mother were distraught. I had no choice but to take him to the hospital first. Be good, don't throw a tantrum."

What a perfect excuse.

What unassailable tenderness.

I looked up, staring fixedly at the handsome man before me.

"Liam Sterling." My voice was terribly hoarse. "Is it really me you love?"

Liam Sterling paused slightly, then chuckled softly, stroking my cheek with his thumb. "What nonsense are you thinking? Of course, I love you."

He lied.

I looked into his deep eyes, and the last shred of hope in my heart turned completely to ash.