Chapter 4

Julian rushed in, his face instantly contorted into a mask of pure horror as he saw me slumped on the floor, the pool of blood at his feet, and the pulled-out IV needle on the bedsheet.

He quickly came forward, grabbing my arm. "Elara Thompson! Are you insane?! Do you have any idea what you're doing?"

His grip was so strong it hurt.

I looked up at his face, etched with concern and fury, and suddenly smiled.

"What am I doing? Julian, why don't you ask yourself what you're doing?"

I pointed at the IV bag still standing on the bedside table. "What's in there? 'Nutrient solution'? Do you take me for a fool?"

"What exactly is that?! Why are you trying to kill our baby?!" I practically screamed.

Julian's expression froze, panic in his eyes quickly replaced by anguish.

"Elara, calm down, it's not what you think."

He tried to hug me, but I shoved him away.

"It's not what I think? Then what is it? Tell me!"

Amanda stood at the doorway, watching our play-acting with cold indifference.

"Julian, why waste words on her? Since she's seeking death, then let her..."

"Mom!"

Julian abruptly cut her off, glancing back at her.

Amanda's face shifted, but she finally clamped her mouth shut, though the venom in her eyes remained undiluted.

Julian turned back to me, a pained expression on his face.

He knelt down, taking my hand, his voice hoarse. "Elara, I'm sorry, I've been hiding it from you."

"We are, indeed, having twins."

My heart skipped a beat.

"But..." He took a deep breath, his eyes reddened. "Through the Thorne family's most advanced genetic screening, we discovered... we discovered that the boy has a very severe congenital heart defect."

"The doctors said he wouldn't live past one year old. And his presence would severely impact the healthy baby, and even you."

"So... we decided to only keep the healthy one."

He spoke tearfully, but I could sense his hidden triumph.

"Bullshit! My heart beats stronger than anyone's! He's just trying to find an excuse to kill me!"

The fierce voice, though weak, was full of conviction.

Watching him fabricate lies without batting an eye, a chill settled in my heart.

I lowered my head, my shoulders began to shake, faking sobs.

"Really? Our baby... he..."

I sobbed uncontrollably, my body trembling.

Julian immediately pulled me into his arms, gently patting my back.

"I'm sorry, Elara. I didn't want to upset you, that's why I kept it hidden. We were doing it for your own good, for the good of our healthy baby."

I buried my face in his chest, and from the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Amanda at the doorway. The tense lines on her face finally relaxed, and she even gave Dr. Miller a knowing look.

They both thought I believed him.

I continued to "sadly" cry, my mind, however, racing.

Heart defect?

That lie was too clumsy.

But why would they tell such a lie?

Why were they so insistent on getting rid of the boy and keeping the girl?

"Will you really die?"

The soft, whiny voice sounded incredibly sad.

"Don't listen to his nonsense."

The fierce voice held a hint of impatience, but more soothing.

"We're boy-girl twins. They're not afraid of me being sick; they're afraid of me."

Afraid of him?

Why would they be afraid of an unborn infant?

Behind this, there had to be a much bigger secret.