Chapter 2

Scarlett POV

I don't know if Julian heard me call out to him.

The elevator doors slowly closed before my eyes. He stood inside, holding Briar, without looking back, without reaching out to stop them.

The numbers on the elevator display steadily dropped.

I didn't waste a second, turning and rushing down the emergency stairwell to the underground parking lot.

But by the time I got there, I only saw his car speeding out of the exit, disappearing into the distance.

He just left with Briar.

Completely disregarding my mother, who was currently lying on the operating table, and me.

A chill spread from the depths of my heart. I couldn't stop trembling, my fingers stiff as I fumbled for my phone and dialed Julian's number.

The phone rang twice, then was abruptly hung up.

I dialed several more times.

This time, only a cold, robotic voice answered: "The subscriber you have dialed is unavailable."

Unavailable.

I couldn't believe it. Not only was he not answering my calls, he had deliberately turned off his phone.

The person lying on the operating table was my mother.

I dragged my jelly-like legs back to the operating room waiting area, my throat so dry I could barely speak.

"The person who promised to donate can't make it," I told the doctor. "Is there really... no other suitable kidney donor at the hospital?"

The doctor shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Scarlett, currently there isn't."

"What about mine?"

The doctor looked at me, his voice cautious and objective. "You and your mother are not biological relations. We already did compatibility tests, and it wasn't a match. Even if you were willing to donate, it couldn't be used."

I was an orphan.

Mom adopted me from a foster home, raising me little by little.

All these years, she treated me like her own daughter, never mistreating me.

My only wish was to one day earn a lot of money and repay her properly.

But now, I couldn't even find a suitable kidney for her.

My throat tightened, I could barely form a complete sentence. "Doctor... can you find a way to keep her going for a few more days..."

Before I could finish, the operating room door suddenly opened from the inside.

A nurse walked out, her expression solemn.

"I'm so sorry, Ms. Scarlett."

"We've done everything we could, but your mother... flatlined a minute ago."

In that instant, my world shattered.

Everything went black. I couldn't stand anymore, collapsing directly onto the cold floor.

After that, I don't remember much.

I moved like a numb automaton, mechanically signing all the paperwork, and sending Mom for her final arrangements.

"Mom, I'm so sorry..."

"I was useless..."

My chest felt like a vital piece of my soul had been ripped out, the pain making it almost impossible to breathe.

Clutching Mom's urn, I returned home in a daze.

The moment I collapsed onto the bed, my eyes, which hadn't closed for days, finally gave out. I fell into a fitful sleep, punctuated by sobs.

In my dream, I kept returning to the year I turned twenty.

Back then, Julian hadn't taken over the family business yet.

And I was just an unknown extra, trying to make it in the industry.

That day, we were filming a scene involving a high fall.

The safety harness suddenly malfunctioned, and I plummeted five meters straight down.

The anticipated pain never came.

I landed in a warm, strong embrace.

Looking up, I met a pair of deep, captivating eyes.

Julian Sterling.

The scion of a powerful, well-known dynasty.

He held me, looking down at my panicked expression, a light laugh in his voice. "Good thing I caught you. Otherwise, that fall would have caused quite a bit of trouble."

It was from that day on that he began to pursue me.

He appeared on set again and again, sharing the most ordinary crew meals with me.

I casually mentioned wanting to see the Northern Lights, and he arranged everything, taking me on a trip.

Because I said I didn't like the smell of smoke, he actually quit smoking.

Later, he established a film company that served only me.

Against his family's objections, he insisted on marrying me, a woman with no background.

The media called our wedding the "Wedding of the Century."

In front of everyone, he held my hand and said:

"Scarlett, in this life, I will only ever love you."

But it had only been three years.

Yet, because Briar was afraid of losing a kidney,

He abandoned my critically ill mother.