Chapter 10 One More Time
779 Words
Vincent had no choice but to agree. He had been her attending physician for seven years. He knew her temperament well enough.
In the transfusion room, Seraphina watched as the needle repeatedly drew the dark red blood from her veins. Waves of dizziness washed over her, yet her heart felt calmer than it ever had before.
"Ms. Vale, tell me immediately if you feel unwell. Your body cannot handle this. Do not push yourself," Vincent warned.
"I can continue," she replied softly. Only after the required amount of blood had been drawn for Julian did she ask them to stop.
She stood up, her steps unsteady, nearly collapsing.
Vincent looked both angry and distressed. "Ms. Vale, you treat your body far too lightly."
"Dr. Gray, please go save him," she pleaded.
She did not relax until she saw him personally carry her blood into the emergency room.
She was exhausted. She leaned against the wall, intending to crouch and rest for a moment, but her legs gave out beneath her.
Just before losing consciousness, she saw Elara rushing into the hospital.
Seraphina had thought she would die like that. But she did not.
When she opened her eyes again, she was lying in a hospital bed. She immediately grabbed the nurse's hand. "How is Julian?"
"You mean Mr. Croft?" the nurse replied. "His surgery was successful. He woke up yesterday and is resting in the next ward."
Hearing that he was safe, Seraphina finally let out a breath.
The nurse sighed softly. "He is truly fortunate. The blood bank did not have enough supply, and a kind donor happened to come in at the right time. We do not even know who it was."
Seraphina said nothing. Very few people knew she had donated blood.
Her condition did not meet the donation standards. To avoid implicating Vincent, they had kept it quiet.
At that moment, the ward door opened. Seraphina looked up in surprise to see Julian standing there.
His expression was grim. "Seraphina, come with me."
"What is it? Are you feeling unwell?" she asked anxiously.
"Not me. Elara."
"Elara?"
Julian's worry was obvious as he spoke impatiently. "Elara donated too much blood to save me. Her body cannot handle it now."
"Seraphina, you are sisters. Your blood types match. Go donate blood for her."
Seraphina was speechless. She had been the one who gave him blood. How could Elara be the one who collapsed from excessive donation?
When Julian saw her silent, his face darkened. "Seraphina, she is your own sister. Are you going to let her die?"
Seraphina opened her mouth but did not know how to explain. It was not that she was unwilling. It was that she could not.
If she donated again, she truly might never wake up. At that moment, the ward door opened again.
Elara entered, supported by a nurse. Her lips were pale, and her face looked exhausted, as though she had indeed lost a great deal of blood. Only she knew it was nothing more than carefully applied makeup.
"Julian, if Sera does not want to, forget it," Elara said weakly. "I can endure it. It is just…"
Her hand gently rested on her lower abdomen. A shy sweetness flashed across her face. "I do not know if the baby inside me can endure it."
Seraphina felt something inside her heart shatter. Elara was pregnant with Julian's child. He was going to be a father.
Then what was she? Her tears nearly fell.
Julian's voice turned even colder. "Seraphina, whether you agree or not, you are donating blood for Elara today."
Seraphina looked at him with reddened eyes. "If I say I am unwell too, would you still insist?"
"I can compensate you," Julian replied coldly. "You love money, do you not? I can give you one million. If that is not enough, two million. Five million."
Seraphina closed her eyes in despair. After a long silence, she opened them again and gave a faint smile. "I want ten million."
Julian's expression darkened further. "So that is it," he said bitterly. "Everything you said earlier was just an excuse. You only want money."
"Yes," she replied calmly. "I am a woman who loves money above all else. You have always known that. Your child should be worth that price." She smiled lightly.
Julian clenched his teeth so tightly that his jaw ached. "Ten million it is. If Elara is not satisfied today, you are not leaving."
He threw those words behind him and stormed out.
Seraphina watched his back disappear. In her heart, she whispered a final farewell.
'Goodbye, Julian. We will never meet again. Let everything end here.'
- Writer
