FAR GONE

Chapter 2

She is with Mr. Herrison, and Ms. Golden and Ms. Hebrew are also there with him,” the assistant said softly as she stood beside the bed.

She hesitated for a moment, then added in a careful tone, “Please do not be angry with them, because Mr. Herrison needed a lot of blood for the surgery, and they became too anxious and lost control, but they have prepared many supplements for you…”

Nathan listened quietly, and there was no change in his expression.

“It is alright,” he said calmly, his voice low but steady. “I owe them.”

He paused for a brief moment, then added in a flat tone, “This is the ninety-ninth time.”

The assistant froze, and her eyes widened in shock.

“I beg your pardon?” she asked, unable to hide her surprise.

Nathan did not answer her question directly, but his silence already carried the answer.

Ever since Micheal returned, Nathan had already understood his place, and because of that, he once brought up the matter of divorce with Aya.

However, Aya refused without hesitation.

In order to stop him from bringing it up again, she made a condition that sounded almost impossible.

She told him that she would give him his freedom if he donated his blood to Micheal one hundred times.

At that time, even she did not believe that such a condition could ever be fulfilled.

But Nathan accepted it without arguing.

Since that day, he had given his blood again and again without complaint.

Now, he had reached the ninety-ninth time.

Just one more.

One more time, and everything would be over.

He would finally be free.

Nathan took a slow and deep breath, then pushed himself out of the bed with great effort.

His body felt weak, and even standing required all the strength he had left, but he still moved forward.

He wanted to see them.

He wanted to finish this.

However, just as he took a step toward the door, it suddenly swung open.

Vivian and Ava walked in.

Ava looked at Nathan and smiled lightly as she spoke, “See, he is completely fine, so you worry too much, Aya.”

Nathan returned a faint smile, but there was a trace of bitterness in his eyes.

Every time he collapsed because of anemia, Ava would look at him with suspicion, as if he was pretending just to gain their attention.

Ever since Micheal came back, the cheerful girl who used to follow him everywhere and laugh at everything he said had disappeared completely.

What remained now was someone distant and unfamiliar.

Vivian stepped forward and looked at Nathan from head to toe before speaking in a casual tone.

“If you can already get out of bed, then you should go and buy some chocolate éclairs for me, because Micheal is craving them.”

Nathan let out a soft laugh, but there was no humor in it.

The best chocolate éclairs were sold at a bakery that was located far across the city, and even a healthy person would find the trip tiring.

If he attempted to go there in his current condition, he might not even make it back alive.

He had bought those éclairs before.

At that time, he believed Vivian liked them.

However, the moment he saw her feeding them gently to Micheal, he finally understood the truth.

It was never for her.

It was always for Micheal.

Vivian once said that she would remain single, and that Micheal alone was enough for her.

The bond she shared with Micheal was something she described as deeper than marriage, something filled with freedom and romance.

The only reason she stayed close to Nathan in the past was because Micheal was not there.

Now that Micheal had returned, everything had returned to its original place.

Micheal was the one they truly loved.

Nathan was nothing more than a substitute.

A replacement.

Nathan’s eyes slowly turned red, filled with anger and disappointment that he could no longer suppress.

However, instead of shouting, he smiled.

“If he wants it that much, then you should go and get the éclairs yourself, Ms. Hebrew,” Nathan said calmly. “This is not my responsibility.”

Vivian’s expression changed instantly.

“What did you just say?” she asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

Silence fell over the ward so suddenly that even the faint sound of the machines seemed louder than before.

Nathan looked straight into Vivian’s eyes, and for the first time, there was no obedience or hesitation in his gaze, because all that remained was quiet defiance.

Vivian froze where she stood, and disbelief slowly spread across her face.

She could not accept what had just happened.

Nathan had said no to her.

Even the assistant standing at the side widened her eyes in shock, because she had never seen Nathan refuse any of their requests before.

In the past, he would follow every order without question, and if they asked him to risk his life, he would not hesitate.

But now, everything was different.

A trace of anger slowly appeared on Vivian’s face, and her expression turned cold.

“Are you really throwing a tantrum just because of a small blood transfusion?” she asked sharply. “Micheal has just woken up, and all he wants is chocolate éclairs, yet you cannot even do something this simple for him?”

Nathan listened to her quietly, and he did not interrupt her.

However, the calm expression on his face only made the disappointment in his heart grow deeper.

At that moment, he finally understood that in their eyes, only Micheal mattered.

Even if he collapsed and died in front of them, they would not feel anything.

“Do not push him, Vivian,” a weak voice suddenly said from the doorway.

Micheal walked into the room slowly, coughing lightly, while Aya held his arm carefully as if he might fall at any moment.

His face looked pale, and his movements seemed fragile, but there was something strange in the way he carried himself.

“I should not have asked for chocolate éclairs right after waking up,” Micheal said in a low voice, as if blaming himself. “He has already given me so much blood, so you should not force him to go.”

His words sounded gentle and considerate, but the meaning behind them twisted the situation completely.

It made it seem as if Nathan was being unreasonable.

It made it seem as if refusing such a small request would make him selfish.

Then, Micheal lowered his head and bowed slightly toward Nathan.

“I am truly sorry, Nathan,” he said.

The moment the three women saw this, their expressions changed instantly.

“What are you doing, Micheal?” Aya said in a hurried voice. “You should not be bowing to him, so stand up immediately.”

Vivian and Ava quickly stepped forward and held Micheal, helping him straighten up as if they could not bear to see him lower himself like that.

“You might be the adopted son of the Keneth family and Aya’s husband,” Vivian said firmly, “but your purpose has always been to serve him.”

Ava nodded in agreement and added, “You can follow whatever he asks without question, because your feelings are not important in this matter.”

Nathan remained silent as he listened to their words.

Strangely, he did not feel shocked anymore.

Perhaps it was because he had already accepted this truth long ago.

However, his eyes stayed fixed on Micheal.

When Micheal bowed just now, no one else noticed it, but Nathan saw it clearly.

For a brief moment, Micheal lifted his head slightly, and a twisted sneer appeared on his face.

It was cold, sharp, and filled with mockery.

That expression did not belong to a weak or injured man.

It belonged to someone who was enjoying every moment of this.