< Chapter Fifty–Eight
Chapter Fifty–Eight
Kyle’s POV
+25 Points>
I was angry. Too freaking angry that my heart beat frantically in my chest, the loudness and speed of it ringing in my ears. However, what made it skyrocket more was realizing my heart was beating too fast out of my control. It felt like losing control over the brakes of a car while staring at a cliff just across. My chest ached with a pressure I couldn’t explain, as if my ribs were trying to crush me from the inside, the more panicked I got.
Before I knew what was happening, nurses swarmed around me, their voices clashing with the shrill sound of the heart monitor. Through the blur, I caught sight of my mother. Her hands trembled, and her eyes were red and wet. She kept repeating my name like a mantra, as if that could will my heartbeat back into rhythm.
Lillian, however, stood near the window, arms folded, her expression tight with distaste. She wasn’t crying. No, she was glaring, as if she would rather be anywhere but here.
“Kyle, I need you to stay calm. I’m going to give you something to help you relax.”
I heard Dr. Deen’s reassuring yet professional voice before I felt the prick in my arm, immediately followed by the sensation of something cold and heavy seeping into my veins.
Within seconds, the pressure inside me started to dull. My heart remained thudding, but not as wildly. My mind slowly grew foggy, so I couldn’t focus on one thought or stay completely aware of my surroundings.
“He’s stable,” the doctor muttered, exhaling as if he’d been holding his own breath.
My mom sagged against my bed, tears falling freely as she reached for my hand. “Kyle, baby, you scared me…Oh God, You’re okay.” I could feel my mother’s hands trembling as she brushed my sweat–matted hair from my forehead, whispering those words over and over, like a chant, as if she could convince herself of the lie if she continued.
I wanted to speak, to say something, anything, or at least push her pressure from my body, but the weight of exhaustion and the effect of the medicine settled deep into my bones, slowing everything down.
“What happened here?” A voice boomed, stilling all noises.
I turned slightly. Harold Banks had arrived. My father. The man who only showed up when things were either too far gone, too profitable, or too disastrous to ignore. His presence filled the room like a thunderstorm. He didn’t even glance at Lillian, who stood frozen in front of him like a shocked cat, clearly about to storm out before he entered. His gaze swept past her
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<Chapter Fifty–Eight
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like she was a piece of furniture and landed on the people behind her, on me, and on my mother, who was still hovering at my side.
Then suddenly, the pressure on my bed lifted, and I watched my mother rush into my father’s arms, burying her face on his chest, sobbing as she clung to him. “It’s his heart again. They said he’s not producing enough blood. His organs are failing, Harold… Don’t… don’t let me lose my only child.” She cried into his chest, while I just watched, all numbed up.
My father didn’t say anything for a minute. He just stood there, his arms firm around her, while his cold eyes locked on the doctor as if speaking with them. The damn proud man didn’t raised his brow or show any sign.
However, Dr. Deen, knowing my father too well, adjusted his overall. “Kyle has severe aplastic anemia.” He explained. “We believed this was a side effect of his medication. However, his bone marrow is failing. It’s not producing enough red blood cells, platelets, or white cells. Without treatment, his body will continue to deteriorate.”
“And?” Harold asked, his tone flat.
“A bone marrow transplant,” the doctor said. “We need a bone marrow transplant to begin his treatment, preferably from a close….”
“Then why are you still here? Why the hell haven’t you begun his treatment?” Harold snapped.
The doctor, flustered by the disruption, opened his mouth, but Regina beat him to it.
“Because of her,” She choked out with anger, pointing a trembling finger at Lillian. “Because the ungrateful witch wouldn’t let Neo be tested!”
Lillian’s mouth fell open in protest, but before she could utter a word, Harold’s cold voice sliced through the air, his gaze unwavering from the doctor, not even sparing Lillian a glance.
“What is she saying?” That was all he asked, and the doctor went off again, talking nonstop like a walkie–talkie someone forgot to turn off.
“I’ve already explained the urgency. Kyle’s heart is overcompensating, working twice as hard. Without quick intervention, it’s not just his heart at risk. His other organs will begin to show signs of failure. He needs a transplant. And right now, the only viable donor we can access quickly… is his child.” The doctor let the last words hang in the air.
There was a moment of silence in the room. Even from where I was lying, I could see the veins bulging on my father’s forehead. Then, his hand slid into his left pocket to pull out his phone. After a few taps, his personal assistant and bodyguard stepped inside, posture bowed in silent respect.
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“Bring Neo here. Now.” He commanded.
“No, you can’t…” Lillian spun around, eyes wide. “You can’t just….he’s my son!”
+25 Points
My father didn’t even look at her as he spoke. “He is my grandson, which makes him mine as well.” He snapped, silencing Lillian. “And if you think for a second I’ll let your ego cost my son his life, you’re as deluded as you are dramatic.”
The door shut behind the guard.
Lillian looked like she might combust. She was fuming. Clenching and unclenching her fists like she wanted to throw herself at the guards. But she didn’t dare. Not in front of Harold Banks. There is nothing my father wouldn’t do to have his way, especially if he doesn’t like someone. And she knew he didn’t like her. He never hid that fact.
The room fell into silence again. While everyone waited for the test result, as Neo was brought in within minutes, I was fading in and out of consciousness, my body trembling under the weight of everything. Yet, I forced myself to stay awake. I might not be strong enough to fight the slurring effect of the medication administered to counter my father’s decision, but I could at least try to remain alert to hear the result.
As much as I hated this, I knew it was the only way to stay alive and strong to accomplish everything I’d been silently fighting for. All I needed to do was accept it and pray my son wouldn’t experience any side effects like Ava did.
Ava.
My heart constricted painfully again.
How I wish….
The door swung open, and I turned my head to see Neo clinging nervously to one of the guards. His little face was pale as he stared at the room filled with adults, all looking seconds away from breaking. My eyes roved all over his body as if looking for any sign of discomfort.
Lillian rushed to him, smoothing the hair from his face before snatching him away from the guard. And of course, she did so not without throwing a hot glare at Harold and Regina, who were more focused on the doctor stepping into the room with a file in hand, making the atmosphere even tenser and colder than it already was.
“Well?” my father snapped.
The doctor inhaled slowly. “Neo is not a suitable donor.”
The air went still. Everything slowed.
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What?
+25 Points
My eyes, which I had been forcing to stay open, snapped wide instantly without a fight, even the fog in my mind cleared in a flash.
That couldn’t be.
That made no sense at all.
I’d tested Neo. Not just once but twice. The first was when Lillian was still pregnant,
conducted with the knowledge of Lillian and my family. Again, after he was born, it was done secretly by me. The results had confirmed it all. Neo was mine.
So how the hell….
“What do you mean by not compatible?” Regina demanded, her voice sharp, her eyes trained on Lillian, who looked… stunned. Panicked, even.
Harold didn’t move. His eyes narrowed to slits, lips pressed into a thin line. His gaze remained glued to the doctor. “Explain.”
The doctor nodded quickly, sensing the sudden shift in the room.
“I understand this is confusing,” he began. “So let me walk you through it clearly. When we search for a bone marrow donor, we’re not just looking for a relative, we’re looking for someone whose HLA markers match closely. These are proteins on the surface of most cells in the body. They help the immune system identify which cells belong to you and which are not.”
He glanced around, then continued.
“Each person inherits half of their HLA markers from each parent. However, a person can share DNA with someone and still not be a match. Compatibility depends on which HLA combinations were inherited.”
“So are you saying he is Kyle’s son or not?” Regina cut in, her voice sharp, and Dr. Deen stood confused for a moment.
“Yes. Biologically, Neo is Kyle’s son. However, in Neo’s case, the HLA markers he inherited from both parents don’t match closely enough. That means his immune system wouldn’t accept Kyle’s marrow, and Kyle’s wouldn’t accept his. Attempting the transplant would result in rejection or worse, graft–versus–host disease. It would be life–threatening.”
Lillian let out a breath. I knew because, for some reason, my eyes had wandered to her in that
exact moment.
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Was it relief?
+25 Points
I didn’t know. I didn’t want to know. All I could think about was how utterly empty I felt.
I had nothing. No strength to talk. No hope to hold on to. It was like every time I tried to grasp it, hope slipped right through my fingers.
“Then use mine. I’m his mother. I’ll do it.” My mother said, reaching for me again.
But I was too numb to feel anything.
“We’ve already gone over this,” the doctor said gently. “You and your husband are not eligible due to your age and possible health conditions. It could put you in critical condition.”
“Do I look like I care?” she snapped, tears flying from her eyes with the force of her words.
But Harold was silent. Too silent. So I looked at him, and found his eyes already on mine. It was a long, hard, calculating gaze that made the back of my neck prickle.
I knew that look.
He wasn’t just thinking. He was plotting. And the thought of that made me uneasy.
“Doctor,” he said finally, voice low and almost too calm as he tore his gaze from mine, “step
outside with me.”
“Harold…” my mother called softly, but he just reached out and gave her hand a quick
squeeze.
“I’ll be back,” he whispered. Then he left, with the doctor quietly following him out.
As the door clicked shut behind them, I couldn’t shake the feeling pressing against my chest.
He was up to something. I could feel it, like a storm brewing deep under the sea. And whatever it was… it wasn’t going to be simple, because I knew my father.
He never did anything without a reason. He would go to any lengths if it benefited him. And I was that to him, his only son. His legacy. He would do anything to keep me alive and healthy enough to carry that legacy forward.
And because of that…I feared what he might do this time.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
