Chapter 53
Eleanor hit the table, shattering the porcelain vase, and passed out.
Instantly, Anna and Andrew cried out.
Fiona originally wanted to shield Anna. When she saw what was caused by her action, she was stunned.
Eleanor was rushed to the hospital.
Despite the excruciating pain wracking her body, Stella fought to stay strong.
The entire family was consumed by worry in the hospital.
Stella felt she was on the verge of collapsing into unconsciousness. Just in time, someone held her.
“Lionel.” When Anna spotted Lionel, she immediately stood up.
“I’ll be right back,” Lionel said as he hurried away with Stella in his arms.
Max frowned slightly and said, “Anna, wait here. I’ll go to check.”
Anna couldn’t sit still any longer and bolted after them.
As Lionel examined Stella, he noticed the needle marks on her arm. His eyes brimmed with apology and guilt, shadowed by bitter self–reproach and
deep regret.
Lionel was never one to cry easily, but in an instant, tears welled up and spilled down his face.
He said, “Stella, I’m so sorry. I knew you weren’t well, but I still let Henry draw your blood. I had no choice. My father-”
“What did you say?” In utter disbelief, Max burst into the room, seized Lionel by the collar, and stared at him.
Seeing this, Anna hurried over to intervene. She said, “Max, let go of Lionel.”
“Let him say what exactly he did?” Max demanded.
Anna said, “Even if Lionel did something, he must have had his reasons. Max, let’s hear him out.”
Anna desperately tried to pry Max’s fingers open from Lionel’s collar, but no matter how hard she struggled, his grip remained ironclad.
Lionel gave Anna a weary look and said, “It’s alright, Anna, Step aside. This is between Max and me.”
Anna remained uneasy.
But Lionel said, “Max, I wronged Stella. When I had the nurse drug her, and when I drew her blood, I felt my heart was bleeding.”
Anna stared at Lionel in disbelief. “Lionel, why did you do that?”
“I had no choice. Henry was blackmailing my father. I had to do it,” Lionel said.
Max gradually released his grip on Lionel’s collar. But as something suddenly occurred to him, he grabbed it again with renewed fury.
Max said, “Lionel, Stella trusts you more than anyone. I let it slide after what you did to her before, but now you’ve hurt her again. Have you no humanity
left at all?”
Lionel said, “You’re right. I’m a monster. I always end up hurting her. But Max, if you were in my shoes, what would you have done?”
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Max was stumped. He thought, ‘Had it been my dad… No, even now, the Hayes family still ends up sacrificing Stella
Max gradually loosened his grip.
Anna comforted Lionel by saying, “Lionel, this isn’t your fault. Henry is truly wicked. You were just being a devoted son. How could anyone expect your te stand by and watch Mr. Charles Quinn suffer?
“If anyone is to blame, it’s me. Even though Stella and I are twins, our blood types don’t match. If it were possible, I’d gladly let you draw my blood
instead.”
“Not yours,” Max blurted out without a second thought. “You have poor health. Drawing your blood would be like killing you.”
Everyone fell silent.
After a long moment of silence, something dawned on Max. He looked at Stella, who lay motionless on the bed, and asked, “How is she?”
Lionel replied, “After having so much blood drawn, she is extremely weak now. She actually needs a transfusion herself.”
Max said, “Then do that.”
After all, Stella was his sister. Even though the Hayes family had gone through so much because of Stella, Max couldn’t just stand by and watch her suffer.
Lionel said, “But her blood type is extremely rare. I’ve been searching for a match in blood banks for days, but it’s nearly impossible to find.”
“What kind of blood type is that rare?” Max asked.
Lionel answered, “The golden blood type, or to say, the Rh–null blood type.”
Anna had never even heard of such a blood type. She asked, “Why does Stella have it, but I don’t?”
Lionel explained, “There are fewer than fifty documented cases of this golden blood type worldwide. I’ve traced it back to your great–grandfather. This rare trait is bound to reappear in later generations, and Stella happens to inherit it.”
This blood type was even rarer than other Rh–negative blood types. No wonder Stella was their only hope back then.
Anna asked hesitantly, “If Stella doesn’t get the transfusion, will she…
Lionel remained silent.
Max abruptly strode out.
Anna asked, “Max, where are you going?”
Max said, “I’ll go get that blood. She’s not dying on my watch.”
Anna clenched her fists tightly as she watched Max’s back.
No one else noticed, but Anna had seen it long ago: Although Max always seemed to dislike Stella, his lips would curl into an
she was near.
Max might have seemed to favor Anna, but Anna could keenly sense the deep affection he had for Stella.
Anna’s deepest fear was that everyone in the Hayes family would come to adore Stella instead of her.
Anna thought, ‘So, don’t blame me. I’m just scared.‘
She asked, “Lionel, is there anything I can do to help?”
Lionel gazed at Stella lying unconscious on the bed. She wouldn’t be waking up anytime soon. She needed substantial rest to recover
ary smile whenever
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Chapter 53
Finding a matching blood donor would be ideal. Otherwise, it was all up to fate whether she could wake up or not.
Lionel said, “You can go visit Mrs. Eleanor Hayes. I’ll stay here with Stella.”
Anna said, “Mom and Dad are with Grandma. I’ll stay here with you. Lionel, I know
you need someone right now.
Anna clasped Lionel’s hand and rested her head on his shoulder. She said, “Lionel, don’t worry. No matter what happens, I’ll always be right here by your side. You’ll never have to face anything alone.”
Lionel looked at Anna and was still moved.
When Lionel realized he had wronged Stella, he was consumed by
remors
He tried to find her several times, but to no avail.
For a period, he neglected his work. When his parents found out, they scolde
I him back to his senses.
His parents told him back then, “If you can’t focus on your work, then maybe you shouldn’t stay at the hospital. Didn’t you become a doctor because you couldn’t stand seeing Stella suffer?”
Though Stella rarely fell ill, every time Lionel saw her in pain, it tore at his heart more deeply than anyone else’s.
His parents also said, “If Stella comes back and needs you, how would you possibly help her if you’re no longer a doctor?”
Therefore, Lionel kept working while searching for Stella. During that time, Anna stayed silently by his side. She just quietly kept him company.
Gradually, as Lionel came to terms with the possibility that Stella might never return and, unwilling to let Anna down, he agreed to engage with Anna.
Fate always seemed to play cruel jokes. Just as Lionel had finally let go and was ready to embrace a new future, Stella reappeared.
But before Stella returned, Anna sought Lionel out and wept uncontrollably because she was terrified that he would abandon her.
Thinking of all that Anna had sacrificed for him over the past three years, Lionel made her a solemn promise that he would never have anything to do with Stella again.
However, deep down, he couldn’t help but care about Stella.
Anna was well aware that Lionel was torn inside, but she wasn’t worried. Ever since Stella came back, no one from the Quinn family, except Lionel, had bothered to visit her.
The Quinn family had been so fond of Stella before. They even hoped she would marry Lionel one day when she grew up. But now, Stella had lost that chance for good.
