CHAPTER 43: CHAPTER 43: DECEIVED FOR FIVE WHOLE YEARS

She was already a mess, taking off the headgear while pushing the wet strands clinging to her lips back.

But her emotions were too awful.

Worrying and scared, she still had to deal with Elias Warner. Even though Elias had already stormed off for a while, her tears couldn’t stop falling.

Tears intertwined with sweat, and her heart ached with a suffocating pain, pressing down on her chest.

In the past, whenever she played these games, Annelise Winter adapted well, able to wear the mascot costume and play with Luna for a long time.

But today, from the moment she saw Luna, she couldn’t take it.

The costume had already been stored in the Chinese shop downstairs, so after leaving the ward, she rushed to the store and had the lady boss cut open the necktie.

Elias Warner had tied a sailor knot, and she couldn’t untie it herself; the more she pulled, the tighter it became.

She changed into the mascot outfit and headed straight to the ward, but was told by the head nurse that Luna had already been taken to the operating room.

She ran desperately; the mascot suit was suffocating, making her feel like she was going to pass out.

Thinking she wouldn’t be able to see Luna before she went into the operating room, Annelise felt overwhelmingly guilty and sad.

Luckily, she made it in time.

But seeing her tearful daughter on the hospital bed, seeing her daughter’s thin and yellowing face - seeming slightly plumper in video calls - why, when truly seen and touched, she was still so slender?

She also saw Elias Warner by Luna’s side, holding her hand like a real father, cheering for his daughter.

That scene felt like a dream!

Surely Luna was happy at that moment!

The parents she missed most were by her side again.

What’s there to fear?

What monster couldn’t be vanquished?

This scene felt like a dream.

Annelise Winter wouldn’t have dared dream of this in her lifetime.

She even greedily wished for this moment to last forever, for all dreams to come true.

Considering simply dropping the disguise, taking off the headgear, and confessing to Elias!

Tell him, Luna is his daughter.

Indeed, she was pregnant with his child and gave birth. She is Luna’s mother.

But she can’t live without Luna.

Luna is her everything.

But didn’t he say he threw the Peace Lock away?

How was it given to Luna?

So when she heard Elias ask her to return the Peace Lock, she was completely stunned!

Maybe it wasn’t her piece.

Maybe Elias bought another one and gave it to Luna.

Nonetheless, Luna ended up wearing the Peace Lock.

And it was prepared by Elias.

Then she surely will be safe, the surgery successful, get through all infection and rejection periods, and completely recover, right?

Every minute and second waiting outside the operating room was unbearably hard.

Heart transplants are major surgeries.

Annelise Winter dared not leave for a moment!

...

Late night in Caden Lynch’s hospital room.

Caden was so anxious his head nearly went bald.

Because Captain Warner said he wanted to accompany him in the room!

The proud and aloof first heir of a prestigious family thus sank his long limbs into the single sofa in the hospital room.

Light shone on the sharp edges of his profile, accentuating his already knife-like jaw.

He opened his eyes, sweeping a sharp gaze across his phone screen.

The screen showed urgent investigation results about Annelise Winter.

The investigations showed that Annelise had indeed been pregnant; the reports she took were real!

He couldn’t be mistaken.

Their first time—date, location, frequency, everything that followed, he remembered vividly!

So, she didn’t lie; she was genuinely pregnant then; she just didn’t keep the child.

She actually dared to abort his child!

Thinking of a life he gave growing within her, thinking of this heartless woman casually terminating his child!

And he only learned now.

Kept in the dark for five years.

Elias Warner’s heart felt stomped and shattered.

She never took him seriously, only ever wanted to toy with him.

It’s laughable.

Even he couldn’t believe he’d been deceived by Annelise Winter, body and soul, humiliated and trampled.

She even dared provoke him again!

The entire night, Elias Warner sat there motionless, head raised, brows furrowed, like a statue, soaked through with bone-chilling cold!

Almost enough to freeze everything around!

Caden was frantic, sensing his good friend had completely sunk into despair, shrouding himself in immense grief,

like truly asleep, not blaming him for losing track of someone, neither asking to go out searching.

This Meridia isn’t like home; it’s late night, and a beautiful young woman running around, what if crossing paths with a bad guy!

Unable to sleep, Caden jumped upright in bed, "Elias! If not, you sleep here, I’ll take the sofa!"

The man said nothing.

The ward light switched off, only the neon lights from outside streaming in, outlining the deep, motionless silhouette of Elias Warner.

"This late! Can you just let her be out there alone? What if anything happens, it’d be too late to regret!"

Finally, the man opened his eyes, pupils clear and dark.

"Regret what?" Thin lips curled into a mocking smile, "Her heart’s not here, can you stop her?"

"Can’t hide your jealousy!" Caden immediately picked up on the hint, "She’s that girlfriend from your past, isn’t she? I knew I guessed right!"

Fortunately, he held back.

Losing her was entirely because he’d guessed who she was back then.

Yet this lady deliberately kept rubbing against him, even trying to hug him, scaring him half to death, he jumped away, leaving an opening.

He wouldn’t dare let Elias know what she did to him!

Only could gently remind him.

"Don’t say I didn’t warn you! She’s not like the type who treats love as a game as you describe! Don’t let your pride make you lonely for life!"

Elias Warner furrowed his brows, wanting to scoff but stayed silent, opting to close his eyes again, "Shut up, sleep!"

He sat there the whole night.

Caden was beside himself with worry.

As dawn broke, he couldn’t hold back anymore; last time seeing Elias Warner like this was five years ago when he first joined the team.

His heart skipped a beat, almost stopped, "What’s happening? What happened? What did you run into outside?"

It couldn’t be that the girl met trouble, right?!

Yet didn’t anticipate Elias Warner standing solemnly, answering irrelevantly, "What do you want to eat? I’ll go buy breakfast."

Finishing his words, he didn’t forget to check the time, "I need to return to Kybourne today, evening flight, won’t stay long!"

"Are you really okay? Elias, if anything’s wrong, tell me, maybe I can help!"

"I’m fine! What do you want?"

Caden didn’t dare defy, "I’ll have steamed buns and soy milk!"

Quickly realizing something’s off, "No, no, this isn’t domestic... just get whatever!"

Then watched Elias Warner, face composed, stride away.

Leaving Caden alone, utterly frustrated!

Really useless, couldn’t keep watch over someone, making a brother unhappy!

Annelise Winter sat on the long bench outside the operating room, the whole night.

Due to the donor’s rarity and need for optimal transplant timing, even nighttime surgery was necessary!

Already twelve hours had passed.

Annelise’s legs went numb.

She curled within the mascot outfit, using it for warmth as the hospital air conditioning blasted, now that she wasn’t wearing the headgear anymore.

For she knew, with Elias Warner’s pride, he wouldn’t come back.

Until a tall, upright shadow shrouded above her head.