My intention in marrying Julian Thorne wasn’t pure. Yes, I liked him, but more importantly, he was the world’s leading cardiothoracic surgeon. So, I used every trick in the book to lure him, to make him forget Seraphina, the woman who truly held his heart, and willingly marry me. After we got married, he was like a devout believer. He held my hand and promised to personally perform my heart transplant surgery, to give me a second chance at life. Just when I thought he had fallen in love with me, Seraphina got into a car accident. He rushed off to operate on her, completely forgetting that today was the day he was supposed to perform my heart transplant. I was already prepped, sedated, and had been lying on the operating table, waiting for him for what felt like forever. The waiting room light outside the operating theater went out. I lay on the cold gurney, feeling the warmth of life draining from my fingertips, little by little. The familiar, agonizing pain in my chest intensified, each breath feeling like glass shards scraping my windpipe. The head nurse walked over, her face etched with professional pity. “Mrs. Thorne, Dr. Thorne had a more urgent emergency surgery come up. Your procedure will have to be postponed.” I nodded, unable to utter a single word. The heart meant for me, chilling in its preservation box, had only a few hours of viability left. And my life? Only a few hours remained, too. My phone vibrated. It was my brother, Liam. He immediately roared into the phone, “Chloe! Where is that bastard, Julian Thorne? I just got word, the donor family has signed, and the heart is on its way!” I opened my mouth, but the sound that came out was hoarse and dry. “Liam, he… he went to save someone.” A deathly silence hung on the line, then an even louder roar. “Save someone? Who is he saving? That woman, Seraphina Dubois?! Does he have any idea how much money our family spent, how many connections we pulled to find that perfect match for this heart?! This is your life!” Liam’s voice trembled with fury. I knew every word he said was true. To keep me alive, our family had poured almost everything we had into this. Julian Thorne had said that with a perfectly matched heart, he was ninety-nine percent sure he could save me. I once thought he was the light in my life. Now, I knew he was also the devil who personally pushed me into the abyss. “Mrs. Thorne, do you need a sedative?” The head nurse looked at me with concern. I shook my head, my vision starting to dim. The door to the operating room, usually a symbol of hope, now seemed like the entrance to hell—cold and despairing. On the TV at the end of the hallway, an urgent news bulletin flashed. “Renowned pianist Miss Seraphina Dubois was involved in a serious car accident this afternoon. Her condition is critical, and she has been rushed to Metropolitan Hospital for emergency surgery. The lead surgeon is none other than her fiancé, the internationally acclaimed cardiothoracic specialist, Dr. Julian Thorne…” Fiancé? The ink on my marriage certificate hadn’t even dried. It turned out that in his heart, I didn’t even deserve the title of his wife. A bitter, metallic taste filled my throat, and I violently coughed up a mouthful of blood, staining the pristine white sheet. Liam burst into the room to this exact scene. His eyes were bloodshot, like a furious lion. “Where is Julian Thorne?” I weakly pointed to the television. Liam slammed his fist into the wall, plaster flaking down. He stared at me, asking each word deliberately, “What did he say to you before he left?” I recalled Julian’s departure. He’d received a call, his face instantly changed, and he’d grabbed his jacket, bolting out the door without even a backward glance. Only a chilling sentence hung in the air from the doorway. “Wait for me to come back.”
I didn’t wait for Julian Thorne to return. Instead, his mother, my mother-in-law, arrived. She wore an expensive designer suit and a massive diamond ring the size of a pigeon’s egg. Her face was etched with undisguised contempt. “Chloe Maxwell, where’s my son?” She stood imperiously beside my bed, as if scrutinizing a soiled object. “He… he’s in surgery.” “Hmph, at least you have some self-awareness.” She sneered. “Seraphina is a million times more important than you are. It’s only right that Julian went to save her. Someone like you, on the verge of death, shouldn’t drag him down.” The pain in my chest was nothing compared to the agony her words inflicted. I looked at this elegant, imposing woman and suddenly felt ridiculous. It was she who had approached my family, claiming to admire me, hoping I would marry Julian. She’d said she would cherish me like her own daughter. All that warmth, all that affection, had been a lie. “Today was the day of my heart transplant surgery,” I stated calmly, simply stating a fact. “So what?” Eleanor Thorne rolled her eyes, her tone incredibly sharp. “It’s just a heart. If it’s gone, find another. Seraphina is an internationally renowned pianist! If her hands were crippled, that would be a loss to the entire world!” She paused, her gaze turning even more malicious. “Ultimately, you’re just bad luck. If it weren’t for you, Julian would have married Seraphina ages ago. You should just die now and stop occupying the Mrs. Thorne position, you’re an eyesore.” I closed my eyes, refusing to look at her ugly face any longer. Liam pushed the door open, entering just as she finished speaking. His body radiated a terrifying aura of rage as he slowly advanced toward Eleanor. “Say that again.” Eleanor flinched back, startled by his intensity, but quickly straightened her posture. “Did I say something wrong? This sickly girl is clearly not good enough for my son! If you know what’s good for you, sign the divorce papers now and stop delaying my son and Seraphina’s perfect future!” “Smack!” A crisp slap echoed through the hospital room. Liam had put all his strength into it; Eleanor’s face instantly swelled, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. She clutched her cheek, screaming in disbelief, “You dared to hit me! You uncultured brute!” “I’m hitting you, you disrespectful hag!” Liam was furious. “Is my sister’s life worth nothing in your eyes?! Your family didn’t contribute a single penny for that heart, and now you speak so lightly of it!” “You… you’re talking nonsense! What money?!” “That heart cost the Maxwell family thirty million dollars! We bought it from an overseas channel to give my sister a chance to live!” Liam’s voice was filled with a mix of tears and fury. “Now, that chance has been personally destroyed by your son!” Eleanor’s face instantly turned ashen.
Julian Thorne returned late that night. He took off his blood-stained surgical scrubs, his face showing a hint of fatigue, but a triumphant joy was unmistakable in his eyes. “Seraphina’s surgery was a success.” He walked to my bedside, his tone flat, as if merely discussing an insignificant matter. He noticed my pale face and the dried pool of blood on the bedside table. His brow furrowed slightly. “What happened?” “Julian Thorne, let’s get a divorce.” I used every ounce of my strength to utter those words. He froze, seemingly taken aback by my bluntness. “Chloe, don’t be ridiculous.” He reached out to touch my forehead, but I turned my head, avoiding his touch. “I’m not being ridiculous.” I looked at him, my eyes icy cold. “That heart is no longer viable. I don’t have much time left. I don’t want to be Mrs. Thorne when I die.” His face finally darkened. “Just because I didn’t operate on you?” He looked directly at me, his gaze tinged with scrutiny and impatience. “Seraphina’s condition was more urgent than yours. I’m a doctor; I had to make the optimal choice.” “Optimal choice?” I laughed, tears streaming down my face. “So, my life isn’t a life, is that it?” “Chloe, can’t you be more rational?” He raised his voice. “A heart can be found again. If anything happened to Seraphina’s hands, her entire career would be ruined.” He was the epitome of male arrogance, always so full of himself. Liam walked in from outside, a file in his hand. He threw it directly into Julian’s face. “Julian Thorne, this is the heart’s purchase contract and transfer records. Thirty million, not a penny less. Either you pay up, or we’ll see you in court.” Julian looked at the contract, his pupils contracting sharply. He turned to me, his eyes filled with shock and inquiry. “You bought it?” I didn’t answer him. Yes, he had always assumed this heart was a free resource, obtained through his connections and reputation. He reveled in the glory of being a savior, never realizing the immense sacrifice my family had made behind the scenes. “The money, I’ll pay.” Julian’s voice turned cold. “But the divorce, I won’t agree to it.” He looked at me, his gaze deepening. “Chloe, you are my wife. That will never change.” He turned and left, his back resolute. But in his eyes, I caught a fleeting glimpse not of love, but of calculation. My heart sank completely. He didn’t want a divorce because he loved me; he wanted it because I was still useful to him. But what use could I possibly be? I was a woman on the verge of death. The next day, a nurse secretly slipped me a note. On it, only one line was written: Seraphina’s car accident was fake.
My world completely crumbled at that moment. Fake? The accident that cost me my chance at life, the one he rushed to so selflessly, was fake? I clutched the note, my knuckles white from the force. The agonizing chest pain returned, more violent than ever before. I felt like a fish thrown onto shore, gasping for air, but only inhaling despair. Liam rushed in. Seeing my state, he immediately pressed the emergency call button. Doctors and nurses swarmed into the room, connecting various instruments to me. Through my blurry vision, I saw Liam’s bloodshot eyes. “Chloe, hang in there! Your brother’s here!” I grabbed his hand, using my last ounce of strength to press the note into his palm. “Investigate…” One word, and all my energy was gone. I drifted into unconsciousness. When I woke up again, I was in the ICU. Julian Thorne was sitting by my bedside, holding my hand. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked utterly exhausted. Seeing me awake, a flicker of joy crossed his face. “Chloe, you’re awake.” His voice was hoarse, tinged with a hint of lingering fear. If he wasn’t acting, I almost would have believed he genuinely cared. I pulled my hand away, looking at him coldly. “Julian Thorne, you sicken me.” His body stiffened, the expression on his face frozen. “Chloe, I know you’re still angry.” He took a deep breath, attempting to explain. “This time was my fault. I promise, I’ll find you a new heart source as quickly as possible. I will save you.” I looked at him and suddenly laughed. “You save me? How will you save me? By fabricating another lie, by making me wait in vain again?” His face turned grim. “Chloe, what on earth are you talking about?” “Seraphina’s car accident was fake,” I stated, each word clear and deliberate. His pupils abruptly constricted, a flicker of panic in his eyes, quickly masked. “Who told you that? Don’t listen to their nonsense.” “Whether it’s nonsense or not, you know perfectly well.” I stared into his eyes, not missing any subtle change in his expression. “Julian Thorne, what exactly are you after?” He fell silent. After a long moment, he finally spoke, his voice low and dangerous. “Chloe, some things, you don’t need to know.” He stood up, looking down at me, his gaze as cold as a surgical scalpel. “You just need to remember, you are my wife. Without my permission, you can’t go anywhere, and you certainly cannot die.” He leaned closer, whispering in my ear. His tone wasn’t a lover’s murmur; it was a demon’s pronouncement. A chill ran through me. I finally understood. He wasn’t trying to save me; he was trying to imprison me. This man was a madman.
Liam arrived. He brought the answers I craved. “Seraphina never had a car accident. That day, she just fainted from low blood sugar. The reason Julian rushed over so desperately was because a senior elder in Seraphina’s family had a sudden heart attack and specifically requested him to perform the surgery.” Liam’s voice was filled with anger and disdain. “That elder is the head of the Dubois family, and also the target Julian has been trying to curry favor with.” So, for his career, for currying favor with the powerful, he had unhesitatingly sacrificed me. How ridiculous. I once thought that marrying a doctor would bring me closer to health. But I never imagined that he would be the one to personally push me toward death. “Chloe, let’s go.” Liam’s eyes were filled with an unbearable heartache. “We’ll go abroad. Your brother has already arranged for the best medical team. We won’t beg him anymore!” I nodded, tears silently tracing paths down my face. But we had underestimated Julian Thorne’s shamelessness. As we prepared to leave, he appeared with a group of bodyguards, blocking the hospital room door. “Julian Thorne, what is the meaning of this?” Liam shielded me behind him, glaring at Julian. Julian didn’t look at Liam; his gaze fell directly on me. “Chloe, I told you, without my permission, you’re not going anywhere.” His voice was calm, but the obsession and madness in his eyes were chilling. “Julian Thorne, this is unlawful imprisonment!” Liam trembled with rage. “I am her husband. I have the right to decide her treatment plan.” Julian’s lips curved into a cold smile. “Mr. Maxwell, if you continue to obstruct me, I won’t hesitate to have security escort you out.” The bodyguards behind him took a collective step forward, their presence intimidating. I pulled back the impulsive Liam, looking at Julian, and asked, word by word, “What exactly do you want?” He slowly walked toward me, raising his hand, his cold fingertips brushing my cheek. “I don’t want anything.” His voice was eerily gentle. “I just want you to live, well, and by my side.” I looked into his bottomless eyes, and a terrifying thought surged through my mind. He didn’t want me to live. He wanted me to be unable to live, and unable to die. “You’re insane!” I pushed him away with all my might. But he used my momentum, grabbing my wrist, his grip so strong it felt like my bones would shatter. “Chloe, don’t force my hand.” His voice turned chilling. “I have many ways to make you compliant. You wouldn’t want to find out.” Liam could no longer hold back and threw a punch. The room instantly erupted into chaos. Bodyguards and Liam’s people started to brawl. Julian clutched me tightly, dragging me into his embrace. I struggled desperately, but it was no use. In despair, I saw Liam get hit from behind, collapsing slowly. “Liam!” I let out a piercing shriek, and my vision went black. I lost consciousness again. I was taken back to our matrimonial home by Julian Thorne. Here, it wasn’t so much a home as a luxurious cage, built with money and power.
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