Chapter 73 The Favor
The red light above the door flickered again.
Inside, shadows moved quickly.
Lena’s breathing became shallow. Every second felt like it might shatter her.
Minutes later, the ICU doors burst open again.
A nurse rushed out, calling for additional blood units.
The tension spiked instantly.
Lena grabbed Rhys’ sleeve. “What’s happening?”
Before he could answer, the doors opened once more.
This time, Theon stepped out.
His gloves were stained. His expression calm, and controlled. But there was sharp focus in his eyes.
He pulled down his mask slowly.
Lena stopped breathing.
“Well?” Rhys asked.
Theon glanced at Lena briefly.
“He’s not dying tonight.”
Lena’s world tilted.
Her knees gave out again — but this time from overwhelming relief.
Rhys caught her before she hit the ground.
Theon adjusted his sleeves. “He’ll need continuous monitoring. And if a donor becomes available, we proceed immediately.” His gaze sharpened slightly. “But for now… he’s stable.”
The word hit Lena like sunlight after endless darkness.
‘Stable. He's stable’
Her sob broke free. Not from despair this time, but from hope.
She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking. The tears kept coming, but they were different now.
Theon watched her quietly. For a brief second, something unreadable flickered in his eyes. It disappeared just as quickly.
Rhys pulled her into his arms again, holding her tightly as she trembled against him.
Theon’s chest tightened.
“I would like to see the patient’s family in my office,” he said suddenly, his tone cold.
Rhys turned slowly. His eyes narrowed. For some reason, every instinct in him screamed to go instead.
“Lena is not in the right state right now,” Rhys said evenly. “If there’s anything to discuss, you can discuss it with me.”
Theon’s gaze shifted. He saw Lena rubbing her face against Rhys’ chest, trying to hide the embarrassing sound of her sniffling.
His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. His eyes snapped back to Rhys.
“If I remember correctly,” Theon said coolly, “you’re not related to the patient. Am I wrong?”
Rhys’ fist clenched at his side. “He’s my father-in-law,” he replied flatly. “That automatically makes him family.”
Their gazes locked sharply—a silent battle crackling between them.
Lena lifted her head weakly, sensing the tension between them. She didn’t have the strength for conflict. Not tonight.
“Rhys…It’s okay. I’ll go” Her voice came out hoarse. “Thank you. You should rest too.”
He immediately looked down at her.
"I'm not complaining, am I?" His voice was softer now. "You don't need to go. I'll handle this.”
Theon simply stared at Lena.
“Are you coming,” he asked coldly, “or not?”
Lena hesitated for half a second. Then she gently pulled away from Rhys’ embrace.
“Thank you, but I should go myself.” She whispered to him, before turning to follow Theon.
Rhys stood there, unmoving. The veins in his hand stood out from how tightly he had clenched his fist.
Something about this didn’t sit right with him.
This wasn’t just a medical discussion. And he didn’t like Theon anywhere near Lena.
His phone rang again.
Rhys glanced at the caller ID, then at their retreating figures. His eyes darkened before he turned away to answer it.
—
Lena and Theon hadn’t gone far when hurried footsteps echoed behind them.
“Mr. Kensington! Mr. Kensington!”
The doctor from earlier ran toward them, breathless.
Lena paused instinctively and turned around.
The doctor looked at Theon with open admiration.
“Thank you for stepping in. If you hadn’t—”
Theon didn’t even turn.
“Not now,” he said flatly, dismissing him with a slight wave of his hand. He continued walking.
Lena stood frozen.
Mr. Kensington.
Her mind replayed the doctor’s earlier words.
If someone like Mr. Kensington were here, the odds would be very different.
Her eyes widened slowly.
‘He’s…’
She turned back to look at his tall figure walking ahead of her, composed, distant.
‘So he’s Mr. Kensington?’
The legendary cardiothoracic surgeon. The one even the hospital director spoke of with reverence.
Her heartbeat quickened from shock.
He was younger than she'd imagined. Much younger. And she'd just spent the past several minutes arguing with him in a hallway.
She pressed her lips together, suddenly feeling very small.
She hurried to catch up with him, staring at his back as if seeing him for the first time.
They walked in silence until they reached a private office at the end of a quiet corridor.
Theon pushed the door open and gestured inside.
“Enter.”
Lena stepped in cautiously.
The office surprised her. It was sleek and modern,.but the tones were warm, with soft textures. There was a large desk at the center, but off to the side were low sofas and cushions that made the room feel almost… safe.
She hadn’t expected that.
The door clicked shut behind her.
“Sit,” he said.
She obeyed quietly.
He walked around the desk and lowered himself into his chair, studying her with those unreadable eyes. For a long moment, he said nothing.
Lena shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. "You said you wanted to discuss my father."
"I did."
"Then discuss." Her voice came out steadier than she felt. "What do I need to know?”
Theon leaned back, his fingers steepling in front of him.
"Your father's condition is serious. You know that. The surgery today bought him time, but not forever. He'll need a transplant eventually." He paused. "The question is how quickly we can find a donor."
Lena's throat tightened. "How quickly is 'quickly'?”
"Days. Weeks. Months." Theon's voice was flat. "There's no predicting these things. But there are other options."
"What options?" She suddenly perked up, hopefully.
His eyes held hers. "Private donors. Matched through non-traditional channels. It's expensive. Complicated. But possible.”
Lena's heart hammered against her chest. "You're saying there's a way to speed this up?"
"I'm saying there are always ways." He tilted his head slightly. "The real question is what you're willing to do to access them.”
Lena’s spine straightened, instinctively bracing herself. A chill spread through her hands despite the warmth of the room.
"What exactly are you suggesting?"
Theon was quiet for a moment. Then he leaned forward, resting his forearms on the desk.
"I'm suggesting that your father's life doesn't have to depend on a waiting list." His voice dropped slightly. "I'm suggesting that with the right connections, the right influence, a donor can be found. Fast."
"And you have these connections?" She asked with her lips pressed tightly.
"I'm a Kensington." A faint, humorless smile curved his lips. "We have everything."
Lena stared at him, her mind racing.
This was too easy. Too convenient. She knew men like him didn't offer favors without expecting something in return.
"What do you want?" she asked quietly. "For someone like you… I know you don't just do favors.”