Chapter 89 Still Want to Draw Blood

Chapter 89 Still Want to Draw Blood

I was just as curious about that.

I rolled my eyes—the only part of me that still moved freely—and stared directly at Melissa and Liam.

Liam snorted dismissively and turned his head away with an awkward jerk.

Melissa's expression was complicated. Our eyes met. A flash of guilt quickly crossed her gaze.

I instinctively wanted to furrow my brow, only to realize I couldn't even manage that. I could only sigh inwardly.

"Liam and I both came to visit Cate. He won't be in the way."

Melissa's clearly uncertain explanation reached my ears. My scrutinizing gaze gradually took on deeper meaning.

Nicholas looked like he wanted to say more, but seeming to remember that Melissa was my friend, he ultimately chose to make an excuse and leave first.

"You guys chat. I'll go check on the transfer arrangements."

He said this to me alone, but loud enough for everyone in the room to hear clearly.

I blinked in response. After Nicholas left, the hospital room fell silent.

Melissa muttered a few complaints under her breath about Nicholas. I couldn't make out the words, but I couldn't speak anyway.

Back then, that lead kidnapper had really intended to kill me. My vocal cords were damaged during that time. Everything about my physical condition had been relayed to me bit by bit by Nicholas after I woke up. His care for me had been meticulous.

Even when my mind was drifting, I'd still absorbed quite a bit.

Right now I could only look helplessly at Melissa.

Melissa sat down beside me, her face full of sympathy as she looked at me. "Cate, you've been through so much. Thank god you're still alive. As long as you're alive, there's still hope for everything."

Liam crossed his arms, his words unforgiving as he threw cold water on the moment. "If it weren't for me, she'd probably be dead already."

Melissa glared at him. "Yeah, yeah, you were the most crucial one. But I want to talk to Cate alone for a bit. Can you step out?"

I watched Liam's expression shift from smug to displeased in real time. After pouting, he still left.

I wanted to furrow my brow again. How was this Liam completely different from the one in my memory?

Melissa's tone turned helpless as she looked down at me. "Cate, I know you really want to ask what's going on, but it's complicated. Once you've recovered, let's sit down and talk it through properly. So in order to find out what's really between Liam and me, you have to live, okay?"

As she spoke, Melissa's eyes reddened. I was startled, then understood. She must have been thinking about what the doctors said—that my will to survive had been weak.

I wanted to hug her, to comfort her that everything was okay. After struggling for a while, I only managed to move my exposed pinky finger slightly.

Melissa sniffled and forced out a strained smile. "Anyway, enough of that. I came to visit you today! I'm just glad you woke up. I knew you were blessed with good fortune—nothing would happen to you."

She was naturally a chatterbox. Even though I couldn't respond, Melissa kept up her one-sided rambling just fine.

From her words, I learned some news about the Rosewood family. First and foremost was Sabrina.

Previously, when Andrew refused to buy her the special medication, Sabrina had agreed to Edward's deal. The four Rosewood brothers, concerned about propriety, had turned a blind eye even though some harbored unusual feelings for her.

But the Johnson family's drama this time had blown up big. The whole circle had heard whispers about it. Plenty of business owners with ties to the Johnson family were calculating which side to take.

Naturally, Andrew had heard about it too. He'd demanded that Sabrina break up with Edward and cut all contact.

Sabrina had refused, of course. Edward was her cash cow. She might not have gotten his love, but she sure as hell hadn't missed out on his money!

When Andrew put his foot down, the others—already disapproving of Edward—naturally fell in line. Under their pressure, Sabrina had a relapse.

Melissa seemed oddly excited. "I heard the Rosewood brothers were all freaking out. Who knows if Sabrina's actually sick this time or just putting on a show?"

Almost instantly, I thought of James coming by before Melissa and Liam arrived. Could it be...?

Unfortunately, I couldn't speak.

After sharing the Rosewood family gossip, Melissa carefully reminded me to take care of myself before leaving.

I had a feeling things between her and Liam weren't simple, but I had no way of knowing what had happened between them.

Melissa had barely left when Nicholas returned.

"The transfer vehicle's here. I'm going to handle the paperwork. Wait for me."

I blinked. Nicholas left too.

The hospital room was empty except for me. Wide and hollow.

Just as boredom made my mind start wandering uncontrollably, the door made a soft sound.

I immediately reined in my thoughts. A white figure entered my field of vision.

It was him! Alarm bells rang in my head.

James moved quickly, rapidly approaching my hospital bed. Once he stopped and saw I was still awake, he showed no intention of explaining himself.

After seeing his actions clearly, my pupils contracted in disbelief. James had actually pulled out blood draw supplies. Even my hair could figure out what he intended.

Was he really this desperate? Or was Sabrina truly that sick?

I didn't understand. My heart just ached more and more.

As James's actual sister, I was lying here clinging to life. And he—he was only thinking about sneaking my blood while Nicholas was out of the room, to keep Sabrina alive.

Surgery for Sabrina's heart condition carried extremely high risks. Besides me, the Rosewood family had only found Daisy in the vast sea of humanity with a matching blood type.

I'd always refused to help. And Daisy had gone abroad.

Unable to find reserves in the blood bank, James could only seize this opportunity to steal my blood and store it. In preparation for when Sabrina needed surgery.

I should have been happy that I'd seen through his intentions. So why couldn't I stop the tears from coming?

James's expression was flat, looking at me like I was a stranger. After lifting the blanket and checking my front, he turned me over with visible disgust.

Carefully, thoroughly, he searched me from top to bottom. James's face darkened with failure. Holding the syringe with nowhere to insert it, he looked somewhat at a loss.

I found it both ironic and utterly ridiculous.

"Catherine."

Perhaps frustrated that his plan had failed, James's expression turned gloomy. Putting away his instruments, he looked down at me from his height.

"What use is a waste like you being alive? Might as well die and atone to Mom, Dad, and Uncle Herman. You can tell what I was trying to do, can't you? As long as you're not dead, you should have the decency to donate blood to Sabby."

James's words were like invisible blades, stabbing into my heart one after another. The words I'd heard in my dream had ultimately become reality.

A commotion suddenly came from the doorway.

"James, who gave you permission to come in here!"