2.
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The Next Day...
That night, heavy rain poured over the city of Heidelberg, drenching the streets and shrouding everything in a cold mist.
Swish…
Swish…
The whispering sound of car tires against wet asphalt cut through the silence, blending with the unspoken tension inside the vehicle—a scene reminiscent of a lifeless Noir painting, devoid of warmth, devoid of soul.
Lily sat in the backseat, her fingers tightly clutching her mother's trembling hand. The unease in her chest had been suffocating ever since they received the call from the hospital.
Her gaze remained fixed on her father, who gripped the steering wheel with white-knuckled tension. The car sped through the rain-slicked streets, faster than usual, yet no one dared to tell him to slow down.
Deep inside, Lily prayed. "Pass bitte auf Daisy auf.."
She wished this was just a nightmare.
That when she opened her eyes, everything would return to normal.
But the moment they arrived at the hospital, that fragile hope shattered.
The sight of Daisy's motionless body stole Lily's breath.
Her hand flew to her mouth, stifling a sob.
Her twin sister lay on the hospital bed, her delicate form marred with bruises, her once lively face ashen and pale. Her lips had turned a sickly shade of blue, and her tangled hair—stained with dried blood—clung to her forehead.
The sterile scent of disinfectant mixed with the rhythmic beeping of machines filled the room.
Inside the cold ICU, Daisy lay unconscious, connected to a web of life-support equipment. A ventilator kept her breathing, while an ECMO machine—the last resort for failing lungs—hummed faintly, each pulse counting down the moments of her life.
Their father stood stiffly by the bed, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Meanwhile, their mother…
Azalea could no longer hold back her sobs. Her slender frame trembled under the weight of reality.
"Daisy…" Her voice cracked, her tears falling like shattered pearls.
Lily hesitated before stepping forward, her trembling fingers reaching for Daisy's cold hand.
"… "
The doctor exhaled heavily before delivering the inevitable truth.
"We've done everything we can," he said solemnly, his usual warmth replaced with something heavier. "But Daisy's lungs are beyond recovery. The internal damage is too severe. The only hope left is a transplant."
Silence.
A dreadful, suffocating silence.
Her father's gaze darkened. "Then find a donor! Call anyone—we'll pay whatever it takes!"
The doctor shook his head. "You know how difficult it is to find a compatible donor. Daisy doesn't have weeks to wait. She needs a transplant now, or…"
He didn't need to finish the sentence.
There was no time.
Azalea's heart-wrenching cries pierced through the suffocating silence, raw and desperate.
"No… my baby girl… you must be in so much pain," she sobbed, gripping Jacob's arm as if her despair alone could turn back time. "Doctor, please! Take mine! Take my lungs instead! You can do it now, right?!"
Jacob's strong frame trembled as he wrapped his arms around her. His voice, usually firm and unwavering, was barely a whisper now.
"Honey… sshhh, please calm down. I will do anything to save our daughter."
Lily clenched her fists, her teeth digging into her lower lip.
She wanted to say something.
She had to.
And then, she did.
"I'll do it."
Her voice rang through the air like a thunderclap.
A bombshell that left the entire room frozen in place.
Azalea spun around, eyes wide in horror. "Lily, don't say that!" Her voice trembled. "You know your heart condition! A surgery like this could—"
"Could kill me?"
Lily smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.
Her father's gaze burned with fury—fury born out of terror. "Absolutely not, Lily! No one is letting you do this!"
But she didn't back down.
She met their gazes, unwavering. "Daisy doesn't have a choice. But I do."
Tears streamed down her mother's face, her body shaking as she grasped Lily's hands. "No, sweetheart… you're just as important to us! Do you think I can bear losing either of you?! If something happens to you—"
Her voice broke.
Her father clenched his jaw, his head bowed as his large hands covered his face.
For the first time in her life, Lily saw him—a man of strength, of iron will—reduced to a vulnerable shell.
"… Lily." His voice was barely a whisper. "You're my daughter too."
His shoulders trembled. "How… How can I choose between my own children?"
Lily gently grasped both of their hands.
"I'm not asking you to choose," she whispered. "I'm just asking you to let me give Daisy a chance. A chance I never had."
Her mother covered her mouth, silent tears pouring down her cheeks.
"I never had a normal life," Lily continued softly. "But Daisy can. She can go to college. She can fall in love. Get married. Live the life we always dreamed of."
Azalea shook her head violently, unwilling to accept it. "No… no, sweetheart, don't say that…"
Lily only smiled. A gentle, knowing smile.
"I always knew my time was limited."
"I've made peace with it."
"But for once… I want to choose how my story ends."
"Mom… it's okay. I'll be fine."
Silence.
Then, at last—
The doctor spoke. "If the family agrees… we can proceed with the surgery tonight."
Jacob remained silent, his jaw clenched. His eyes were red, like a man struggling to contain a storm inside.
And then, finally…
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
"Alright."
Azalea's tears fell harder. "No! What are you saying, Jacob Sinclair? Take back your words!"
But Jacob kept silent, enduring the emotional blows from his wife's trembling fists.
Azalea looked at him, shattered. "So this is what you meant by handling it? Jacob, you might as well just kill me instead!"
"Thanks Dad.."
"No, Lily! Don't do this, please!" Azalea shouted.
Lily stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her mother's trembling body and then She talked softly,
"I will be a brave Crystal, Mom. Just wait in Daddy's arms. We'll be fine. I promise."
Tears down...
In that silence, Azalea felt the sky collapse over her. The light in her world was swallowed by darkness.
All her life, the daughter she had given birth to had lived in a cage. She knew that little girl had never met Jacob's expectations as the heir of the Sinclair family.
But how could Jacob throw her away, just when Lily was finally beginning to bloom?
"Why ... ?" the disappointment left Azalea speechless.
Well, the decision was made...