Chapter 10
The man in front of her was definitely not the surgeon she had hired! Why did he follow her original instructions and end up killing Arlette Myers? And why did he perform an unnecessary operation?
What had he done to her!
Maximo Myers was drowning in the sorrow of losing his beloved, barely acknowledging Winnie Hughes. His gaze briefly settled on her, confirming she was still breathing, before he turned back to Arlette’s body, mourning and striking himself in anguish.
“Arlette, wake up. I can’t bear to let you go.”
“Arlette, I never wanted you to die! How could I have been so foolish?” He slapped himself repeatedly, his face reddening with each strike.
“Arlette!”
Winnie couldn’t afford to be jealous at this moment. After all, Arlette was already gone. Her concern now was whether the kidney was intact.
Seeing her anxiety, the lead surgeon, Matthias Carr, twisted his lips into a sinister grin. He raised his hand, making a slicing motion in the air.
Winnie immediately collapsed onto the floor beside the operating table. “How dare you!”
Her eyes blazed with rage, and she wanted nothing more than to tear the smug doctor apart. “Ah—”
Just as she struggled to her feet, a sharp pain drained the color from her face. Since the traumatic miscarriage three years ago, she had never endured pain like this.
How dare they remove her healthy kidney!
“Stop it!”
Despite years of concern and care for Winnie, Maximo’s voice was inevitably tinged with bitterness in light of his beloved’s death. Confronted with her shocked expression, he offered no comfort. He didn’t even spare her another glance, instructing his assistant, Timothy Clark, with a grave tone.
“Escort Miss Hughes back to her room.”
Winnie burst into tears, feeling wronged. “Brother! You don’t know what I’ve been through!”
“That scumbag!” She pointed accusatively at Matthias. “He took my kidney!”
“Ridiculous!” Maximo shouted, anger boiling over. “It was Arlette who donated the kidney to you; she was the one who had it removed!”
“Because of you, Arlette is dead!”
The pent-up anger and guilt within Maximo erupted uncontrollably, like molten lava eroding his sanity, soul, and body, leaving nothing but a void of emptiness and despair.
To hell with the sister!
He wished to destroy the entire world. Why did it take losing her for him to realize her importance? It felt as if his heart had been torn out, the pain so intense he longed to join her.
He often claimed loving her was his own folly. If it meant she could return, he would gladly be a fool a thousand times over, surrendering all dignity, just to kneel before her and beg for a sliver of mercy… He would be willing.
But she was gone!
Rage and sorrow contorted Maximo’s face.
“Brother, you… you’ve lost it.” It was the first time Winnie had seen Maximo so unhinged and terrifying. Even when she almost died from a suicide attempt years ago, he hadn’t been this wrathful and distraught.
Maximo resolutely withdrew his gaze, gingerly holding Arlette’s cold, pale hand. He took out the engagement ring she had designed, which he had kept close over the years. After three long years, he placed it on his bride’s finger. Unfortunately, it was so loose that the ring clattered to the floor as he released her hand.
“You’ve grown so thin…”
Maximo was inconsolable.
“Arlette, I’m sorry… I’m deeply sorry…”
Winnie’s tears flowed freely. She sensed the danger, too paralyzed to voice the grievance of her kidney being taken. Bitterness and humiliation filled her heart. She had to uncover the truth!