Julian had always had a weak stomach. His earlier checkups showed nothing more than a small ulcer nothing that should’ve beco life-threatening. Back then, when I still loved him, I spent so much ti making sure he stayed healthy. I searched up redies, adjusted his als, even reminded him to take his pills.
That was a year ago.
After what he did... I stopped. I stopped checking in. Stopped caring. Stopped feeling responsible for soone who threw away.
And sohow, in that single year, everything collapsed for him.
Lewis didn’t react much as he closed the report. "No one else has seen this yet. What do you want to do about it?"
I froze.
It felt like he was putting the choice in my hands like he was testing sothing he already sensed in .
And even though I trusted him, sothing about his calm expression made tread carefully.
I took a slow breath. "What do you think we should do, Mr. Hale?"
If we kept this hidden, ti would make all the decisions for us. The cancer would spread, the kidneys would worsen, and Julian would suffer without ever having to speak a word.
It was... tempting. Too tempting.
But Lewis didn’t let the silence stretch. His voice was steady. "He’ll get the report. He deserves a chance to seek treatnt."
I wasn’t surprised. I’d expected this. No matter how much Julian failed as a mate, he was still Hale blood. Lewis would never let soone in his pack fall without trying to pull them back up.
"This isn’t the outco you hoped for," he added, his tone gentle but firm. "But I have other matters to deal with."
His words left uneasy. Earlier he’d stood firmly behind . Now he felt... distant. But Lewis wasn’t soone who acted without reason. If he stepped back, it was because he saw sothing I hadn’t.
"I understand," I said softly.
He nodded. "I haven’t forgotten the repair shop lead. I’ll send soone to investigate."
"Thank you. You should rest."
He studied for a mont, sothing unreadable flickering across his eyes. But he didn’t say anything more. "Good night."
When he left, I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Sleep refused to co.
My mind kept circling one na Camilla.
What was she planning?
She’d already fooled Grandma into handing over company shares. Now she wanted sothing bigger a permanent place in the Hale family. She didn’t care what she risked. Her reputation, her body, her future she was ready to burn all of it just to climb higher.
Even though she used her pregnancy to force her way into the family, she wasn’t entering as a respected woman. Everyone already knew the scandal. If she truly cared about how she was seen, she would’ve waited. She could’ve laid low, allowed the mory of my death to fade, and returned a year or two later. People might have pitied her. Maybe even supported her bond with Julian.
But she rushed in headfirst.
It wasn’t about marrying Julian. Not really.
Whatever Camilla was after... it was bigger than a marriage, bigger than love, bigger than fear.
The thought hit hard.
She wasn’t just trying to replace . She wasn’t after the Morrigan shares either.
She wanted power.
Real power.
And she had her eyes on the Hales.
Everything she’d done, every step she took it all pointed to one thing. A long ga. A dangerous one. And if I didn’t move first, if I didn’t dig up proof soon, she’d secure her position and then no one would be able to touch her.
The next morning, Julian’s dical report ca out.
He hadn’t slept at all. Pain had drained him dry his skin pale, his body slouched, his scent faint like soone losing himself piece by piece. When the doctor said "stage two stomach cancer" and "kidney failure," Julian nearly slipped off the couch. His whole world seed to collapse in front of him.
Jas froze. His face went blank, shock swallowing him whole.
"My son’s still young. How can he have kidney failure already?" he asked, voice shaking.
The doctor adjusted his glasses. "The results were checked twice. They’re accurate. But don’t panic both conditions are still in early stages. They can be managed."
Julian lifted his head slowly. His voice trembled. "So... I can still be treated?"
"Yes," the doctor said. "The cancer hasn’t spread far. Surgery is possible. If you follow the plan and take care of yourself, your chances are good. The first few years will be the most important."
Julian let out a breath, barely holding himself together. "Okay. I’ll do it. I’ll follow everything."
Jas nodded, then asked sothing none of us had thought of. "Will this affect his ability to have children?"
Silence.
Then the doctor answered, carefully, "Yes. Fertility may drop as the condition worsens. Not completely gone, but reduced. If children are sothing you’re planning soon, you must consider this."
Jas nodded slowly. "Prepare the treatnt. As soon as possible."
The doctor gathered his things and left, and the room fell quiet again.
Jas turned to Jeffrey. "Dad, you heard him. If Julian keeps getting worse, he might not be able to have children at all. The child Camilla carries... might be his only one."
Jeffrey didn’t speak. He sat still, calm on the outside, but his eyes... his eyes were cold, calculating, as if pieces were sliding into place.
I sipped my tea, trying to seem composed, even though my heartbeat was pounding in my ears.
The clues were lining up, one after another, forming a picture that made my stomach twist.
Now I was starting to wonder if she’d touched more than just my life.
What if she’d touched Julian’s health too?
My hands trembled. The teacup slipped, spilling hot water across the table.
"You okay?" Lewis asked quietly, offering a tissue.
"I... I’m fine," I whispered, wiping the water even though my heart was racing.
But I wasn’t fine.
I finally understood.
Camilla wasn’t fighting for a man.
She was playing for everything.
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