Faye was resentful. Vanessa would offer cating words about working hard but had done nothing to use her connection withn to help her get a promotion. For now, all Faye could do was endure the ridicule and bide her time. She was certain that once Vanessa married into the Goodwin family, opportunities for


    advancement would be plentiful.


    **Goodwin Manor**


    Ever since her diagnosis and the onset of her symptoms, Serena had shut herself away at home, spending most of her days crying in her room as if all the color had drained from her life. Gina wasn''t well either. The sudden appearance of bruises on her body troubled her, and though her trip abroad had seemed to help, she had grown thinner and couldn''t seem to regain her strength. Nurses now visited the house regrly to monitor her, and Serena underwent the same tests as her mother.


    Serena had promised her older brother she wouldn''t tell anyone about her condition. She was still reeling from the discovery thatn had been hiding their mother''s decade-long illness from everyone, including Gina herself. She used to think her mother''s ailments were minor and thatn was overreacting. Now, those thoughts filled her with shame. Seeing her mother''s increasingly frail figure and the distinct bruises on her neck served as both a constant worry and a terrifying glimpse into her own future.


    Gina sensed something was seriously wrong with her body, but with daily visits from nurses and her son''s reassurances, she dismissed it as a consequence of


    old age.


    Serena''s phone rang. It was Vanessa. A flicker of warmth went through her. "Hey, Vanessa! When did you get back?"


    "I came back before the New Year, but I''ve been so busy I didn''t get a chance to call. What have you been up to? Want to get afternoon tea?" Vanessa invited.


    "I can''t, Vanessa. My brother wants me to go to grad school, so I''m stuck at home studying."


    "He''s forcing you to study again?" Vanessa asked sympathetically.


    "I don''t me him. He''s just doing what''s best for me."


    "Alright then, I won''t disturb your studies. Call me when you have time."


    "Okay!" After hanging up, Serena''s eyes filled with longing. But reality was a cruel reminder that she couldn''t just go out. Her brother had been explicit she was not to see Vanessa and under no


    circumstances was she to mention her illness.


    Lately, Serena found her mind racing with anxious thoughts. The disease had


    changed her, twisted her into a stranger she didn''t recognize.


    She was terrified of dying. So, to stay alive, she had to follow her brother''s instructions to the letter. She understood why he didn''t want Vanessa to know; what woman would willingly marry into a family with a hereditary disease? It felt wrong to hide it, but her brother was working tirelessly on a cure. As long as she cooperated with the experiments, she and her mother would get better. Besides her brother hadn''t inherited the disease. He and Vanessa could have gic screening and have healthy children.


    Just then, she heard a car pull up outside. Serena grabbed her bag and went downstairs. "Mom, I''m heading out for a bit."


    She was on her way to Dr. Smith''sb. Recently, she had been going there to take medication to manage her symptoms.


    Staring out the car window, Serena felt a profound emptiness. Even the most beautiful scenery couldn''t prate the heavy weight pressing down on her heart, leaving her breathless.


    In


    When she arrived at Dr. Smith''sb, it was quiet. There were no other patients, only the research team and a few nurses. She was the sole. subject here-in ab her brother had built specifically for her and then mother. Feeling suffocated, she pushed open the door of the waiting room and stepped onto a balcony where two assistants were chatting on their break.


    "Hey, did you overhear the doctor the other day? He said the donor is still refusing


    to cooperate. I wonder why."


    "I know, right? The Goodwins are so wealthy; they could meet any condition. If someone offered me a hundred million, I''d cooperate in a heartbeat."


    "It''s not that simple. She''s the only gic match for the Goodwins in the entire world. I heard Mr. Goodwin is getting desperate, but she just won''t agree to the experiment."


    "He must have offered her everything! What more could she want? At this rate, Mrs. Goodwin''s condition will only get worse."


    "Exactly. And I heard the experiment isn''t even that risky. I just don''t get why she''s refusing."


    The words struck Serena like a bolt of lightning, and her face went pale. The only match in the world? Refusing to cooperate?