Her hand trembled as she reached for Eleanor''s. After a moment''s hesitation, Eleanor didn''t pull away.


    "I''m sorry, Eleanor. It''s my fault Evelyn might have inherited this disease, and it''s my fault you''ve had to work so hard to develop a treatment for us. The Goodwin family has failed you."


    Eleanor gently withdrew her hand. "You don''t need to apologize anymore. It''s all in the past. For now, please cooperate with the treatment so you can recover."


    Serena, standing beside them, had tears in her eyes as well. She sat down on the edge of her mother''s bed. "Mom, since Ellie is here, there''s something I have to tell you."


    Eleanor immediately looked at Serena, guessing what she was about to say. "Serena, now is not-"


    Eleanor didn''t want Serena to say anything that might agitate Gina at a time like this.


    "Ellie, we''re at this point already. My mom needs to know. Please let me say it," Serena pleaded.


    Gina, unsettled by her daughter''s solemn demeanor, looked from Eleanor to Serena. "Serena, what is it you want to tell me?"


    Serena took a deep breath. "Mom, your illness first appeared ten years ago, right? Because it''s a rare blood disorder, my brother found a donor for you from around the world to donate stem cells. You know that, don''t you?"


    Gina nodded, but looked at her daughter with confusion. "I know all of that."


    "Then do you know who has been donating blood and stem cells to you all these years?" Serena asked, looking at her mother.


    "Your brother never told me. I think there was some kind of confidentiality agreement."


    Eleanor didn''t leave. She had to stay to monitor the situation, worried about the emotional impact this might have on Gina.


    Serena bit her lip. "There was no need for a confidentiality agreement. The dong herself insisted that my brother keep it a secret. She kept it from you, from me, and from Ellie. She deliberately hid her identity so she could use it as leverage to ruin Ellie and my brother''s marriage. She wanted to be Mrs. Goodwin."


    Gina was stunned. "Who is this person?"


    Serena nced at Eleanor before telling her mother, "It''s Vanessa. She''s the only


    donor my brother could find in the entire world."


    Gina stared at her daughter in shock, then looked at Eleanor, asking for


    confirmation. "What did you say? How could it be Vanessa?"


    "Mom, are you about to say she''s kind-hearted? That she willingly helped you?" Serena pressed on.


    After the initial shock, Gina seemed lost in thought.


    "Mom, the truth is, from the very beginning, she used her blood to force my


    brother into a deal."


    Gina was stunned again. "A... a deal?"


    "Yes, a ten-year-long, extremely unequal deal, Serena said, her eyes


    red with anger. "She forced him to


    sign a contract filled with all time


    unreasonable demands-that he had to stay in Drexford for six months after their marriage, that he had to help her graduate from a top arts institute, apany her to events, give her expensive gifts. She even demanded he help her acquire three billion in Yeaton Holdings shares as payment for her cooperation with the experiment. Otherwise, she wouldn''t agree to participate."


    Serena took a deep breath. "She even pretended to slit her wrists to manipte him." She then looked at Eleanor. Ellie, do you remember that New Year''s you came with Evelyn? That night, my brother left you and Evelyn because Vanessa called him. It was because she was at home slitting her wrists, threatening him that if he didn''t go to her, she would die right then and there."


    Eleanor''s brow tightened. Vanessa was certainly capable of such a crazy act, just like that time at the pool. She had knownn wouldn''t risk her getting hurt, so she had deliberately chosen that moment to pull her into the water.


    Gina''s breathing grew ragged. She looked at her daughter in disbelief. "What did you say? She would do something like that?"