Chapter 323

Steven walked in with his bodyguards, his expression stony and unreadable.

"Steven, weren't you supposed to be in a meeting? Why are you here so early?" Lucie asked, surprised.

He glanced at her, his eyes softening for a second before his tone turned stern. "The doctor said you need rest. Go back and lie down. I'll take care of things here."

Lucie eyed Jose, her suspicion clear. “What's wrong with him?"

"He's just scared out of his mind," Steven replied, as if it was no big deal.

Lucie hesitated, staring at Steven in disbelief. She couldn't even imagine what he might have done to leave someone this terrified.

"We questioned him all night. He confessed to everything-things he should and shouldn't have said. The antiques are already out of town, but I've sent people to track them down."

Steven's gaze hardened as he looked at Jose. "If you're still playing games, I'm done being patient."

Jose shook uncontrollably, curling up tighter in the corner. "Mr. Heath, please..... I've told you everything! I didn't have a choice, they—”

"They?" Lucie cut in, sharp and alert. "Who made you do this? Are there others involved?"

Steven shot her a look, then nodded for his assistant to help Jose back to the bed. "Just some idiots trying to stir up trouble. It's already being handled. Don't worry about it. I'll take care of everything for you."

He reached out to steady her, but Lucie sidestepped, her face completely blank. "Where's my phone? Hand it over right now."

"What's the rush? It won't be fixed until this afternoon," Steven said.

"Did you mess with anything on it?"

Steven put on an innocent face. "Why are you asking again? I told you, I didn't touch a thing."

"You'd better not be lying to me," Lucie said, her voice icy.

Steven let out a helpless laugh. "Seriously, this is what I get for trying to help?"

"I brought you breakfast. Go back to your room and eat something."

"The doctors will be here soon to check on you. They'll explain everything about Cody's condition."

"Whatever you decide after that, I'll respect it. It's your choice."

Lucie felt her chest tighten. She turned and walked back to her room without another word.

The moment she stepped inside, a team of doctors was already waiting.

"Mr. Heath, Ms. Anderson."

Lucie's voice was heavy with worry. "Doctor, how is Cody doing?”

The head doctor adjusted his glasses, his voice serious. "Ms. Anderson, Cody's

condition is more complicated than we thought."

"He has acute leukemia and

thalassemia. Right now, he needs

regular blood transfusions just to

survive. But the long-term

transfusions are causing iron

overload, which is damaging his liver and heart."

"The only way to cure him is with a stem cell transplant—a bone marrow transplant.

We tested every family member, including you and Mr. Heath..."

He paused, lowering his voice. "None of you are a match."

Lucie's heart dropped. Her hands clenched so tightly her knuckles turned white.

"What about cord blood? Didn't you say that might work?"

"In theory, cord blood from a sibling

has a fifty percent chance of being a match," the doctor explained, flipping through Cody's chart. "But it's just a probability We cant fest for compatibility until after the baby is born, and there are a lot of unknowns."

Steven spoke up, his tone gentle but firm. “Lucie, this is why I want you to keep the baby. Cody's running out of time. This is his best shot."

Lucie looked at him, searching his face. "And if the baby isn't a match?"

Steven's voice was quiet and heavy. "Then we'll try something else. But we have to

take this chance. It's the best option we have right now."

The doctor added, "Ms. Anderson, your pregnancy is stable and the baby is developing normally. If your decide to continue, you'll need regulanhigh-risk checkups to make sure you and the baby stay healthy Of course, the decision is yours."

Lucie stayed silent, her heart aching.

"I need some time to think about it."

The doctor nodded. "Take your time. If you have any questions, we'll be here."

"If you choose to have the baby, we'll start with conservative treatment for Cody. If you decide not to, the only option left is chemotherapy."

"You know what that means. Chemo wipes out the immune system. For someone as young as Cody, the risk is... significant."

"I understand. I'll think about it," Lucie said quietly.

"Alright, we'll give you some privacy."

After everyone left, only Lucie and Steven remained.

Steven set a thermos on the nightstand and opened it. "You should eat something."

Lucie didn't move. She just stared at him, her eyes full of hurt and resentment. Steven met her gaze, then let out a heavy sigh. “.....Lucie, please don't look at me like I'm the enemy."

“I know I shouldn't have forced things between us. I just—”

Lucie cut him off, her voice cold. "Just what?"

Steven's eyes softened with something like longing. "I still care about you. I still want you..."

His words made Lucie's stomach turn. "Stop. I don't want to hear it."

Steven's face fell, shadows clouding his features. “Fine, I won't say another word. No matter what I do, you'll always think the worst of me."