Chapter 116: Lily’s Kidney 

Chapter 116: Lily’s Kidney 

(Victoria’s POV) 

I paced anxiously across the polished hardwood floors of Rosewood Haven, my phone 

clutched tightly in my hand. For the fifth time in an hour, I dialed Maxwell Chen’s number, only 

to be sent straight to voicemail again. 

“Maxwell, this is Victoria. Call me back immediately. I need to know where Ethan is.” 

I ended the call with a frustrated tap, fighting the unfamiliar sensation of panic rising in my 

chest. This had never happened before. Maxwell always answered my calls, always responded 

to my messages. Something was wrong. 

After Matriarch Evelyn Stone’s death, I had put on my most convincing display of grief. I’d 

offered to help Ethan with the funeral arrangements, wearing an appropriately somber 

expression while secretly relieved that the old woman was finally gone. Her constant 

disapproval had been a thorn in my side for years. 

But Ethan had refused my help. That was within my expectations–we weren’t officially together yet, so I had no legitimate status in handling family matters. I didn’t truly care about busying myself with the old woman’s affairs anyway. The matriarch wasn’t worthy of my time 

or attention. 

What I hadn’t expected was Ethan refusing to let Emma and me attend the funeral at all. Just because the matriarch disliked me. And now, I hadn’t seen Ethan since her death. The funeral 

was over, but he wouldn’t answer my calls. 

I’d sent countless messages expressing my “sadness” over Matriarch Stone’s passing, offering comfort and support. No response. I’d gone to his residence and to Stone Pack Enterprises. 

He wasn’t there. 

How could I not panic? These days without Ethan had made one thing painfully clear: without him, I was nothing. The realization only strengthened my resolve to hold onto him more tightly 

than ever. 

The sound of a car engine outside pulled me from my thoughts. I rushed to the balcony, my heart leaping when I recognized Ethan’s Shadow Ghost pulling into the driveway. 

“Emma!” I called, my voice carefully modulated to sound worried rather than relieved. “Daddy’s 

here!” 

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< Chapter 116 Lily’s Kidney 

Emma came running from her playroom, her little face lighting up at the news. I quickly 

pinched her arm when she reached me. 

“Ow! Mommy, that hurts!” she whimpered, her eyes filling with tears. 

+15 Points 

“Perfect,” I whispered, smoothing her hair. “Keep crying. Tell Daddy we were worried about 

him.” 

The front door opened, and I guided Emma forward to greet Ethan. 

Emma rushed over to him, her eyes red and wet, and hugged his leg tightly. “Daddy, Mommy 

couldn’t reach you. Mommy and Emmy were so worried about you!” 

I watched carefully, waiting for Ethan’s reaction. In the past, seeing Emma’s tears would have 

made his heart ache. He would have immediately picked her up, kissed her little face, and comforted her softly. 

But something was different. Ethan stood stiffly, looking down at Emma with an expression I 

couldn’t quite read. He didn’t bend down to pick her up. He simply patted her head and said, 

“Emma, go ask Mrs. Lawson to take you to the Recreation Area for a while. I need to talk to 

your mother.” 

Emma sensed the change in his attitude and began to pout, preparing for one of her 

trademark tantrums. 

“Go,” Ethan said, his voice firm and cold. 

Emma immediately let go of his leg, frightened by his tone. This was the first time Ethan had 

ever been so stern with her. 

I touched Emma’s head gently. “Listen to your daddy,” I said, my mind racing to understand what had changed. 

Emma turned and ran to the Servants‘ Quarters to find Dorothy Lawson. The housekeeper appeared quickly, taking Emma’s hand and leading her away, leaving Ethan and me alone in 

the villa. 

My heart was pounding, but I kept my expression calm and concerned. I took a step forward, 

noting how much thinner Ethan looked. 

“Ethan, are you feeling unwell? Why do you look so pale?” I asked, my voice soft with worry. 

He didn’t answer. He just looked at me with those unfathomable amber eyes, making my anxiety spike. 

“Ethan, what’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that? Did I do something wrong?” I 

<Chapter 116 Lily’s Kidney 

asked, deliberately letting my eyes redden, looking at him pitifully, on the verge of tears. 

This always worked on Ethan. I’d angered him before, but as long as I acted weak and 

vulnerable, he would soften. He could never bear to stay mad at me when I cried. 

But today was different. His expression remained cold and distant. 

+15 Points> 

“Ethan…” I sobbed, about to deploy my ultimate weapon–full tears–when he suddenly spoke. 

“I just met with Nathan.” 

The name hit me like a physical blow. Nathan Blackwood. Ethan’s friend. It was normal for 

them to meet, but for Ethan to mention him now, with that expression on his face… 

My mind immediately went to that little girl. Lily. Even so, I clung to hope. Ethan trusted me completely; he couldn’t possibly have investigated me. 

I forced myself to remain calm, responding with casual interest. “Why didn’t you ask Nathan to 

come over? It’s been a while since I’ve seen him too. You should ask him to come over, and I’ll 

cook-” 

“Victoria, aren’t you curious about what he told me?” Ethan interrupted coldly. 

I felt a chill run down my spine. The way he was looking at me–like I was a stranger. Where was the Ethan who melted at my tears? The Ethan who believed every word I said? 

It was precisely because he knew my habits, knew that I stuttered and couldn’t speak a complete sentence whenever I lied, that he always believed me. Every time I vehemently denied something, he never suspected I might be lying. 

“Ethan, do you know? Do you know that the kidney Emma used was Lily’s?” I asked directly. 

I no longer had any illusions. Although I didn’t know why Ethan and Nathan had suddenly brought up the matter of that little girl’s kidney, I was certain that Ethan knew the truth. So I 

didn’t answer his question but asked my own instead. 

It was a rhetorical question, but spoken with certainty. 

Hearing my words, Ethan’s eyes filled with disappointment, grief, and confusion. He looked at me like he was seeing me for the first time. 

“Victoria, why? Why didn’t you tell me, knowing that the kidney was Lily’s? What were you thinking?” he demanded, his voice shaking with anger. 

Was it really as Olivia had claimed? That I deliberately stole Lily’s kidney, wanting to kill her? 

“Ethan, I’m sorry, I’m really sorry. I didn’t want to, but I really had no choice,” I said, suddenly 

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< Chapter 116. Lily’s Kidney 

covering my face with my hands. 

I squatted down on the floor and burst into tears. Not the delicate, pretty tears I usually 

produced, but ugly, desperate sobs. 

+15 Points > 

“You know how important Emma is to me, even though I didn’t want to get pregnant with her.” 

“I used to hate her, resent her. Her existence constantly reminded me that I was dirty, that I 

wasn’t worthy of you,” I continued, my voice breaking. 

I let the painful memories surface, using them to fuel my performance. “Because of her, I 

suffered for a long time and even wanted to end my life many times.” 

“But as she grew little by little inside me, as I felt her presence, I began to love her. She 

accompanied me through countless nights without you, she was the reason I kept going.” 

I looked up at Ethan through my tears, making sure he could see the raw emotion on my face. 

“Without Emma, I might have died during my time away, without you.” 

“We depended on each other. Emma is my life, how could I watch her die…” 

Ethan listened to my words, looking at me in shock. For a moment, I thought I’d succeeded in 

touching his heart. But then his expression hardened. 

“You couldn’t bear to watch Emma die, so you could watch Lily die?” His voice rose with each 

word. “Emma is your daughter, but Lily was my daughter too!” 

His eyes flashed with anger, the amber darkening to a dangerous gold. “In your eyes, Emma’s 

life is a life, but Lily’s life was not?” 

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