The Day Our Promise Breaks

Her eyes, red and glistening with tears, locked onto his.

Without a moment's pause, Charles ended Dahlia's call and gently clasped Evelyn's cold, trembling hand. He gave it a reassuring squeeze and murmured, "I'm not going anywhere until your mom's out of surgery. Eve, I'll do everything I can to make sure she's alright."

Charlie was gone, and there was nothing left he could do to change that or make things right. But for Josephine, he'd move heaven and earth.

Before Evelyn could say another word, Charles let go of her hand and followed the nurse with determined strides.

As Charles disappeared from view, his phone rang three more times-Dahlia, again. He dismissed each call without a second thought.

This was the first time he chose her over Dahlia when she truly needed him.

After Adam wrapped up his call, he noticed two people heading their way. He pulled Evelyn close, draping an arm around her shoulders.

"Evelyn, this is something Charles owes you. Don't let it weigh you down," he said softly.

Adam wanted to ease any guilt she might feel. She held a deep-seated grudge against Charles. His actions today wouldn't change that, but she might feel like she owed him something. Hating him while seemingly accepting his help could easily mess with her mind.

"Alright," Evelyn whispered, her voice barely audible.

Her loathing for Charles was exactly why she didn't want to owe him a thing.

...

Charles wasted no time getting tested to ensure his blood was usable, promptly donating 400cc, which was rushed to the operating room. Adam's friends were stuck in traffic, unable to make it in time. Every second felt like an eternity.

Charles stayed in the donation room, eyes glued to the plasma delivery to prevent any slip-ups. He also had a nurse keeping tabs on the operating room, monitoring the plasma usage closely.

The final five minutes were critical. The vehicle with more supplies was three minutes away, but the plasma they had was nearly depleted. Timing was everything.noveldrama

Inside the operating room, Andrew was sweating bullets as the surgery hit a critical phase. A nurse kept dabbing at his forehead.

When Charles heard about the situation, he immediately told the nurse, "Keep drawing."

He was in good shape, and the nurse knew lives were on the line, so she drew another 200cc. After that, Charles's face turned ghostly pale.

"Keep going," he insisted.

200cc wouldn't last until the delivery arrived.

"Mr. Jenkins, that's the limit. Any more, and your body won't cope," the nurse cautioned.

"Draw more," Charles commanded, his voice soft but firm with authority.

This was Andrew's private hospital, and the nurse had been told to follow Charles's lead. But this was about his health, and she knew who he was She hesitated to draw more, but Charles wouldn't let her remove the needle. Practically forcing her hand, he had another 200cc drawn. swnovel

After donating a total of 800cc, Charles's tips were bloodless, and his hand, pressing the needle site, was losing strength. The nurse took the chance to remove the needle, afraid he'd demand more. swnovel.net

She quickly delivered the 400cc to the operating room.

Slumped in the chair, Charles tried to stand but was hit by waves of dizziness. He managed to grab his phone, seeing the car had reached the hospital entrance.

Only after the blood made it into the operating room did Charles allow himself to close his eyes, utterly spent.

Outside the operating room, Evelyn watched the blood being wheeled in, her eyes brimming with tears.

Not long after, the operating room doors swung open. Andrew

emerged, exhausted but relieved, the tensign in his brow easing at last. "Ms. Evelyn, the surgery was a success." swnovel