A Love Beyond Life

Now, when Jace looked at the woman before him, he felt nothing, not even a hint of affection. His family approved of her, so he married her. To make him go through with it, his mother even made up some ridiculous story. She said the "angel in white" had fallen in love with him at first sight, that they were a match made in heaven.

Did they think he was a child? He knew perfectly well what was real and what was just a story. He just didn't care enough to argue. For an entire year after the separation, he had counted the days.

At first, his body rejected the transplant severely. Mila told him it was because the donor's health wasn't excellent. He didn't think much of it. He just obediently took his medicine and went through rehabilitation, like a machine going through motions. Slowly, Mila started acting like his girlfriend, visiting him every day.

News about Sharon would trickle in from time to time. Without exception, every piece of it only made Jace hate her more. He hated that she had abandoned him. Hated that she had given up on their child. That hatred festered in his heart, growing stronger and stronger, fermenting into something extreme.

He secretly searched for information about her. Finally, he found a clue. He went to countless places without telling Mila, but she was nowhere to be seen. In the end, when he learned she was living in Kevern. So, he carefully orchestrated their reunion.

His initial intention was simply to seek revenge. He should have felt satisfied when he humiliated Sharon with money. Yet, for some reason, his heart still ached. He told himself it was just withdrawal, forcing himself to forget her.

If he had just tried a little more complicated and genuinely committed to Mila, he would surely have forgotten her. That night, for the first time, he allowed Mila into his bed. She was bold and passionate, utterly different from Sharon, who always followed his lead. He loved Sharon, but he also enjoyed bullying her in bed. He loved seeing her struggle to hold back tears, but in the end, he stopped before taking the final step.

He got up, grabbed a cigarette and walked out onto the balcony. Sharon had hated his smoking, so he never smoked when they were together. After his lung transplant, he had sunk into depression for a long time. When it got unbearable, he allowed himself one cigarette. Now, there were already three cigarette butts at his feet.

Mila hadn't gotten what she wanted and it frustrated her. As an illegitimate daughter of the Sage family, she had worked hard to secure a marriage with Jace. There was no way Mila would let go now. No matter how he treated her, she wouldn't give up.

When Jace's phone rang, she wrapped herself in a bathrobe and walked out. "Honey, you have a call."

As long as she played the perfect wife, the Sage family would acknowledge her. What future was there in being a doctor? Returning to the family and securing her share of the inheritance was the only way she could feel at ease. Besides, Jace was good-looking. Being with him was a bonus. This deal was worth it.

"He glanced at the unknown caller and declined the call. "It's cold outside. Go back in."

Mila wrapped her arms around his waist. "Honey, want to give it another try?"

"No, I need to take this call." He hadn't expected the caller to be Charles.

At first, he had only wanted an excuse to brush off Mila and make her back off. Still, when he heard that familiar voice on the other end, the anger in his chest exploded. "Charles Lennox! How dare you call me?"

"Jace, no ... Mr. Hawthorne. I'm begging you, please help me find my daughter." Charles's voice trembled with sobs.

Jace's first instinct was that the man was lying. Annoyed, he crushed out his cigarette. "Just tell me, how much do you want this time?"

"I don't want money. I just want my daughter back. She gave up her entire right lung to save you and the doctors say she might not have much time left. I just want to be with her … "