His Heir Dies While He Watches

I was so utterly exhausted that my consciousness plunged into a deep, heavy sleep. Buried memories began to surface.

Enzo's sister, Bianca, and I were the best of friends. We were inseparable, closer than sisters.

She suffered from a rare hereditary heart condition, and as a top cardiologist, I poured all my knowledge into finding a way to prolong her life. I couldn't bear to watch the once-vibrant girl grow weaker by the day, so I stayed by her side, doing everything I could to make her happy.

It was during that time that I got to know Enzo.

At first, he was guarded. Every time I tried to talk to him, he would ignore me. In his world, only Bianca existed.

Later, when he saw how much effort I put into treating Bianca's condition, he realized I wasn't putting on an act. He began to accept me.

His smiles were no longer reserved just for Bianca; he would talk to me like a friend. He even remembered the coffee I liked, which I had mentioned offhandedly, and would bring it to me discreetly the next time he saw me.

His heart was slowly opening up.

Bianca even tried to set us up.

"Cora, my brother has never cared about a woman like this. I think he's completely fallen for you."

Although I feigned annoyance and told her to stop talking nonsense, my flushed cheeks always betrayed me.

I no longer dared to meet Enzo's eyes. I wasn't sure how he felt, but I was certain I had fallen in love with him.

For Bianca, I endured the immense pressure of working for the Castello family, determined to find a final treatment plan.

Bianca was my best friend, the only person who had stood by me during the lowest point of my life. I couldn't lose her, so I vowed to do everything in my power.

With the help of a renowned specialist, I finally found a breakthrough drug that could stabilize Bianca's condition.

When I told Enzo the news, he was ecstatic. He pulled me into his arms and kissed my forehead.

"Cora, once Bianca is better, we'll have the grandest wedding in all of Chicago."

I gazed into his gentle eyes and nodded, my heart soaring.

However, the treatment failed.

The medication had been swapped. That dose not only failed to save Bianca but induced a fatal complication. In the end, Bianca died.

Even after four years, I could still see the look in Enzo's eyes. It was filled with such hatred and despair that not a trace of tenderness remained.

He gripped my shoulders, roaring like an enraged beast, "Tell me! Why did you switch the medication?"

I desperately explained that I hadn't, that I had no idea what happened.

But he no longer believed me. In that moment, he cursed me with the most vicious words imaginable.

"Cora, you're the one who should be dead. You should be in hell!"

For four years, his words were branded onto my soul. No matter how hard I tried, they would always echo, bringing fresh tears.

I thought I had grown numb, having heard far worse from Enzo since, but when I woke up, I still found my pillow soaked.

I wanted to call out Bianca's name, but all that came out were faint, choked sobs.

With tears drying on my face, I instinctively touched my flat stomach. The horrifying emptiness where our child had been sent a fresh wave of grief crashing over me.

Seeing me awake, the doctor who came to check on me said apologetically, "Miss Cora, I'm so sorry. We didn't know you were pregnant... By the time we found out, it was too late to save the child."

He glanced at my abdomen, his voice trailing off into a heavy silence that told me everything I needed to know. My womb... my body... It was all irreversibly damaged. I could never get pregnant again.

Tears blurred my vision. As I struggled to sit up, the doctor gently pushed me back down, his voice laced with concern.

"You're severely injured. You must rest. Don't move, or your wounds will reopen."

Feeling his kindness, I wiped my tears and nodded weakly.

But before I could settle back down, Enzo stormed in, his face a mask of fury.

He glared at me, his eyes burning with accusation and resentment.

"Cora, how could you be so vicious? Even if you hate me, even if you didn't want my child, you never should have staged this whole charade with outsiders!"