The Hewitt Brothers I Chased for Years

Three days later, she woke up.

Outside the hospital room, Howard had just arrived when he overheard the nurse speaking to Brad.

"Ms. Bray underwent kidney donation surgery. She’s weak and shouldn’t be exposed to the cold, or there may be complications."

Brad’s voice dropped. "But she had three kidneys, right? One was a duplicate. Donating one shouldn’t be that serious."

The nurse hesitated, then looked at him strangely.

"The scans show she only has one kidney left." Her voice was calm but firm. "Besides, I assisted in her surgery. Ms. Bray is a normal person—there was never a duplicate kidney."

Brad stiffened.

Howard was the first to react, his expression darkening, his gaze unreadable.

"What did you just say?"

The nurse didn’t waver. "She only had two kidneys. Now she has one."

For a moment, silence pressed down on them.

Brad frowned deeply, his mind racing. His first instinct was to reject the idea.

"That’s impossible. She told me—"

But then, he saw it.

The scan.

The undeniable truth.

He and Howard stared at the image of the single remaining kidney, the weight of realization settling over them like a cold shadow.

Brad’s breath slowed as he turned toward the hospital bed.

Nikki lay there, pale and weak, yet even in unconsciousness, her fingers remained tightly wrapped around that wedding ring.

For the first time, an uneasy guilt stirred inside him.

Howard’s gaze lingered on her frail hand, a complex emotion flashing through his eyes.

Near the door, Lora watched them, her face pale. She bit her lip, her voice trembling with guilt.

"It’s my fault," she whispered. "If I weren’t weak, if I weren’t sick... my sister wouldn’t have needed to donate her kidney. Howard and Brad wouldn’t have been forced into this, manipulated by her step by step into a marriage trap..."

Her eyes reddened as she suddenly turned away.

"Maybe... Maybe I should just give the kidney back to her. That way, I can have peace of mind, too..."

She made to leave, but before she could take a step, Howard and Brad moved at the same time, blocking her path.

Howard’s frown deepened. "Lora, you’ve suffered enough. How could this be your fault?"

Brad’s voice was firm, unwavering. "This is what Nikki owes you. One kidney, in exchange for a life of luxury—she got more than enough out of this deal."

But as soon as the words left his mouth, the faint rustle of movement caught his ear.

Nikki had woken up.

Her eyes met his, dark and unreadable.

In that instant, Brad felt something strange settle in his chest.

He remembered what the nurse had said.

And for the first time, he hesitated.