Chapter 2 Your Hearts Are So Cruel

"What? He's okay and awake?" exclaimed Miranda Lowe's driver in disbelief at the downtown hospital.

"The patient is fine. It looks like just a minor injury," nodded the doctor in his white coat.

"How is that possible? After he was hit, it looked really serious and there was so much blood," said the driver with a shocked expression.

"As you said, it only looked that way," replied the doctor calmly.

Miranda raised an eyebrow skeptically but after confirming that the doctor wasn't joking, she said nonchalantly, "Then I'll go see him."

Pushing open the door to his room, Miranda saw a bewildered man sitting on the bed. Lachlan couldn't believe he wasn't dead and something felt off about his body. His mind was also filled with all sorts of random information - Dragon Soul Immortal Technique? Dragon Emperor's Canon? Dragon Gaze Heavenward Technique?

What were these things?

And now there was a warm sensation spreading from his left kidney to every part of his body which felt oddly pleasant.

As Lachlan was studying intently, Miranda walked in. He looked up and was struck by her beauty. She outshone Claudia, who had once captivated him.

"Who are you?" Lachlan asked uncertainly, his mouth agape.

Miranda didn't answer but instead stared at him and asked, "Are you trying to pull a scam?"

Lachlan was momentarily stunned before realizing what she meant. He had crashed into her car head-on like a scammer would do.

"No," he said with a wry smile and shook his head.

"Oh, so you just don't want to live anymore?" Miranda asked casually.

"Yeah," Lachlan nodded in agreement.

"But what if you didn't die? What's your plan, to keep seeking death?" Miranda asked, her eyes flashing with an unknown purpose.

At this question, Lachlan sat in silence for a moment.

Miranda coldly surveyed Lachlan before speaking the words that nearly made him jump out of his seat.

"Let's get married. What do you say?"

Lachlan gasped and stared at her in shock. "What? What did you say?"

"I said let's get married!" Miranda repeated expressionlessly.

Lachlan was dumbfounded and even wondered if he had been hit by a car earlier instead of standing before this beautiful woman. How else could she have said something like that?

"Don't look at me like that! I'm perfectly sane!" Miranda frowned as she felt the weight of his gaze on her.

Lachlan coughed awkwardly. "But why? Why me? You think so highly of me?"

"No! Quite the opposite actually," replied Miranda seriously as she shook her head. "I chose you because I don't respect you. To put it simply, I need someone who isn't afraid to die to be my fiancé."

"And since you're already looking for death, you're naturally the best candidate. Since you don't even value your own life, it's a wasted life anyway. Why not let me make use of it? Of course, I won't use you for free. I'll give you appropriate compensation!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lachlan's eyes lit up - she was clearly wealthy.

"Alright! As long as you can give me 20 thousand dollars - no, 80 thousand dollars - to save my daughter, anything goes!"

The daily cost of an ICU ward was astronomical and who knew how much money would be needed if they really found a matching bone marrow donor. Anyway, this woman didn't seem to lack money so Lachlan decided to ask for more since she might also bargain with him.

Hearing this, Miranda raised her eyebrows in amusement, "Just so we're clear beforehand - your status as my fiancé is actually fake and I won't have any substantial relationship with you!"

"It doesn't matter. As long as you give me 80 thousand dollars to save my daughter, anything goes!" Lachlan repeated.

"You'll need to marry into my family and may suffer quite a bit of injustice since no one in my family will respect or value you. To put it bluntly –you're just a tool."

Miranda wanted to get all the ugly words out in advance.

"80 thousand dollars to save my daughter! Anything goes!"

"Alright..."

Miranda stopped talking.

She could tell that this man in front of her would do anything if he had enough money to save his daughter.

He can give up his life, and even more so his dignity.

In the ICU room, Jason, Nora's attending physician, lifted the little girl's eyelids and glanced at the nearby equipment.

"It's hopeless. Prepare to handle it," he said.

"Understood, Dr. Saunders," replied the nurse as she pulled out a white sheet to cover Nora's body.

At this moment, Nora had already closed her eyes and lay motionless on the bed like a fragile life that had reached its end.

Jason looked at the little girl with an indifferent expression that showed no pity or guilt.

"If they can't afford their medical bills, then they can't continue using imported drugs to prolong their lives for a few more days. Poor people can only wait for death!" Jason muttered under his breath with disdain.

Just then, someone rushed into the room in a hurry.

Lachlan saw the white sheet in the nurse's hand and his tone changed, "Stop! What are you doing?"

"The patient has already passed away..." The nurse was startled by Lachlan's sudden appearance.

"No! How is that possible?"

"Nora! Nora!"

Upon hearing this, Lachlan was struck like lightning and ran to the bedside with a low growl.

Seeing his daughter lying there lifeless with her eyes closed, his eyes instantly turned red as blood. He unwillingly grabbed Nora's small hand and gently shook it.

"Nora, wake up!"

"Open your eyes and look at Daddy!"

"Nora! Nora, my daughter!"

At this point, Jason impatiently said, "What are you yelling about in the hospital room? She is dead. Hurry up and let the nurse take her away!"

"No, Nora won't die!"

"How could Nora die so quickly? Did you use special medicine on her?"

"You used special medicine on her. How could she die so quickly?" Lachlan asked with red eyes.

Jason chuckled sarcastically and said, "You haven't paid your bills yet. Do you think hospitals are charities?"

"You bastard! You heartless doctor!"

"Why didn't you give my daughter medicine? Why? Didn't I tell you to give my daughter medicine first before I go get money?"

"How can you just watch my daughter die like this? How can you bear it?" Lachlan tearfully questioned with bloodshot eyes.

"What are you saying? Do you think it matters? Who do you think you are? Your daughter is already dead, so tell the nurse to take the body away! The ICU room is charged by time, so if you have money, feel free to keep making a fuss here!" Jason sneered and then impatiently urged.

"No, my daughter did not die! Did not die!"

Lachlan grabbed Nora's small hand and roared unwillingly.

The next moment, a thought crossed his mind. A warm stream flowed from his hand, entering Nora's small hand and spreading into her body.

"Once a person is dead, what's the point of holding on? Either take her home and hold her properly, or stop making a scene here!" Jason shouted.

"No, my daughter is not dead! She will definitely survive!"

Lachlan continuously transfers the heat flow from his body to Nora's body.

The burning sensation in his left kidney and the extra information in his mind let Lachlan know that there were some changes happening to his body.

He still didn't understand these hot streams that surged from his left kidney, and he was not very adept at using them.

But even if there was a glimmer of hope, he will not give up, relentlessly injecting into Nora's body, hoping for a miracle to happen.

"Survive? Are you crazy? All vital signs are gone, how do you expect her to survive?"

"If your daughter can survive, I'll walk backwards for the rest of my life!" Jason scoffed, and the nurse beside him snickered.

But at that moment, the monitoring device still attached to Nora emitted a "beep!"

Immediately after, the heart monitor screen displayed a wave pattern where there had previously been a straight line. The waves grew stronger and more regular with each passing moment.