Chapter 1 The Donor Who Said No

"I'm not donating my kidney."

Emily Johnson stopped dead at the operating room doors.

Her heart hammered. She fought to steady her breath. Thank God she'd been reborn at this exact moment.

Any later—once the anesthesia hit her veins—her life would have been over for good.

"Emily. What the hell are you pulling now?"

A furious male voice erupted behind her.

Her older brother, Mark Johnson, had come to escort her into surgery.

He strode forward, frowning, radiating control. "We already agreed. You're donating to save Grace. This is your responsibility."

Emily turned slowly. Her voice was calm. "Why?"

Mark laughed in disbelief. "Why? You're the one who drugged her and destroyed her kidneys. You're a perfect match. You're the only one who can save her. What gives you the right to refuse?"

A cold smile curved across Emily's lips. "I drugged her? Do you have proof?"

Mark froze.

In his mind, Emily had always been timid and docile, never daring to meet his eyes.

Now her gaze was ice. Locked on his without a trace of fear.

She was a completely different person.

"Grace said she had sudden abdominal pain after drinking the honey water you gave her."

Before Emily could finish, Mark cut her off roughly. "The facts speak for themselves. You did it."

"Then why didn't you call the police?" Emily's smile turned frigid. "You accuse me of poisoning her, but you have zero evidence."

"What poison did I use? Where did I get it? When did I slip it in? You don't know any of that. But you're convicting me anyway."

In her past life, Emily would never have fought back like this.

She'd been naive and desperate to please. Terrified of disappointing them.

She was the biological daughter of the Johnson family. Lost for twenty years before being found and renamed Emily Johnson.

But even after returning to her birth family, her status never came close to Grace's—the adopted daughter the Johnsons had raised.

Emily had craved their love so badly. She'd compromised everything. Given everything.

She'd volunteered to donate her kidney. She'd handed over the inheritance her grandfather left her—every cent—to Grace Johnson.

All that sacrifice had earned her nothing but a brutal death.

"Emily, you—" Mark was speechless for a moment.

Grace's crisis had unfolded in less than a week. In the chaos, everyone had assumed Emily was guilty. No one had bothered to verify the truth.

Hurried footsteps echoed down the hall.

Her mother, Evelyn Thomas, rushed toward them. Her face tight with worry. "Grace's surgery is ready. Why haven't you gone in yet?"

"She changed her mind," Mark said. "She won't donate."

Evelyn's face went white. Disappointment flooded her features.

"Emily, why are you breaking my heart like this?"

Tears streamed down her cheeks. Her voice broke. "When you disappeared all those years ago, adopting Grace was the only thing that got me through. She's the reason I survived to see this day."

"You're the only one who can save Grace now. She's dying. I'm begging you. Please. Save her." Evelyn's legs gave out. She crumpled to the floor.

Mark rushed to help her up. "Mom, get up. Emily knows right from wrong. She'll agree."

"I need to hear it from her," Evelyn choked out.

Emily watched the scene unfold with detached contempt. How absurd.

In her past life, how blind and stupid had she been to fall for this family's fake warmth and moral blackmail until it killed her?

"Are you really sure Grace is at death's door?" Emily asked.

Evelyn's tears stopped instantly. She looked furious and frantic. "Your sister has been hospitalized for a week. Kept alive by doctors. She's nearly died several times."

"I doubt it." Emily's tone was flat. "Acute kidney failure isn't a death sentence. With timely treatment, she doesn't need a transplant. She's only been on dialysis a few days, and you're already forcing me to donate. Did she bribe the medical staff to fake her condition and set me up?"

In her past life, Emily had never seen through Grace's viciousness.

Grace had stolen from her repeatedly. Played the victim to force her to back down. Staged accidents to make her fall. Her parents and brothers chalked it all up to youthful jealousy and sibling rivalry.

They told her over and over to be understanding. To give in.

But her concessions only made Grace bolder. More vicious.

Grace had paid off hospital staff to fabricate a poisoning and kidney-failure diagnosis. All to trick Emily into donating.

Once Emily's kidney was removed, the hospital would announce a misdiagnosis. Grace wouldn't need surgery after all.

A kidney outside the body can't be put back. If no recipient is found within twenty-four hours, it's discarded as medical waste.

While Grace recovered and the family celebrated, Emily suffered alone through post-op infection. No one cared.

No one felt sorry for her. Mark had even scolded her harshly: "You poisoned someone. You got what you deserved."

"You should be grateful it was just a misdiagnosis. Otherwise Grace would've been cut open for nothing."

That moment shattered Emily completely.

The final blow came in a video Grace sent her.

In it, two large guard dogs tore apart a mass of bloody tissue. Grace's playful, mocking laughter played in the background.

"Emily, that's your kidney."

Rage consumed Emily entirely.

She didn't get the chance to take revenge. Severe post-op infection led to sepsis. Three days later, she died in the ICU.

This rebirth was fate's only gift. A single chance to fight back.

"Emily, are you insane? Who would fake their own illness to set a trap?" Mark's fury flared.

He swung his hand to slap her. "Only someone as twisted as you would imagine something this sick."

Emily blocked the blow with her forearm.

Then, with every ounce of strength she had, she chopped down hard on Mark's wrist.

Mark recoiled in shock and rage. His face twisted. "Emily. You dare defy this family? You don't want to be a Johnson anymore?"

"Then just kick me out of the Johnson family." Emily's expression was serene.

Mark's face turned purple with fury.

The Johnson family prized bloodline above all. His father, Andrew Johnson, had already publicly acknowledged his biological daughter. The whole city knew. Banishing her now would humiliate the family.

"Stop making things hard for Emily."

Grace appeared, dressed in a hospital gown. Her face was pale. She walked toward them slowly, weakly. "If Emily doesn't want to save me, don't force her. I understand."

"Grace, why are you out here?" Evelyn hurried to support her, voice full of concern. "Go back to your room and rest."

Mark's tone was unyielding. His gaze sharp. "If you do something wrong, you face the consequences. This surgery is happening today."

He stared Emily down. His voice laced with threat. "Are you walking into that operating room yourself, or do I call security to drag you in?"

Emily edged backward until her spine hit the cold corridor wall.

This hospital had Johnson family investors. The Johnsons wielded serious power in Sunrise City.

If they forced her, she had no way to fight back alone.

Then, cutting through the tension, a low, magnetic male voice echoed down the hall. "Even if a donor signs consent forms, they have the legal right to change their mind at any time. No one can compel them."

Everyone turned. A tall doctor in a white coat walked toward them.

"I'm the lead surgeon for this procedure." He stopped in front of Emily. His tone was professional and calm. "If you refuse the surgery, no one can force you."

"Who are you?" Mark's suspicion spiked instantly. "Grace's surgeon is supposed to be Quinn."

"Quinn has been taken in for investigation on multiple charges of medical violations."

The man's voice was detached, matter-of-fact. "Ms. Johnson, do you wish to proceed with this surgery?"