Chapter 1 There Is No Turning Back

• Shelby Ross clutched her stomach tightly, struggling to climb out of bed.
• The moonlight seeped through the window, casting an even paler hue on the woman's face.
• The familiar sound of footsteps echoed outside the door; it was Donovan Mayer's.
• Shelby suddenly suddenly found some strength, gripping the doorknob tightly and struggling to open the door.
• “Donovan.” Calling his name took nearly all the strength she had left in her.
• Donovan halted his steps, turning around to cast a detached gaze toward the thinly-dressed woman.
• “You're back. Have you eaten?” You're back. Have you eaten?” Her voice carried a careful, tentative tone of trying to please.
• There was a glint in her beautiful eyes.
• Donovan, with a cool and detached expression, turned and walked away.
• His reaction pierced Shelby's heart with an unbearable pain.
• Shelby caught up to him, clutching onto his sleeve. Her lips were bleeding from biting down too hard, and the throbbing pain in her abdomen made it almost impossible for her to catch her breath.
• “Let go!” Donovan's eyes were filled with a deep and intense fury.
• Shelby's fingers slightly loosened, daring only to grasp a bit of his clothing.
• “Donovan, I'm in pain...” Her voice quivered. “It's too late. Could you please take me to the hospital?”
• Had it been daytime, she wouldn't have troubled him.
• “Pain? Where?” Donovan turned around, staring intently at her.
• “Stomach,” she said, beads of cold sweat trickling down her forehead.
• Donovan lowered his gaze, his eyes landing on her hand placed over her stomach. A sudden, cold laugh escaped his lips. “Ms. Ross, your performance is becoming more and more convincing. How long did you rehearse for this act?”
• He lifted his hand, pulling his sleeve from her grasp.
• Then, he reached out to grip her chin.
• “From the day you betrayed me, I made a vow that I would never forgive you in this lifetime. Well, not until...” With a cruel smirk, Donovan declared, “You die.”
• At that moment, her blood ran cold. She was shaking uncontrollably, unable to stop. Donovan, however, didn't look at her again, heading straight into the bedroom and shutting the door behind him.
• A pain as sharp as a knife twisting in her stomach brought Shelby to her knees.
• Trembling, she fumbled to get her phone and dialed for an ambulance.
• ...
• As he listened to the fading siren of the ambulance, Donovan's expression was cool and detached. To him, Shelby was skilled at using ruthless methods to get what she wanted.
• This was merely another act in her drama of wanting to stay in the Mayer family.
• After all, the Ross family was on the brink of bankruptcy.
• She was the kind of woman who, upon seeing him in a state of despair, chose to pursue another man. How could she allow herself to endure hardship?
• ...
• Shelby sat on the hospital's bench, holding her medical report. Her gaze fell upon the white wall.
• The test results were in. She was diagnosed with late-stage colorectal cancer.
• Shelby took a taxi to the hospital where Elias Calder was working. Upon receiving her call, Elias met her at the hospital entrance.
• Shelby's eyes were brimming with redness, yet she managed to flash him a smile.
• “Elias.” She gripped the medical report tighter. “I've got my test results. The doctor said I have late-stage colorectal cancer.”
• Elias' expression shifted.
• Her nose tingled with a sour sensation, her eyes pleading as she looked at Elias, “Could you check again for me? Is it possible... they made a mistake?”
• Elias was a doctor, specializing in gastroenterology.
• Shelby was ushered into the examination room.
• At five in the afternoon, the test results were released, and it was identical to the initial diagnosis—late-stage colorectal cancer.
• Shelby sat there, stunned, her lips barely moving as she asked, “How much time do I have left?”
• Elias crouched down, his hands, defined by prominent knuckles, firmly grasping her shoulders. “Shel,” he assured, “I will save you.”
• “Cancer.” Shelby's tears began to fall. “It's cancer.”
• Her illness, much like her marriage to Donovan, was beyond repair.