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.

Howard paused, an unusual flicker of concern in his tone. "Nikki, you're awake?"

Lora’s eyes darkened, but before she could speak, Howard’s phone rang. He answered, his expression shifting.

"What? Hewitt… The foster father is back to prepare for the wedding?"

As he ended the call, both brothers exchanged a look, their gazes turning cold as they turned back to the woman on the hospital bed.

"You failed to force a marriage, so now you're using the foster father to threaten us?"

Brad sneered. "Nikki, you really never run out of tricks. You’re doing everything in your power to make one of us marry you."

"I’m telling you now—no matter how much pressure the elders put on us, we will never agree to marry you!"

At the mention of David, Nikki’s dull eyes finally lit up.

Even though the Hewitt brothers’ words were cruel, she no longer cared.

However, there was still one last question she needed to confirm.

Just as they were about to leave with Lora, Nikki spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Wait a moment."

"Howard, Brad—you both had a heart transplant when you were young because of a hereditary condition, right?"

The brothers exchanged glances, confused by her sudden question. They assumed she was trying to manipulate them by bringing up childhood memories.

Howard answered curtly. "Brad didn’t. I had a heart problem, but it healed before the transplant, so the surgery was never done. Why are you asking this?"

Nikki nodded, a sad, knowing smile forming on her lips.

"Okay. I understand now."

And with that, she could finally let go completely.

Howard stared at her pale face, an unshakable sense of unease creeping into his chest.

It felt as if something precious had just shattered—something he hadn’t even realized he had.

"Nikki, you—"

Before he could finish, Lora suddenly collapsed against him, trembling as she pleaded,

"Sister, please don’t force Howard and Brad anymore. If you want, I’ll even give up my place as the Bray family’s daughter. Isn't that enough?"

Brad, seeing Lora on the verge of fainting from emotion, shot Nikki a furious glare. Without warning, he grabbed her from the bed.

"Do you think donating a kidney and calling your adoptive father will be enough to threaten me?" He seethed. "Nikki, don’t you think you deserve this?"

They hurriedly picked Lora up and left, never sparing a glance at Nikki as she crumpled to the floor.

Alone in the empty ward, she had expected this.

But surprisingly, she no longer cared.

After all, tomorrow was her wedding—the day she would say a final goodbye to the Hewitt brothers.

That night, Nikki quietly checked out of the hospital. She needed to prepare properly for the ceremony.

For the first time in a long while, she managed to sleep peacefully.

But just as dawn broke, a message from the Hewitt brothers arrived.

"Nikki, come to the hospital now."

"If you exchange your kidney with Lora again, we will agree to attend the wedding today."

For a moment, Nikki thought she had misread the words.

They were threatening her—demanding she trade her only healthy kidney for Lora’s failing one, in exchange for them showing up at her wedding?

A blank, hollow laugh escaped her lips as her eyes turned red.

Without hesitation, she grabbed the two locked wooden boxes she had packed the night before and rushed to the hospital.

As soon as the Hewitt brothers saw her, their expressions were cold and mocking—exactly as she expected.

They believed her attempt to change the groom had been just another manipulation tactic.

Wasn’t it obvious?

The wedding was about to begin, and she had rushed over in desperation, willing to give up her last healthy kidney just to ensure the ceremony went as planned.