Colton had always cared for his younger brother over the past years. Still, his brother never appreciated it and repeatedly hurt the family.

When Connor heard me say this, there was still some doubt in his eyes, but he believed me anyway. He didn't fully understand the relationship between me and Colton. However, he had witnessed all my efforts over the years.

He frowned at the sparse ginger soup by the bedside. "What kind of job are the maids doing? How could they serve something like this?"

I didn't respond. I used to be the respected mistress of the Lynch Family when Colton was around, but things had changed. Connor treated me with disdain, and naturally, his people didn't take me seriously either.

Seeing me lower my eyes in silence, Connor cleared his throat lightly. "Alright, I'll tell the maids. You should focus on recovering. Mom and Dad specifically requested your presence at the family gathering tomorrow."

"Don't worry, I know what to do." I understood that the little bit of kindness he showed was only to get me to play along.

The next day, I forced myself to get up early. I used careful makeup to hide my sickly appearance.

Connor waited for me downstairs in the car. As soon as I opened the car door, a strange smell mixed with perfume wafted out.

Lily was sitting in the front passenger seat, smiling at me. "Connor said he only wanted to bring the person he loves to such an important event. You don't mind, do you?"

Connor glanced at me awkwardly. "Mom and Dad have always liked you. When the time comes, could you say something nice about Lily?"

I looked at the affectionate couple, feeling a mix of emotions.

With Colton's long illness, Connor had become increasingly reckless. He was even asking his fiancée to plead for his mistress at a family banquet. Only he could do something so absurd.

I worked hard to suppress my feelings. "Sure, I will."

Over the years, whenever Connor did something outrageous for Lily, I cleaned up the mess. I'd taken the beatings, the scoldings, and the ridicule for him. One more time wouldn't make a difference.

I tried to stay quiet on the way, keeping my presence to a minimum. I pretended not to see the affectionate gestures between Lily and Connor. I thought we could at least have peace until we reached the gathering, but I underestimated Lily's antics.

Lily suddenly exclaimed as we passed a river, "Connor, do you remember this river? It's where we held hands for the first time. I miss those days. Can we go down and take a walk?"

Talking about the past brought a tender look to Connor's eyes, and he agreed readily. Lily then turned her gaze to me. "Rebecca, why don't you come too? You should learn more about Connor's past."

I knew Lily didn't have good intentions. I shook my head. "I won't intrude on your memories. I'll wait in the car. Just don't take too long. We don't want to be late and disappoint the Lynchs."

Lily gave a dismissive snort and got out of the car. In no time, the two were embracing and kissing passionately.

I looked away and pulled out my phone, opening a hidden album. Looking at the photos of Colton's radiant smile, I felt transported back to those happier days. Just four more days, and I would see him again.

As I was lost in thought, a shrill alarm from the system rang in my head. "Alert! Alert! The mission target is in danger. If the mission target dies unexpectedly, the mission will be deemed a failure."

Hearing the news, I quickly looked up. Lily had somehow fallen into the river. Despite being unable to swim, Connor immediately leaped in to save her.

I dialed for emergency help while sprinting towards the river. The current was strong due to the flood season. I feared that before the rescue team could arrive, both non-swimmers might lose their lives.

Thinking of the six years of effort and sacrifices, I didn't hesitate. I shed my coat and dove into the icy water. The cold bit into my skin as I swam towards Connor, pulling him towards the shore.

Just as we were about to reach the bank, Connor suddenly began to struggle violently. "Who told you to save me? Save Lily! I need to save Lily!"

Connor's burly body pressed on half of my shoulder, causing me to choke on several mouthfuls of water. My strength began to wane, but seeing the anxious look on his face, I gritted my teeth and forcefully pushed him towards the shore. "Connor, just stay safe."

"I can't let you be in danger. I'll save the person you care about." After saying this, I took a deep breath. I dove back into the river to save Lily, who was sinking below the surface.

After much struggle, my body was almost numb from the cold, and my strength was nearly depleted. I relied on my last energy to swim towards the shore.

As I neared the shore, a sharp branch from the riverbed sliced into my leg. Blood clouded the water and the searing pain made me tremble. My consciousness began to fade, but I seemed to see Colton standing on the shore, waving at me.

I recalled many years ago when Colton patiently taught me how to swim, guiding me hand by hand. "Becca, don't be afraid. Swim forward with confidence. I'll always be here to protect you."

Now, it was my turn to protect him. Summoning the last ounce of my strength, I dragged the unconscious Lily to the shore. The rescue team finally arrived, lifting us onto the ambulance with hurried hands.

Just before I lost consciousness completely, I saw Connor take off his coat and place it over me. His eyes were red, and he repeatedly asked me, "Why?"

His face gradually overlapped with the face of the person I longed for day and night. I slowly reached out and touched his face, which bore a resemblance to Colton's. I couldn't help but say, "Because I love you. I'm willing to do anything for you."

As long as he woke up and I could see him again, all my sacrifices were worth it.

Connor was taken aback since he had not expected me to do so much for him, but he had no idea that everything I did was for his brother. It had nothing to do with him.

I remained unconscious for three days and three nights. When I finally woke up, I was alone in the room. I could only hear the nurses gossiping as they passed by.

"Mr. Connor is so devoted to his fiancée. She only swallowed some water and he was so worried his eyes turned red. He stayed by her side and summoned every doctor for her treatment."

"You're mistaken. His fiancée is in the room next door. His … other woman is a well-known pushover. I heard that she risked her life to save both of them, but Mr. Connor hasn't even glanced at her."

"Ah, how pitiful for a woman to end up like this."

These harsh words didn't cause any ripples in my heart. I calmly stared at the ceiling, with only Colton's face in my mind.

Connor was safe. It meant that tomorrow, I would finally see Colton. Six years of suffering were finally coming to an end.

As I was lost in thought, the door suddenly opened. "Are you awake?"

Connor's gaze wasn't as cold as before. Instead, it held an emotion I couldn't decipher. He sat beside me, looking uneasy. "The doctor said your injuries aren't too serious. With some rest, you'll recover soon."

Just a near-death experience and a dozen stitches in my leg. Indeed, nothing seriously wrong. I nodded, waiting for Connor to continue.

He hesitated. "I'll give you a gift as compensation. Don't tell Mom and Dad about what happened."

"Don't worry, I know what to do." As expected, he was looking for me because of Lily.

I nodded understandingly, but Connor seemed uncomfortable. "Well … then take care of yourself. I'll come see you when I have time."

After that, he fled away. I didn't dwell on his unusual reaction. All my thoughts were on seeing Colton tomorrow. I tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep.

While getting ready in the morning, I overheard a conversation between Connor and the doctor in the hallway. "Miss Spelman's body has been severely damaged by the accident. We need to perform the surgery earlier than planned, or her life could be in danger."

"But Rebecca hasn't fully recovered yet. I'm afraid that if she donates her kidney now, something might go wrong … "

"I can't bear the thought of anything happening to her. How would I explain it to our parents and the Crawford family?"

Connor was torn. On one hand, his beloved first love, Lily. On the other, his fiancée, who had been gravely injured trying to save him.

After a brief hesitation, he made his decision. "Proceed with the surgery. Rebecca … she'll be fine."

When he finished speaking, someone covered my mouth and nose from behind. I lost consciousness immediately. When I woke up, I was lying in the operating room.

I heard Lily's voice nearby. "Connor doesn't care whether a pathetic girl like her lives or dies. You need to follow my instructions. Make it look like an accident and let her die on the operating table!"

Listening to their conversation, I finally understood. Lily wasn't sick at all. She orchestrated everything to get rid of me and be with Connor.

I glanced at the clock on the wall. One more hour. My mission would be complete in one more hour and I could see Colton again.

I couldn't die here …

Fueled by the instinct to survive, I tumbled off the operating table. The anesthetic hadn't worn off yet. I could only drag myself across the floor with great effort.

After a painful crawl to the door, Lily spotted me. She grabbed my arm, her face twisted in malice. "You heard everything, right? Then I definitely can't let you go!"

My legs were slowly regaining feeling. I bit Lily's arm hard and made a run for it. I hadn't gone far when I ran straight into Connor's arms.

Lily quickly followed and cried, "Connor, Rebecca was jealous that you liked me. She changed her mind at the last minute and even hit me. She said that if I died, no one would fight her for you."

Connor's face darkened instantly. "Rebecca, you've been pretending all this time. Don't you know backing out of a donation can kill someone? How could you be so cruel? And I even … "

"Forget it. Someone, take Rebecca back. Until Lily's surgery is successfully completed, she's not allowed to leave!"

I shook my head desperately and shouted, "Lily isn't sick! She's trying to use this chance to kill me!"