Chapter 4

(Olivia''s POV)

After he said that, Ethan hung up the phone. Those amber eyes of his went cold as ice as he stared me down with nothing but contempt.

"Olivia, if you''ve got any backbone left, don''t have Lily call me again," he said, his voice cutting through me like a blade.

Just like that, he turned and headed for the door. Everything about him screamed confidence – the way he held his shoulders, the way he walked. Like a man who knew damn well he was right about everything.

The second he stepped outside, my legs just... gave out. I hit the hardwood floor with a loud crash that echoed through the tiny house.

Ethan spun around instinctively. When he saw me sprawled out on the floor, his eyes narrowed into slits.

"Olivia, I already told you – don''t pull this pathetic shit with me," he sneered.

I was lying there on that cold floor, barely hanging on to consciousness. Every word he spoke felt like a silver bullet straight to the heart.

In his mind, I was just some scheming bitch pulling desperate stunts. A manipulative woman trying to get his attention through cheap tricks.

He saw me as the woman who''d drugged him five years ago on his anniversary with Victoria Frost. The evil witch who forced his precious Victoria to leave town alone and struggle through pregnancy with Emma.

Now he thought I was using Lily''s illness to compete with Victoria for his attention. The thought made me want to puke.

I wanted to scream the truth at him. Tell him how our daughter had suffered, how she''d begged for his love right up until she took her last breath.

My lips moved, trying to get the words out. I wanted to tell him to get the hell out and never come back.

But I was too weak. Darkness crashed over me like a wave, dragging me under.

(Ethan''s POV)

I stared down at Olivia''s crumpled form, irritation flashing through me.

Just another one of her manipulative games. She''d always been dramatic, but this was pushing it way too far.

I turned to leave again, but something made me stop. Her breathing looked off – too shallow. Her face was way too pale.

With an annoyed sigh, I walked back and nudged her shoulder. "Olivia, cut the crap."

Nothing. I crouched down and shook her harder. "Olivia!"

When she just slumped back down, my irritation vanished, replaced by pure instinct. I caught her before her head could smack the floor, pulling her limp body against me.

Looking at her pale face and closed eyes finally convinced me. This wasn''t an act.

Her skin felt cold under my fingers. I pressed two fingers against her neck, relieved to feel a pulse, though it was weaker than it should''ve been.

I picked her up easily – she was way too light in my arms. Alarmingly light.

After getting her to the bedroom, I pulled out my phone and called Dr. Harold Bennett.

Half an hour later, Dr. Bennett showed up at Maple Grove. The old doctor had been with our family for as long as I could remember.

He examined Olivia thoroughly in the master bedroom while I paced outside. When he finally came out, his face was grim.

"What''s wrong with her?" I asked before he could say anything.

Despite my casual tone, Dr. Bennett knew better than to take my question lightly. He''d served the Stone family for twenty years, watched me change after the attack that killed my mother and left me blind for six months.

After I got my sight back, I had a brief spark of hope but lost it again when I couldn''t find the woman who''d taken care of me during my amnesia. I became colder and more distant until Olivia came into my life.

"She''s suffering from extreme exhaustion and malnutrition," Dr. Bennett said, adjusting his glasses. "She''s also showing signs of severe grief response."

I raised an eyebrow. "Grief?"

"Yes, Alpha. Pretty intense grief, actually." His eyes flicked to mine, then away. "Combined with sleep deprivation and poor nutrition, her body just... shut down."

My gaze sharpened, catching the doctor''s mention of grief. What the hell did Olivia have to grieve about? Our daughter was fine – just sick, not dead like she kept claiming.

"Should we send someone from the main house to take care of her?" Dr. Bennett asked carefully.

I knew he was thinking about the past – about how devoted I used to be to Olivia. How different things were now.

"No," I said curtly, dismissing Dr. Bennett with a look. "That won''t be necessary."

(Olivia''s POV)

I was stuck in a nightmare, reliving the day Lily died.

Dr. Marcus Fletcher stood in front of me, his face grave. "I''m sorry, Mrs. Winters. The kidney donor has... disappeared."

"What do you mean disappeared?" I asked, my voice getting higher. "The surgery was supposed to be tomorrow!"

"The donor kidney got redirected to another patient," he said, avoiding my eyes. "There was nothing I could do."

I felt the world spinning beneath me. "But Lily''s been waiting for months! She won''t make it without this transplant!"

Dr. Fletcher''s silence told me everything I needed to know.

I rushed back to Lily''s room, pulling out my phone to call Ethan. One call. Two. Three. Straight to voicemail every time.

"Please, Ethan," I begged after the beep. "Lily needs you. The donor kidney is gone. You have connections – please help us!"

But my pleas went nowhere.

I went back to Lily''s bedside, taking her tiny hand in mine. Her skin was so pale it was almost see-through.

"Mommy?" she whispered, her voice barely there. "Did Daddy call back?"

I forced a smile, choking back tears. "He''s really busy, sweetheart. But he loves you so much."

Lily''s green eyes – just like mine – filled with understanding way beyond her years. "It''s okay, Mommy. I know he''s with Emma."

Her small fingers squeezed mine. "Mommy, I''m scared."

"Don''t be scared, baby," I whispered, stroking her hair. "Mommy''s right here."

"Will it hurt?" she asked, her voice shaking.

I shook my head, unable to speak past the lump in my throat.

"Mommy," she whispered, her eyes getting heavy. "Can you tell Daddy I love him? Even if he loves Emma more?"

Before I could answer, her small hand slipped from mine. The monitors started screaming as her eyes closed forever.

"No!" I screamed, pulling her into my arms. "Lily, please! Don''t leave me!"

I held her cooling body against my chest, desperately trying to warm her, to force life back into her tiny frame.

"Please, baby," I sobbed, rocking her back and forth. "Please don''t go."

But she was already gone. My beautiful, brave little girl.

(Ethan''s POV)

I woke up to the sound of heartbreaking sobs.

Confused, I blinked in the darkness, slowly remembering where I was – in Olivia''s guest bedroom at Maple Grove.

I''d been exhausted after spending the day with Emma at Silvercrest Medical Center. The kid had needed another check-up after her kidney transplant, and Victoria insisted I be there.

Now these cries were interrupting my much-needed sleep.

With an irritated growl, I got up and followed the sound to Olivia''s bedroom.

She was thrashing around in her sleep, tears streaming down her face as she clutched at nothing.

"Olivia, what are you—" I started, about to shake her awake, but stopped.

Her face was twisted in pure agony, tears soaking the pillow. This wasn''t a performance.

"Lily," she whimpered, her voice breaking. "Don''t leave me, baby. Please don''t go."

My irritation faded as I watched her suffering. Her grief was real, her heartbroken whispers barely audible.

I caught pieces of what she was saying. "Don''t leave." "Can''t live without you."

Something uncomfortable twisted in my chest. I sat on the edge of the bed, not sure what to do.

"Olivia," I said, my voice softer than I meant it to be. "Wake up."

She didn''t respond, lost in her nightmare.

I gently touched her face. "Olivia, wake up, don''t cry," I said, my voice still stiff but with a hint of comfort.

But she didn''t wake up. Her tears kept flowing, her body shaking with each sob.

I reached for a tissue from the nightstand and carefully wiped her face. "It''s okay, don''t cry, I''m here."

As her sobs got worse, something inside me cracked. I couldn''t stand seeing her in this much pain, even if I didn''t understand why.

I cupped her chin and leaned down, pressing my lips to hers. I told myself I was just trying to quiet her cries, to calm her down.

But the moment our lips touched, something electric shot between us. A connection I''d been fighting for way too long.

The kiss deepened, my body responding to having her close. What started as comfort quickly became something else – passionate and out of control.

My hand slipped under her nightgown, finding her skin warm and soft. All thoughts of Victoria, of Emma, of our fights just... disappeared.

In this moment, there was only Olivia – my mate, my Luna, the woman whose scent still called to my wolf even when my human mind tried to deny it.