Chapter 884

Yuna wanting to give up her heart—this was something Keira never anticipated. She had once told Keira that no matter whose heart it was, as long as it beat in her chest, it was hers. But now she had changed her mind. Why, Keira didn’t know.

The thought saddened Keira. That heart was the only blood connection she had left in this world, and yet Yuna seemed unwilling to keep it. Still, it was her right. The heart was hers now, and whatever she chose to do with it was her decision.

Hayden seemed to sense Keira’s emotions. He kissed the top of her head gently. “She’s just asking. She won’t give it up so easily.” He sighed softly, adding, “Maybe she’s afraid she’s truly infected and doesn’t think she’ll live long. She might want to give the heart to someone who needs it more, so Narelle can continue to live.”

His words struck Keira like a wake-up call. Of course! Why hadn’t she considered that? Instead, she had assumed the worst of her. In that moment, Keira felt a sharp pang of guilt. She had been narrow-minded and selfish. Suddenly, Keira let go of her resentment. Yuna had once called her “sister-in-law” so sweetly and had been close to her before everything fell apart.

Keira had always blamed her for being stubborn and unreasonable. But if she stood in Yuna’s shoes, maybe she would have done the same. Her anger wasn’t about what Keira had done but about the betrayal of trust. Yuna had trusted her as someone she could rely on, and she had failed her.

Letting go of her bitterness felt like a windowpane shattering, letting in clarity and light. Keira’s heart felt lighter, like the relief of clearing a stuffy nose after a cold.

“Hayden, let’s invite Yuna over for dinner this weekend. If she doesn’t want to come, we’ll go to her,” Keira said, watching him smile as he gently pressed his forehead to hers.

“Thank you, wife.” Those words carried his joy and revealed the difficult position he had been in, caught between his sister and his wife.

The night before Lena’s surgery with Nate, she called Keira.

“Your sister-in-law’s test results are out. So far, there are no signs of infection,” she said.

Keira let out a breath of relief. “So, she’s fine?”

Lena hesitated for a couple of seconds. “Not entirely. The virus can have a long incubation period—sometimes one or two years, even up to ten years.”

Keira fell silent, processing the weight of her words. “But don’t worry too much. Based on her account, the chances of infection are extremely low,” Lena reassured Keira.

Keira knew worrying wouldn’t change anything. What had happened was irreversible, and it was better to take things as they came. Lately, Keira had begun to believe in fate. Life was what the heavens decreed. If you were meant to live, you would. If not, there was no escaping it. Why else would so many people, in the prime of their lives, suddenly succumb to cancer or accidents, their lives frozen in time?

Thinking of fate made Keira wonder about Jace. How was he doing in the temple? Did he regret the path he had chosen?

“I’ll stop chatting with you now. I have surgery tomorrow, and I need to rest,” Lena said. Her words made Keira smile. “When do you not have surgery?”

But then Keira remembered that this wasn’t just any surgery. She put away her teasing tone. “Are you nervous?”

“A little. But not about the surgery itself. It’s…” She trailed off, and Keira understood. She wasn’t worried about the procedure; she was afraid of something going wrong and having to face the family’s sorrow.

“Just do your best. Everything will be fine. You’ve got Professor Neumann, a national expert, by your side,” Keira joked, trying to lighten her mood.

“Shut up,” she laughed, scolding Keira playfully before hanging up.

Lena tossed her phone onto the bed and sat by the window, staring at the moonlight in a daze. When there was a knock at her door, she got up to answer it.

“Uncle,” she said softly.