---- Chapter 9 "Kathleen, welcome homel" Ellen said, her eyes red as she pulled Kathleen into a tight embrace. Since Kathleen's parents died, Ellen had urged her to come to Jaxperton for treatment. Kathleen always refused, saying Joshua treated her well and she didn't want to leave. Ellen didn't ask why Kathleen changed her mind. She loved her niece dearly and supported her choices without question. "Ellen..." Kathleen said, collapsing into her aunt's arms. All her resilience crumbled. She sobbed, her heart breaking. Ellen was her only family left, and she was grateful for that. "How much have you suffered?" Ellen asked, her voice sharp with concern. "Did Joshua mistreat you? I'll deal with him." Ellen never liked Joshua. Without Kathleen's pleas for help behind the scenes, he wouldn't have achieved his success. The thought of Kathleen suffering under him made Ellen want to slap him "Ellen, | just want to live well from now on. As for Joshua, | don't want to talk about him. I've decided to divorce him," Kathleen said. ---- They tacitly avoided mentioning Joshua further. Ellen glanced at the man stepping out of the car and smiled. "Adrian, thank you for picking up Kathleen." Adrian Gray was Ellen's husband's nephew. The couple, childless, raised him like a son. He proved capable, managing their company successfully and taking it public. Adrian glanced at Kathleen and grinned. "No trouble, Ellen. I've delivered her safely. Mission accomplished." He and Kathleen met a few times as teenagers. He remembered her as a sweet, sensible girl. He hadn't expected her to be so ravaged by illness. On the drive, he watched her closely, fearing she might slip away at any moment. Ellen looked at her niece, thinned by disease, with aching tenderness. "Kathleen, your uncle arranged the best hospital. Top Jaxperton doctors will handle your surgery. You can trust them." Kathleen nodded. She was eager for a new beginning and would cooperate fully with whatever Ellen suggested. The day after arriving in Jaxperton, the donor passed away. Kathleen underwent surgery that same day. The operation lasted over ten hours but was a success. "Kathleen, the doctors said the transplant went perfectly. ---- Next is monitoring for rejection. If all goes well, you'll recover soon," Ellen said, tears of joy in her eyes. + Kathleen's tears joined her aunt's. If she hadn't been so stubborn, if she had come to Ellen sooner, would she have avoided so much heartbreak? At least it was over now. Ellen, worried sick, fell ill herself. Her husband forbade her from visiting the hospital, and she didn't trust others to care for Kathleen. So, she tasked Adrian with the job. Kathleen, reluctant to burden anyone, urged him to leave. "I'm fine, Adrian. You don't need to stay." "| hired the best nurse, but Ellen insisted | be here. If | leave, she'll have my head," Adrian said, handing her a glass of milk. "Focus on getting better. I'm on annual leave anyway, with nothing else to do." His words were casual, but his hands stayed busy, typing rapidly on his laptop. Kathleen gave a helpless smile and drank the milk in one go. She'd have to recover quickly to stop troubling him.