Chapter 5 Refusing The Gift

"Mr. Pearson?" Helena looked on in slight surprise. Had he come personally because she hadn't signed the divorce agreement the previous evening?

But then she remembered that Rylan hadn't seen her face since she was wearing a facial mask the prior night. Kellan probably didn't recognize her. Helena took a deep breath, relieved. She wasn't ready to confront him as his wife. His disdain for her was evident. Perhaps it was better if Kellan remained unaware of her identity.

When Kellan saw Helena's face, his eyes widened in astonishment. She had always worn a mask around him, revealing only her eyes. He hadn't expected her to be this alluring.

"Leena, thank you for doing the surgery. Here's a token of my appreciation." Kellan rose and placed a beautifully wrapped gift on the table.

"You're welcome, Mr. Pearson. I'm simply doing my job as a doctor. Please take it back. I can't accept it." Helena refrained from accepting his gesture and took a seat.

"Why not at least see what's inside?" Kellan's gaze met Helena's. He had instructed Rylan to present gifts to all the other doctors, with Leena's being the most lavish of all. Yet, she declined.

"Mr. Pearson, such gestures aren't necessary. Let me make a suggestion. Each person's life is precious and no one can take it away from them. It's excessive to consider a living person's heart for donation."

Helena wasn't certain why the Collins family wanted one daughter to be a heart donor for the other, but Alyssa's medical reports seemed suspicious. Her condition wasn't as dire as portrayed.

A crease appeared on Kellan's forehead. What was this woman implying?

"Leena, have I offended you in some way?" From the first time they met, Kellan could sense that this woman harbored strong dislike towards him.

"Mr. Pearson, we're barely acquainted, having met only a few times. How could you have offended me? I'm merely stating facts. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Helena lowered her head, ignoring him, and Kellan had no choice but to leave.

After Kellan's departure, Helena's thoughts drifted to Jane. She wondered about Jane's well-being. She found herself going to the secluded building once more. The entrance was unguarded this time, and as she pushed the door open, the room revealed itself to be empty. The girl, Jane, had been moved. Helena silently prayed in her heart for the girl's safety.

Back in Alyssa's ward, Kellan found Alyssa engrossed in a phone call. Spotting him, she swiftly ended her conversation and greeted him with a bright smile.

"Kellan, I can't thank you enough for seeking Leena's help for me. She's the reason I'm alive. Once I'm back on my feet, we should invite her out for dinner," Alyssa said in her gentle voice.

"You're safe, and that's all that matters," Kellan responded, placing the gift box on the table beside Alyssa.

Eyeing the box with curiosity, Alyssa asked, "Is this for me?"

She opened the box to find a diamond scarf buckle, the very one she had always wished for.

"It was meant for Dr. Leena, but she declined," Kellan stated, a hint of irritation in his voice that he failed to conceal.

For Dr. Leena? Alyssa's brows furrowed. Why would he offer the doctor such a lavish gift? Since when did Kellan become so generous towards any woman? Suspicion began to rise in Alyssa.

"Kellan, given another chance, I'd still save you. Now that I'm well..." Alyssa trailed off, her gaze dropping shyly, hinting at her desire to be with him.

"Alyssa, focus on your recovery first," Kellan advised gently, adjusting her blanket. Alyssa was enveloped by his soothing scent, tempting her to embrace him.

However, just as she was about to act on her impulse, the ward's door swung open. Helena entered, accompanied by a group of interns. Alyssa's arms paused midway, leaving her in an awkward position. To Helena, the scene suggested a closeness between the pair.

"Miss Collins, having recently undergone surgery, you should avoid exertion," Helena remarked with a hint of sarcasm.

Were they that eager to get intimate with each other? Men, she thought, were predictable. Kellan didn't even care about Alyssa's health when he was aroused.

Kellan was rendered speechless.

"Thank you, Dr. Leena," Alyssa murmured, retracting her arms and looking away coyly.

"We weren't doing anything," Kellan said.

But he was uncertain as to why he felt the need to justify himself to Helena.

Helena coolly responded, "What you two do is none of my concern. Though the patient hasn't undergone the heart transplant, it was still a significant surgery. I'd advise caution."

With that, she approached Alyssa to inspect the medical tubes and monitor her vitals.

"I see everything is going well here. Miss Collins, all you need to do now is focus on your recovery." Completing her routine check, Helena exited the ward, trailed by her medical team.

Reflecting on Kellan's evident fondness for Alyssa, Helena mused that it explained his absence on their wedding day and his subsequent proposal for a swift divorce. Had circumstances been different, she would never have consented to marry him in the first place.