Chapter 210: Identities Exposed

Late in the night, inside one of the rooms, a woman had gone mad, shouting at everyone in sight.

"I told you I don’t want to be treated! I don’t care if you’ve got the bone marrow. I’m not stepping out of this room!" she yelled, glaring at the doctors and the tall man standing in front of her, who remained unfazed.

"You’ve been saying the same thing every day, and I’ve been listening," the man said calmly. "But you know nothing’s going to change. You can keep repeating it; we don’t mind. Now listen to the doctors and cooperate with the tests. Tomorrow, you have a bone marrow transplant procedure."

"I am cooperating!" she retorted angrily, taking a step toward him. "Aiden Shaw, stop using my last name and get the hell out of here!"

"Then tell me what last name I should use," he replied calmly.

"You—" Before she could finish, her legs gave out, and she began to collapse. Aiden swiftly caught her in his arms, her weak body barely standing with his support.

"Even your body knows it’s time to stop," Aiden said. "I told you, everything happens the way I want it to. You should be thankful I’m keeping you awake. I could just as easily ask the doctors to keep you sedated until all of this is over, and we’re back."

She breathed heavily, clutching at his chest, her trembling hand scratching at his shirt as if wanting to dug out his skin with what little strength she had left. "Why... don’t you let me be?" she whispered hoarsely. "I... hate... you..."

"I know that well. You can rest assured," he replied, lifting her effortlessly and placing her into the wheelchair. Turning to the doctors, he said, "She’s lost all her strength. Just go ahead with what needs to be done. She won’t be able to resist or throw anymore tantrums."

The doctor didn’t know what else to do other than follow Aiden’s orders.

With heavy-lidded eyes, the woman glared at him, her teeth gritted and her fists clenched tightly.

Aiden’s gaze fell on her clenched fists. He knelt in front of her and, one by one, gently pried her fingers open, his touch soft and deliberate, as though her anger didn’t faze him. Her nails had dug into her palms so deeply they had almost drawn blood.

"Making me bleed wasn’t enough? Now you’re hurting yourself as well," he remarked quietly, signaling to the nurse. She quickly brought over a tray with disinfectant and ointment.

Aiden cleaned her wounds with care and said, "You can hurt me and take your anger out on me once you’re better. Until then, take care of yourself. You’ll need your strength if you plan to deal with me later."

The woman averted her gaze and closed her eyes, refusing to look at him. She could only swallow all her anger at this moment.

As he continued to treat her wounds, he added, "The donor went through a great deal of pain to provide you with this bone marrow. It must have hurt them deeply when that thick needle pierced their bone, and the aftermath of the procedure must have been just as painful. The least you could do is respect their sacrifice. They didn’t even know who they were donating it to, yet they endured all that pain for the sake of saving someone’s life."

She didn’t reply, but her anger seemed to subside. Before she could ask about the donor, Aiden stood, finishing with her treatment, and gestured for the doctors and nurses to take her away.

Just as they wheeled her out of the room, Aiden’s phone buzzed. He answered.

"Mr. Shaw, Ms. Natalie’s companion wants to meet you," came the voice on the other end.

"Send him to the room above," Aiden replied before ending the call.

----

Meanwhile, when Justin was certain that Natalie was in a deep sleep and wouldn’t wake up anytime soon, he quietly stepped out of the room. He glanced at the man in the suit stationed outside. "Take me to your boss," he demanded.

The man made a quick call and informed someone of Justin’s request. Once the call ended, he said, "Room number 906, on the floor above."

Justin nodded and headed toward the staircase nearby, choosing to take the stairs rather than wait for the elevator. On the floor above, he was met by Leo, who was waiting for him.

"Mr. Shaw will be here soon. He’s handling an emergency," Leo explained, gesturing for Justin to follow him to the designated room. Once there, Leo opened the door and added, "Please wait inside."

Justin entered the room, sat on the couch, and waited for Aiden’s arrival.

After a short while, the door finally opened, and Aiden entered the room. His demeanor was calm, mirroring Justin’s. There was no trace of the chaos he had just dealt with moments ago.

Aiden walked over and took the chair opposite Justin, offering him a faint, composed smile.

"Aren’t you worried about leaving your wife alone, Aiden Hendrix?" Aiden asked, his tone laced with subtle mockery. "What if something happens to her in your absence? After all, we’ve taken her bone marrow—she’s of no further use to us."

Justin remained unfazed, his eyes meeting Aiden’s taunting gaze without a flicker of emotion.

"Why would you harm the daughter of the woman you’re so desperate to protect?" Justin countered, a light smirk playing on his lips. "Instead, I am sure you’d try to protect the daughter along with the mother, wouldn’t you?"

Hearing this, Aiden’s expression stiffened momentarily, but he quickly regained his composure, smirking lightly. "Are you disappointed at the thought that you might have ended up marrying my sister?" His gaze turned mocking. "You’re definitely smarter than I gave you credit for. I was underestimating you, Justin Harper."

This time, Justin felt a flicker of shock—this man had uncovered his true identity. However, he maintained his calm demeanor. "I’m certain you’re not her mother’s son," Justin countered. "The woman who gave birth to someone like Natalie could never produce a man like you, Aiden Shaw. Caryn Shaw must have picked you up from somewhere."

"Just like James Harper picked you?" Aiden shot back, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

The two men locked eyes, tension crackling in the air as both their true identities were exposed to each other.