Then the doctor returned, his expression unreadable.
I stood, my heart slamming against my ribs. Hope bloomed in my chest. “Did I match?”
A pause. Then—
“You can’t donate.”
The words hit like a blow.
I shook my head, confusion twisting inside me. “What? Why not?”
The doctor’s gaze softened. “You only have one kidney.”
Silence.
The air in the room shifted, heavy and suffocating.
“That’s impossible,” I whispered. “How did it happen?”
Matteo exhaled sharply beside me.
“Cassandra…” He hesitated, then reached for my hand. “Remember the kidnapping accident? Years ago? You were stabbed in the stomach. Your kidney was ruptured. It had to be removed.”
My legs wobbled.
“I didn’t tell you,” he continued, his voice laced with guilt. “I didn’t want you to feel like you’d lost something else. I’m sorry.”
I stared at him, my mind reeling. How had I not known? How had I gone years without realizing a part of me was missing? But none of that mattered now.
Amber.
“What now?” My voice shook. “What happens to Amber?”
The doctor turned to Matteo. “You might be a match. We can test you.”
Matteo nodded immediately. “Do it.”
The moment he disappeared with the doctors, I collapsed into the chair beside Amber's bed, gripping her tiny hand like a lifeline.
“Mommy’s here, baby,” I whispered. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Minutes stretched into hours. The waiting was unbearable. Every second felt like an eternity.
Then Matteo returned, the doctor following closely behind.
“You’re a match,” the doctor confirmed. “We can proceed with the transplant.”
Relief washed over me. My knees nearly buckled as I exhaled, the tension in my chest loosening for the first time since the accident. Amber had a chance. Matteo could save her.
But then—
The doors burst open.
A woman rushed in, breathless, frantic.
I turned—and my heart dropped.
Candice.
My twin sister.
She looked exactly like me, but disheveled, her usually flawless appearance undone by desperation. Her eyes were red, filled with panic, her hands trembling as she clutched her bag to her chest.
“Candice?” I frowned, confused. “What are you doing here?”
Her wild gaze darted past me, landing on Matteo. Without hesitation, she ran to him, grabbing his hands.
“Please,” she choked out. “You have to save him.”
A sinking feeling settled in my stomach. “Candice, what are you—”