Chapter 1 Betrayal Under the Scalpel

• Serena Stone lay on the operating table, her eyes shut tight against the glaring surgical lights that stabbed painfully into her vision. The faint, echoing clinks of cold metal instruments and the doctors’ clipped, detached voices broke through her hazy senses.
• “Scalpel.”
• “Forceps.”
• “Get the baby out!”
• She tried to move, to struggle with every fiber of her being, but a chilling realization hit her—she had absolutely no control over her own body. Helpless, she stared into the blinding light, its cold glow mocking her naive hope.
• An orphan by birth, Serena had entered the entertainment industry at 16, scrapping her way up until she earned a spot as a B-list actress. At 22, she met Shawn Merrick.
• Shawn was the owner of a prestigious hospital chain in Alderspring and beyond, celebrated across the country. Despite being just 28, he exuded a gentle elegance that captivated anyone in his orbit. From the moment he saw her, he pursued her relentlessly. Yet Serena, wary of her past, couldn’t believe anyone could truly care for her. She turned him down, time and again. But Shawn was like sunlight—persistent, seeping into every corner of her life.
• Eventually, she gave in, letting down her last guard. They moved in together, secretly. He never let her use protection, saying, “If you get pregnant, have the baby. I’ll take care of both of you.”
• She really thought she’d found someone who could bring warmth to her life. But her love, her devotion to this man—it all ended with a brutal, gut-wrenching twist.
• It turned out he hadn’t come to her out of love. He hadn’t sought a child with her because he wanted to build a family. No, he’d pursued her only because she was the twin sister of the woman he actually loved.
• That woman, her twin Lorelai Bishop, suffered from leukemia and had been unable to find a compatible bone marrow donor. So, when Shawn learned Serena existed, he went to every length to find her. But her marrow wasn’t a match either. Desperate, Shawn concocted a new plan—he’d get close to her, make her fall for him, and conceive a child, all so he could use that baby’s umbilical cord blood to save Lorelai. All his love, all his tenderness, had only been a cover for this moment.
• “Serena, Lorelai is your sister. You should want to save her,” he’d said, dropping the mask just before she was wheeled into the O.R., his words cold and final.
• Sister? Since when? She’d been tossed into an orphanage as a child; where had this sister been all her life? And even if they were blood, there was no bond between them. What right did Shawn have to risk her child’s life for someone she’d never met? But Shawn knew her too well. And she’d been foolish—so foolish! She hadn’t guarded herself against him at all. In a flash, he subdued her, sedated her, and sent her straight to the operating room.
• Her baby, only seven months along, was going to be forcibly delivered—all because that woman’s condition had relapsed and could no longer wait.
• A crushing wave of hatred flooded her chest. How could they? How could they trample on her emotions, toy with her, and threaten her child? It was his child, too!
• How can you be so heartless, Shawn?!
• Just then, the faint, fragile cry of her baby filled the room.
• Her baby. Her child.
• Serena summoned every ounce of strength, willing herself to turn her head, but all she saw were blurry figures of the medical team. Their voices, sharp and impersonal, floated over her.
• “The baby’s out.”
• “Hurry. Cut the cord and collect the cord blood.”
• A few minutes passed before a nurse spoke, “All done. What now?”
• “Send the cord blood over to Miss Bishop immediately.”
• “What about here?”
• “Put the baby in the incubator. Prepare to close up.”
• Serena’s eyes burned, but no tears came. She didn’t know if she should thank the doctor’s pity for at least giving her child a chance to survive in the incubator. At seven months, her baby wouldn’t make it otherwise.
• But just then, the doors to the O.R. crashed open, and Shawn’s frantic, angry voice rang out.
• “What are you all waiting around for? Lori’s not going to make it; get out there and do the surgery right now!”
• “But here…” She hadn’t even been stitched up.
• “I said, go now!”
• The doctor cast a sympathetic glance at Serena, but he didn’t dare protest. There was no other choice; this hospital was Shawn’s. Serena felt a searing pain in her chest before she went numb, one last tear slipping from the corner of her eye. The room emptied, and only the faint whimpering of her baby remained, growing weaker by the second.
• Her baby… Her precious child…
• A chill seeped through her abdomen as a heavy metallic scent filled the air, staining the sheets beneath her. Her vision blurred, her mind slipping into haze, but she bit down on her lip, willing herself to stay conscious, forcing herself to lift her head.
• And there, she saw her baby.
• So tiny, barely the size of a kitten, wrinkled and red, with traces of blood still clinging to its delicate skin. Its little mouth opened in a feeble cry, heartbreakingly helpless. Tears fell freely from Serena’s eyes.
• Shawn Merrick! How could you be so cruel—this is your own flesh and blood!