Valerie Collins lay on a hospital bed surrounded by medical equipment, listening in on a man and a woman conversing.
"The eldest daughter of the Woodward family sure drew the short straw. She just arrived from the countryside to live with her family, and her father's already putting her in surgery for her kidney. It's a real shame for such a beauty," remarked a man.
"Keep your voice down," a woman warned. "She doesn't know that one of her kidneys is about to be taken."
The man scoffed. "What are you so worried about? She's been given enough anesthesia to sleep through the operation. Are the match results out?"
"Yeah, they are. It's a good match. Mr. Woodward's condition has worsened, and he can't wait any longer. Let's schedule the surgery for 7:00 pm tonight," she responded.
The man lifted Valerie's T-shirt and traced circles on her waist. "It almost feels like a crime to cut into skin this smooth and fair."
He was about to take things further when Valerie's eyes flew open, hard with murderous intent.
The woman gasped. "She's awake! Quick, give her the injection!"
The man lunged for the anesthetic and was about to approach Valerie, but she slapped him. "How dare you lay your filthy hands on my body?"
The syringe clattered on the floor.
Valerie didn't give him time to recover. In a heartbeat, she closed in on him and drove her leg straight into his chest, sending him crashing into the wall and coughing up a mouthful of blood.
The woman panicked and dashed for the door. However, before she could touch the knob, a slender silver needle pierced the back of her neck, and her whole body went numb.
When she spun around, she saw Valerie twirling a uniquely designed pen between her fingers. It was the very device that had launched the needle.
"What did you…" Those were the only words she managed before collapsing to the ground.
The man trembled uncontrollably. "D-don't come any closer! W-We were just following orders!"
Valerie sneered. "Harvesting someone's kidney without consent? It seems your career ends here, Doc."
Before he could beg for mercy, she plunged the syringe that was meant for her back into his arm. Looking at their limp bodies, she dusted off her clothes.
Valerie took a white lab coat from the hanger and slipped it on. After pulling on a mask and closing the door, she left the scene without drawing anyone's attention.
Those two fools thought they could drug her while drawing her blood for a DNA test, but she'd anticipated their every move.
A few days ago, a man claiming to be her father had suddenly appeared, claiming she was his long-lost daughter. The man, Skyler Woodward, was a well-known figure in Windmere's restaurant industry.
When he learned that she had suffered in the countryside with his ex-wife, he said he sincerely wanted to make up for all the years he had failed her. He had one condition, though. He needed Valerie to visit this private hospital for a paternity test.
Valerie hadn't expected anything from her newfound family. She merely wondered if Skyler had deliberately sought her out with an ulterior motive. Hence, she played along and put on a little act for them.
As she expected, it was no simple reunion. Skyler hadn't come to make it up to her, and he only wanted her kidney to save the precious heir his second wife had given him.
Valerie lived by one rule. She never went looking for trouble, but if anyone dared to cross her, she'd make them pay dearly. Since the Woodwards wanted to harvest her kidney, she would return the favor with a gift they would never forget.
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