Chapter 8 - The Price of Mercy
Liam shattered. He pressed his forehead against the floor, weeping uncontrollably. "Please... please, Clara. Punch me, sue me, put me in prison. Just don't let her die. It wasn't her fault. She didn't know I stole the heart from you. She thought it was a legitimate donor."
I looked at him for a long moment. I felt the steady, powerful rhythm of my healthy Stirling heart. Looking at this broken, pathetic man, I realized something profound: the anger was gone. The hatred had burned itself out, leaving behind only a profound sense of closure. I was so far above him now that his misery no longer brought me joy. I had outgrown my revenge.
"Stand up, Liam," I ordered.
He slowly wiped his face and stood, trembling.
"I will fund Khloe's medical treatments," I said quietly.
Liam’s eyes widened with a sudden, desperate hope. "You... you will?"
"On two conditions," I replied. "First, you will sign a full legal confession details your corporate fraud and the illegal bribery you used to redirect my donor heart at Mercy General. You will submit it to the medical board and the district attorney. You will serve your time in prison for what you did."
He swallowed hard, but nodded dumbly. "And... the second condition?"
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"Once you are in prison, you will sign divorce papers. You and Khloe are a toxic disease to one another. You ruined your life for her, and she is dying from the guilt of your sins. If she wants to receive my funding, she must agree to never see you again. I will save her life, but I will permanently sever the bond that destroyed mine."
Liam looked like he had been hollowed out. But looking at the alternative—Khloe’s death—he closed his eyes and nodded. "I'll sign. I'll sign everything."
