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.”