No Second Baby No You Only Divorce (Scarlett and Vincent) novel Chapter 774

After a long, drawn-out pause, Scarlett pressed on with her question. "What are the survival odds?"

Rory shook his head slowly. "It's far too soon to pin down those numbers right now. Our top priority is locating a viable bone marrow donor."

Without a second's hesitation, Scarlett rolled up her sleeve. "I'm willing to get tested for a match."

Rory's face softened with genuine relief. "Nolan is lucky to have a friend like you."

Unbeknownst to Scarlett, Nolan leaned against the hallway wall right outside the office door and had overheard every word of their conversation.

He'd suspected this diagnosis ever since checking into the hospital, clinging to a tiny shred of hope pending the biopsy results.

Now that last flicker of optimism had been completely snuffed out.

Oddly enough, instead of sinking into despair, he felt a strange, quiet calm settle over his chest.

Roughly ten minutes later, Scarlett stepped back into the hospital room.

Nolan had finished all the oatmeal she'd brought for breakfast, propped up against the bed frame and still listening to recorded surgical guidelines he already knew by heart.

Scarlett put on a casual, unbothered smile as she pulled a chair beside his bed. "Did you get enough to eat?"

Nolan powered down his phone and fixed his gaze steadily on her for a long moment before speaking in a low, gentle tone. "Scarlett, head home. Don't come visit me again from now on."

Her features hardened with urgency. "Why? Don't you want to see me anymore?"

A faint, sad smile tugged at his lips. "I've heard everything already."

Scarlett froze mid-motion, lost for any reply.

Nolan looked at her, still gentle and calm, still that warm, refined man. "We're both doctors; we know exactly how slim the survival rate is for this illness. There's no point wasting your time hanging around."

Hot tears welled up and spilled down Scarlett's cheeks, her eyes glistening red with panic. "That can't be true. There's still hope; we have to try everything we possibly can."

Nolan wrapped his fingers around hers to soothe her. "Don't cry. Go back home."

Scarlett stood upright, jaw set with stubborn resolve. "I'm signing up for the matching test. What if I'm the perfect donor?"

She hurried toward the door, and Nolan called out sharply after her. "You're a doctor too; you know how rare a perfect bone marrow match is. Money can't buy a compatible donor."

With his sizeable personal fortune, Nolan could've covered every costly treatment dozens of times over if cash alone cured leukemia, but this disease couldn't be fixed with wealth.

Scarlett halted in the doorway, rigid and frozen. After several long seconds, she slowly turned back toward him. "You are not allowed to give up."

Nolan's spirit felt utterly broken. "I once pushed myself to excel in every way solely for you. I dreamed I'd grow strong enough to shield you and let you chase your research freely in medicine, but I overestimated what I'm capable of."

Enraged by his surrender, Scarlett marched back to the bedside and snapped through her tears. "I haven't started my doctoral program yet! I was counting on you to help pick my research topics. Are you abandoning that promise?"

Tears blurred Nolan's vision, his eyes glistening red. "I want to help you more than anything, but I just... can't."