Chapter 161: Nicholas’s condition is deteriorating
Nicholas froze, his body stiffening as though an icy grip had seized him. For a moment, it felt as if his heart had stopped entirely, his ears filled with a deafening ring. The words Elijah had spoken echoed in his mind, each syllable cutting deeper than the last. This man—his so-called father—was asking him to exploit Ava for a business deal.
"That’s why you’re here," Nicholas hissed, the tremors in his hands betraying his mounting frustration. "Not to save me. Not because you care. But because you see me as a pawn in your schemes."
Elijah didn’t flinch. He folded his arms across his chest, his expression impassive. "Think whatever you want," he said with a shrug. Help me, and I’ll make sure you get a suitable donor."
The room seemed to grow colder as Elijah’s words settled. Nicholas’s breath hitched, his expression shifting from anger to something darker—a mix of fury and disgust.
"Do you even hear yourself? Do you understand what you’re saying?"
"No matter how much you try to rile me up with that attitude of yours, I won’t let it get to me," Elijah said with a humorless smile. "What we Bakers couldn’t achieve in years, you managed to do in just days. You got close to Dylan’s wife. You’ve made me proud. Now it’s time to use that closeness for the family’s benefit. Do this for us, and I’ll grant you whatever you wish."
The audacity of those words sent a fresh wave of rage surging through Nicholas. His entire body screamed for him to rise and throw this man out of the room. But his weakness betrayed him, the persistent pain in his chest pinning him to the bed.
"Get. Out." The words left his lips in a venomous hiss, his breathing labored and erratic.
"What did you say? Are you asking me to leave?" Elijah squinted at him with disbelief. "Don’t forget I am your father."
"Alex!" Nicholas’s body trembled as he fought to maintain control. "Tell him to leave."
"You..."