Chapter 670: Argument
"What if your remaining kidney develops problems? You won’t be able to lift heavy weights as easily. Even going to the gym will become much harder. And if you ever become seriously ill... your body will suffer far more than an ordinary person."
The more she spoke, the more frightened she became. Lucas patiently waited until she finished.
Then he smiled helplessly. "Mom, you already know I’ve made up my mind."
He gently rubbed the back of his neck. "And besides, I already have children."
His smile became warmer. "Jules is pregnant. Twins. A boy and a girl."
He couldn’t help chuckling.
"With two children already on the way, why would I need more? I think my life is already complete."
Mary immediately glared at him. "You’re completely missing my point!"
She tightly clenched both fists. "I’m not worried about grandchildren! I’m worried about you!"
Her tears finally flowed freely.
"I truly can’t bear the thought of losing you."
Seeing his wife crying so desperately, Adam quietly stood up.
He slowly walked toward her. "Mary..."
Before he could even reach her, Mary abruptly pushed him away. "Don’t come near me!"
Her voice was filled with grievance.
"He’s your eldest son too! You should’ve stopped him! You should’ve made him understand!"
Instead, she laughed bitterly. "Here you are, supporting him."
She looked directly into Adam’s eyes. "You know, there are times when I truly hate you."
The moment those words left her mouth, she immediately turned around and rushed inside.
Silence instantly filled the living room. Everyone wore complicated expressions.
Adeline and Alex both completely understood Mary’s reaction. She wasn’t being unreasonable.
She was simply, a mother. A mother desperately trying to protect her child.
Lucas slowly covered his face with one hand before letting out a long sigh.
He turned toward Alex. "See? This is exactly what I told you would happen."
Alex frowned slightly. "But that still doesn’t mean you should’ve hidden it from Mom."
He spoke seriously. "Even if she reacts like this, it’s still better than hearing about it from someone else."
Lucas stared at him helplessly.
After several moments, he shook his head. "Alex, sometimes it’s not about being practical!"
With those words, he quietly walked away.
Meanwhile, Aurora remained standing exactly where she was. Her mouth hung slightly open.
She hadn’t expected the situation to escalate this quickly. After a while, she gently rubbed her forehead.
Then she silently took out her phone. Her fingers swiftly tapped across the screen as she sent several messages.
Only after finishing did she finally put the phone away.
Alex, who had been watching her the entire time, raised an eyebrow. Aurora immediately grinned.
"Big Brother, don’t worry. I’ll handle this matter."
Alex chuckled. "No need. I’ve already sent a few people to deal with it."
Aurora laughed happily.
"Perfect. Then the two of us together should be able to come up with an even better solution."
Just then...
She noticed Adam slowly walking inside after Mary.
Finally, her gaze shifted toward Adeline.
The young woman was standing there with her head lowered.
Her shoulders looked slightly slumped. Aurora immediately understood what she was thinking.
She gently smiled.
"Sister-in-law, I will be cooking today."
She deliberately changed the subject. "So don’t forget to eat before you leave."
Hearing those warm words... Adeline slowly raised her head.
Her eyes had already become slightly red. Looking at Aurora, she softly whispered,
"Aurora... I’m sorry."
A bitter smile appeared on her lips.
"I feel like... I’ve only been taking from the Waters family. I’ve never really given anything back."
But Aurora stopped her and said,
"Adeline, have you ever stopped and wondered if maybe the Waters family owed you a great debt in the past, and they’re only receiving their karma in this lifetime?"
The moment those words left Aurora’s lips, the entire room fell silent.
Alex’s eyes flickered with surprise as he glanced at his sister, while Adeline remained frozen in place.
Aurora let out a soft chuckle before saying, "Everything is fair, Adeline. Nothing is ever as simple as it seems."
Adeline stood there with a stunned expression, her mind struggling to process Aurora’s unexpected perspective.
It felt as though someone had suddenly opened a door she had never even noticed before.
Without waiting for a response, Aurora casually waved her hand and walked into the kitchen.
Only after Aurora disappeared did Adeline slowly come back to her senses. Turning toward Alex, she smiled helplessly and said, "Your sister is very eloquent."
Alex chuckled before gently pulling her into his arms.
"Well," he whispered with a smile, "she might actually be telling the truth. Don’t think about negative things anymore."
Adeline let out a quiet sigh before nodding. "I understand."
She slowly closed her eyes, allowing herself to relax.
That night, however, the atmosphere around the dining table remained unbearably tense.
Adam and Mary had already returned to their room after dinner, leaving Alex, Lucas, Adeline, Aurora, Olivia, Theodore, and Adriana sitting together in uncomfortable silence.
Ever since the siblings had learned about Lucas’s decision, none of them had openly objected.
They all understood that it was Lucas’s own choice, and no one truly had the right to interfere.
Even so, understanding something logically did not make accepting it emotionally any easier.
After dinner, Alex and Adeline quietly excused themselves and left.
The moment they disappeared upstairs, Olivia immediately grabbed Lucas’s hand and dragged him toward the living room.
Looking straight into his eyes, she asked softly, "Brother... have you really thought this through?"
Lucas calmly nodded. Olivia let out a long sigh before forcing a smile. "Then I’ll support you. As for Mother..."
She slowly turned toward Aurora. Aurora blinked innocently before immediately raising both hands.
"Don’t even think that I’m going to wear the villain’s hat."
However, when she noticed Lucas staring at her with hopeful eyes, she closed her eyes dramatically before slapping her forehead.
"Honestly... sometimes I feel like I was born just to be everyone’s sacrificial lamb."
Shaking her head helplessly, she stood up. "Fine. I’ll go."
With that, she walked upstairs before stopping outside Adam and Mary’s bedroom. Taking a deep breath, she gently knocked on the wooden door.
Knock. Knock. A few seconds later, Adam opened it.
The moment he saw Aurora standing outside, he sighed with visible relief before silently stepping aside to let her enter.
Inside the room, Mary sat quietly on the edge of the bed.
The corners of her eyes were red and swollen from crying, while several faint wrinkles had appeared on her forehead from constant worry.
The moment she saw Aurora, she simply turned her face away. Aurora’s heart tightened.
Without saying anything, she slowly walked over before gently wrapping her arms around her mother.
Resting her chin on Mary’s shoulder, she softly asked, "Mother... are you okay?"
Mary forced a weak smile. "Aurora, you don’t need to worry about me. Just... leave me alone for now."
Aurora immediately shook her head. "Mother, if you keep crying like this, then I’ll become poor in this world."
Mary paused in confusion. Aurora sighed dramatically before continuing with complete seriousness.
"You know, I recently read a Chinese novel that said whenever a mother cries too much, her daughter’s fortune flies away."
She pouted before asking pitifully, "Do you really want that to happen to me?"
The moment Mary heard that, she instinctively shook her head. "No... of course not."
Aurora immediately chuckled. "Then stop crying."
Her voice gradually became gentler.
"Tell us everything that’s on your mind. If you’re right, then both of us will support you without hesitation. But if you’re mistaken, then we’ll explain our thoughts to you properly."
Mary slowly closed her eyes. After remaining silent for several moments, she finally spoke in a trembling voice.
"Aurora... your brother doesn’t understand what he’s sacrificing."
Fresh tears gathered in her eyes once again.
"One day he’ll wake up and realize just how much he’s lost by giving away one of his kidneys. He’ll regret it, Aurora."
Her voice cracked. "We’re talking about a kidney... not some piece of candy that can simply be handed to someone else."
Aurora gently squeezed Mary’s hand before smiling reassuringly. "I understand, Mother."
She paused briefly before continuing,
"That’s why I’ve already contacted Nationwide Hospitals. The moment they find a kidney that’s compatible with Adeline’s younger sister, I’ll stop Lucas from donating."
Mary froze. Her eyes widened with disbelief before she tightly grabbed Aurora’s hand. "You’re serious?"
Aurora nodded firmly. Almost instantly, Mary’s eyes became misty once more.
"Only you understand me the best, Aurora."
Aurora gently interrupted her before she could cry again. "Mother... that process will still take time."
She spoke calmly, her voice carrying an unusual maturity.
"But if we can’t find a suitable donor within the next five months, then Lucas can still donate."
She continued,
"Even after donating one kidney, Lucas can live a healthy life for many years, as long as he maintains a proper diet, exercises regularly, and takes good care of himself until another compatible kidney becomes available if he ever needs one."