The scars and calluses on Steven’s hands could be explained in many ways, but there was no lying about one’s DNA.
When she finally sensed Gwen calming down, Rachel sighed and said slowly, “However, I ran into a familiar face just now.”
“Who?”
“Kate.”
Rachel curled her lips into a smirk and glanced at Gwen. “Steven came to find me without Kate or her family’s knowledge, so the place he had brought me to was his private residence.
“However, less than an hour after our arrival, Kate appeared. Not only that, but she behaved even more aggressively than she had been while working as Luke’s assistant and literally kicked the door down.
“She thought I was Gwen and had come to stop Steven from talking to me and prevent him from believing anything I said.”
With that, Rachel stood up and added, “I can’t help but suspect that Steven is, in fact, Luke, just based on her behavior alone. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so desperate to stop Steven from meeting Gwen at all.
“After all, Steven had never left this city and, therefore, would never have met Gwen, so why was Kate so worried about them seeing each other?”
Gwen bit her lip and wrung her hands nervously. “Dr. Liddell, what if the DNA report shows that Steven is actually Luke?
“If that happens, can you explain to me what really happened to Luke to make him this way? Because…’
Gwen bit her lip anxiously. “When I interacted with him today, I couldn’t help noticing that his behavior and even the way he talked was entirely different from how Luke used to…”
The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned quiet.
Rachel furrowed her brow and turned to stare at Gwen with a look of disbelief.
Rachel was a doctor who specialized in the treatment of comatose patients, so she had seen plenty during her time and was thus always able to keep calm even in stressful situations.
To be frank, Rachel’s first impression of Gwen had not been a good one.
Rachel remembered the numerous times Gwen had tried to escape from Luke while in Merchant City. Not only that, but she even witnessed Gwen trying to persuade Kate to help her take care of Luke after she was gone.
Therefore, Rachel had always thought of Gwen as a labile and extremely emotionally–driven person.
However, this same woman was asking her about Luke’s demise so calmly and in such a collected manner that it shocked Rachel.
She glanced again at Gwen, frowning. “I thought that after running into Steven, your entire brain would be so preoccupied with thoughts of Luke that you wouldn’t be able to think straight.”
Gwen paused for a moment, then let out a self–deprecating laugh. “To be quite honest, I had lost all rationality when I first laid eyes on Steven, but I’m so familiar with Luke that I remember every last detail on his body and regarding his mannerisms.
“Therefore, when I realized that Steven’s body language and behavior were totally different from Luke’s, I quickly regained my rationality and learned to think straight.”
Gwen sighed and fixated her gaze on Rachel. “So…does this mean that Steven is Luke?”
Rachel sighed, stood up, and turned to gaze at the snowing city outside. “I’m reluctant to come to any conclusion before the DNA results come out, but I can say with ninety–percent certainty that Steven is, in fact, Luke, or at least…”
She paused for a moment. “At least, that body belongs to Luke.”
Gwen momentarily faltered when she heard this.
She bit her lip and asked, “What are you trying to say…?”
“Have you ever thought-“
Rachel turned to look at her. “Have you ever considered the possibility that something that you only see in movies could, in fact, happen in real life?
“For example, the brain–restructuring surgeries you see in sci–fi movies are actually attainable in real life.”
The entire room fell silent.
Bethan stared dazedly at Rachel, unable to believe her ears.
How could this…
Gwen’s jaw dropped, and she was so shocked that she could not utter a single word.
After a long time, she bit her lip and whimpered, “So you’re saying that…
“The Steven we see now is probably Steven’s mind enclosed within Luke’s body?”
“That’s right.”
Rachel closed her eyes. “Even though these kinds of surgeries are theoretically attainable, it’s extremely difficult to pull off in reality.
“That’s because when transplanted into a new and foreign body, organs tend to reject each other, which is why many transplant patients die of complications related to organ rejection. “As one of the most vital organs in the human body, the brain is even more susceptible to rejection from the receiver body.
“If Steven and Luke had truly undergone this operation, their success could only mean one thing…”
Rachel lifted her head. “The only reason that could explain the success of Steven and Luke’s operation is that they’re twin brothers.”
Gwen instinctively took a step back.
How could this…
How could this be?
Did this mean that the heart that was beating inside her chest was Steven’s?
Since Steven had given her his heart, this meant that he had died, while Luke’s body had taken the place of Steven’s.
However, this meant that Luke’s body was nothing but a vessel for Steven’s brain!
If this were the case…it would perfectly explain why Steven had been acting so differently.
Gwen bit her lip and suddenly felt her head spin. A twinge of pain shot through her heart, and she instinctively took a step back.
Bethan quickly stormed over to catch her and held her securely in her arms.
After setting Gwen gently down on the sofa, Bethan lifted her head to stare at Rachel. “Since you say that Steven’s brain is now residing in Luke’s body…what about Luke?”
She bit her lip nervously and gave Rachel a searching look. “What about Luke’s brain, then? What happened to all his thoughts, his past, and his entire being?”
This was the question that Gwen, too, wanted to know the answer to.
She bit her lip and stared expectantly at Rachel, hoping to hear the answer she wanted, but… Rachel closed her eyes and sighed. “They probably got rid of it and buried it with Steven’s body.”
Then, she was silent for a long time before finally meeting Gwen’s gaze. “I know this isn’t the answer you want, but it’s the truth.
“Even though Luke’s body still exists as Steven’s, Luke can’t return anymore. The brain cannot survive without its host body, so in a sense, Luke is no longer alive now.”
The color drained from Gwen’s face.
She bit her lip and squeezed Bethan’s arm so hard that her knuckles turned white.
Tears slid silently down her cheeks. Gwen opened her mouth to say something in return, but no words came out.
Recognizing the immense sorrow on Gwen’s face, Rachel sighed and said, “I know you’re not willing to accept this, Gwen, but it’s the reality. No matter how much you miss and love Luke, there’s no way he’d return to us.
“Luke has now become Steven, a man you have nothing in common with. I sincerely hope you can start your new life afresh instead of wallowing in the past forever. You deserve to live a good life.
“And as for Steven, you shouldn’t attempt to intrude in his life because he’s not Luke. It’s as though…”
Her gaze landed on Gwen’s chest. “It’s the same as how your heart used to belong to Steven, but none of his family members has ever attempted to reach out to you.
“I
‘After an organ leaves its original host, it belongs to someone else now.’
Gwen closed her eyes as tears started to fall.
She had been engulfed with conflicting emotions from the moment she saw Steven at the airport that day.
On the one hand, she had hoped that the man she had run into was actually Luke, but on the other hand, she knew that realistically speaking, this was impossible, until…
Until Rachel gave her the reality check she needed.
Gwen could not stop her heart from hurting.
Fate was playing a cruel joke on her. After finally coming to terms with Luke’s passing, fate had deliberately arranged for her and Steven to run into each other at the airport.
However, after that, God chose to take away all her hope…
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.