"No, we can't. With voluntary donations like this, contact between the two parties is strictly prohibited."
"Oh, I see..."
Jamison asked, "When are you coming back?"
Ivy maintained her tone of ecstatic excitement but purposefully dragged out her response. "I... I'm not even home yet. I'm halfway there, so I really should check on the kids—when is the surgery? Is it happening immediately?"
"The liver will be delivered in about three hours, but they need to start prepping me, so I'll probably go in very soon."
Generally, operations like this happened simultaneously. The shorter the time the organ was outside the donor's body, the higher its viability, which drastically increased the surgery's success rate.
Jamison figured he'd be wheeled into the OR right after they hung up.
"Three hours? I can definitely make it back by then! Just listen to the doctors, and I'll get back as fast as I can!" Ivy obviously couldn't actually return to be by his side, but she had to string him along.
Right on cue, before the call even ended, Director Wylde walked into the room with a few nurses.
Seeing the doctor had things to discuss, Jamison told his phone, "Director Wylde is here. I have to hang up. I'll call you back later."
He lowered his phone as Director Wylde handed him a surgical consent form. "Jamison, sign this first."
Jamison took the paperwork and the pen, but the moment the tip pressed against the paper, a sickening wave of doubt and anxiety washed over him.
"What's wrong? Do you have any concerns?" Director Wylde asked quickly, noting his hesitation.
Jamison looked up. "Are you absolutely certain this is from a volunteer donor?"
"Of course. Where else would I find a matching liver on such short notice?" Director Wylde answered smoothly.
But Jamison still didn't buy it.
Replaying the phone call in his head, Ivy's reaction felt completely wrong.
He knew his wife better than anyone—if she truly heard this news, she would drop everything, abandon her errands, and rush back to the hospital at breakneck speed to be with him.
Yet, she insisted on going home first.
While the kids were obviously important, in a life-or-death situation like this, he knew she would temporarily prioritize him.
Her reaction was incredibly suspicious.
She was definitely hiding something.
Jamison stared hard at Director Wylde but didn't ask any further questions. Pausing before he signed, he picked up his phone, opened WhatsApp, and hit the video call button.
On the other side, in the operating room, Ivy had just finished her call and was preparing for anesthesia when her phone started blaring an incoming WhatsApp video ringtone. Her heart slammed against her ribs. She instantly knew Jamison was onto her.
What was she supposed to do?
She was already in full surgical scrubs. If she answered a video call now, her cover would be blown immediately.
"Mrs. Ludwig, are you going to answer that?" the nurse asked, glancing at the phone.

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