The Day I Walked Away My Empire Began novel Chapter 316

“Malaria?” Steven’s eyes went wide, his grip on the phone so tight his knuckles turned white. “You mean Cody doesn’t have leukemia?”

The doctor nodded quickly and handed him the test results, his excitement barely contained. “That’s right, Mr. Heath. We ran the tests three times to be sure. It’s malaria that’s causing leukemia-like symptoms, not actual leukemia.”

“This is rare, but in the early stages, the symptoms look almost exactly like leukemia. That’s why we got it wrong at first.”

He pointed to the report. “See here? This is the malaria finding. With the right medication, we’ll get it under control fast. He’ll be completely fine—no lasting effects at all.”

Steven grabbed the report and stared at the key lines, his heart feeling like it was being squeezed tight—then suddenly released. The relief and joy that flooded him was overwhelming, almost dizzying.

He read it three times, just to make sure he wasn’t imagining it. “This is incredible. Truly incredible.”

“Cody’s okay… My son doesn’t have leukemia…”

“Doctor, start treatment right away. Use the best meds and the best plan you’ve got. I don’t care what it costs.”

“Don’t worry, Mr. Heath. We’re ready to go. Cody can start treatment right now,” the doctor replied, wincing a little as Steven gripped his arm in gratitude.

Steven let go, took a shaky breath, and tried to calm himself down. “I need to go see Cody.”

He turned toward the pediatric ward, barely taking two steps when the emergency room door swung open.

The doctor who had been treating Lucie walked out.

Steven rushed over, voice trembling. “Doctor, how’s Lucie? Is she okay?”

The doctor slowly pulled off his mask, looking uncertain. “Mr. Heath, Ms. Anderson is pregnant.”

Steven and Lucie were divorced. The doctor didn’t know if he should congratulate him, or even if the baby was his.

Steven stood there in shock for a few seconds, staring at the doctor like he hadn’t heard right. “What… did you just say?”

The doctor hesitated, unsure if Steven was happy or furious. He stammered, “Ms. Anderson is pregnant. She’s in early pregnancy.”

Steven froze, everything around him fading into a dull buzz. The doctor’s words echoed in his mind, hitting him like a thunderclap.

“She’s pregnant? Lucie’s pregnant?”

He looked toward the closed emergency room door, heart pounding so hard he thought it might burst through his chest.

The doctor saw his reaction and quickly added, “Yes, the test is clear. She’s about three weeks along. Ms. Anderson is very weak, and the stress made her faint. She needs to rest and take care of herself now, and she really can’t go through any more stress.”

Three weeks…

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