*****“What can we do?” the patriarch asked calmly, his question landing like a stone dropped into still water.For a brief moment, Mason, Nico, and Nico’s wife simply stared at him, their minds struggling to process the unexpected response.They had clearly expected orders, strategies, or at the very least some form of reassurance.Instead, they received a question tossed right back at them.The three exchanged uneasy glances.“But… but you are the patriarch, aren’t you?” Mason finally blurted out, his voice trembling with barely restrained panic.The young man’s earlier arrogance had evaporated completely, and right now, he sounded less like the proud heir of a powerful family and more like a frightened child looking for an adult to fix everything.“You must know what we can do,” Nico quickly added, nodding his head vigorously as though reinforcing the idea might magically make it true.His voice carried a forced confidence that fooled absolutely no one. “You’ve always know

*****The final herb Xavier needed wasn’t just rare, it was legendary, something that couldn’t be cultivated or artificially grown in a greenhouse or farm.Instead, it had to be a naturally grown wild specimen that had survived in nature for more than a century… a wild oneIn the world of medicinal herbs, that distinction meant everything.Cultivated herbs… even high-quality ones could never match the purity and potency of a naturally grown wild plant that had endured decades of natural growth.And because of that…Such items were almost impossible to obtain.That was precisely why Xavier had been concerned about it from the very beginning, yet now…“Hufff!”He exhaled a small sigh, and in the following second, the faint frown on his face gradually eased.“At least I already know where I can find one,” he muttered quietly.With that said, a small smile slowly appeared on his lips, the tension in his eyes softening slightly.“Moreover, there are still three days before the

*****Xavier couldn’t help but stare at the elderly driver in faint puzzlement for a brief second, his brows knitting slightly as he tried to understand what had provoked such an extreme reaction.The man looked as though Xavier had just threatened his entire bloodline instead of politely thanking him for waiting and apologizing to him for the trouble.However, Xavier ultimately said nothing further. Whatever storm was raging inside the driver’s mind clearly had nothing to do with him, and he had neither the time nor the patience to unravel it.Instead, he simply inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment, closed the heavy door of the Escalade with an unhurried motion, and then began walking away at his usual calm, almost lazy pace.Meanwhile…Inside the vehicle, the driver remained frozen for several seconds after Xavier disappeared from sight.Only after the young man’s figure vanished completely did the driver finally move.He wiped the beads of cold sweat from his forehe

*****The couple froze after hearing Xavier, the husband and wife staring at him with such a stunned expression that it was almost comical.Then, finally, a deep blush slowly crept onto their faces.“It… it is even better than that,” God’s Time finally said at last, his voice trembling slightly, thick with delight and embarrassment.And that response… it immediately caught Xavier’s attention.His curiosity stirred.“Oh?” Xavier folded his arms against his chest with mild interest. “What is it?”At once, the couple turned toward each other.Their hands instinctively reached out and clasped together, their fingers tightening as if they were holding onto a piece of miraculous fortune that might disappear if they loosened their grip.The atmosphere between them was so full of joy that it was practically tangible.Watching the two of them exchange that look… their eyes shining, their faces flushed, and their hands intertwined, Xavier couldn’t help but suddenly feel a ridiculous t

*****The moment Xavier finished speaking, he didn’t linger even one second more for their response.In fact, he didn’t even look back to see how his words had affected them.Instead, he simply turned around and continued walking toward the door with the same lazy, easygoing stride he had arrived with.He behaved as though everything he had just arranged was the most natural thing in the world.“You can inform me whenever you decide to start,” he added casually while leaving. “I will make the arrangements before I depart.”And just like that… he was gone.The door closed softly behind him, and… silence filled the ward.However, even ten minutes after Xavier had left the room, the couple remained exactly where they were, seated frozen.Neither God’s Time nor Selene moved an inch.Their minds had simply… stopped working.The sheer magnitude of what had just happened was too overwhelming for their brains to process properly.Their thoughts moved sluggishly, like gears struggl