Jaden stayed on the balcony for another few minutes after ending the call with Professor Manuel. His mind was still on the conversation — the vaccine, the responsibility, the next move. He would have to tread carefully from here on out.Eventually, he pocketed his phone and walked back inside.As soon as he stepped into the living room, his attention was caught by a familiar voice. Morganna was sitting on the couch, speaking animatedly on her phone. In her palm, she held something small — the button she’d taken from the hospital.She turned the button over under the light, studying it closely, then lifted her phone and said, “William, you’re a famous tailor. You’ve handled all sorts of fabrics and designs. Please, help me identify what kind of shirt this button belongs to.”She paused, listening to her friend’s response, then smiled faintly. “Yes, I’m serious. It’s important to me. This button came from the shirt of the man who saved my life. I don’t know who he is — I didn’t even see

Morganna had barely slept the night before. The moment her tailor friend, William, confirmed he had found the owner of the mysterious Armani shirt button, she had been too excited to think straight.He had sent her Francis Baker’s contact, insisting he was one of the few men in the country who owned that rare edition shirt. Morganna didn’t waste a second. She called Francis immediately.Her heart had raced as she waited for the line to connect. In her mind, she pictured the same man who had carried her out of danger — tall, broad-shouldered, confident — his voice calm under pressure.But when she finally met Francis face-to-face, her breath caught for all the wrong reasons.The man who stood before her was in his early forties, short, round, and already balding. His cheeks were plump, his belly obvious even beneath his designer shirt, and his small eyes blinked nervously behind gold-rimmed glasses.Morganna froze for a second, trying to reconcile what she saw with what she imagined. “

Morganna’s face flushed instantly, the color rushing to her cheeks like fire. She hesitated for a moment, her pride refusing to let her back down under everyone’s gaze. Finally, she straightened her back and spoke, her voice a touch defensive.“Yes,” she said softly, “it was Francis who fought those gangsters and saved me.”Her words hung awkwardly in the air.Francis, standing beside her, felt a wave of guilt ripple through him for a second — then quickly buried it under his ego. He puffed out his chest, tilted his chin upward, and clasped his hands behind his back, trying to look composed and powerful. The way his belly strained against his shirt buttons ruined the image, but he didn’t notice.He nodded solemnly, pretending humility. “Miss Freeman gives me too much credit,” he said, forcing a modest laugh. “I only did what any man should do in that situation.”Selena’s eyes flicked toward Jaden, her expression somewhere between disbelief and amusement. Jaden didn’t say a word at fir

Francis’s roar bounced off the glass walls. He balled his fists, drew a ragged breath, and lunged forward with every ounce of strength he had left. His face was red, veins swelling at his neck, sweat rolling down his temples.But to Jaden, it was child’s play.Francis’s punches came fast but wild, swinging without rhythm or precision. Jaden shifted aside each time — a step here, a tilt of the shoulder there — calm and deliberate, almost lazy in his movements. His eyes never left Francis’s, watching him unravel punch by punch.To everyone watching, it looked like Jaden was gliding. His feet barely seemed to touch the floor.Francis’s breathing grew heavier, his movements more desperate. Within seconds, his attacks turned sloppy. His face turned purple from exertion; sweat drenched his shirt. He could hardly stand, his chest heaving like a man on the verge of collapse.Selena sighed quietly, folding her arms. “He’s done,” she murmured to Morganna.Morganna bit her lip and said nothing.

Could it all be a coincidence? Maybe he just happened to have a shirt with the same buttons—and maybe the missing one was pure chance.Morganna couldn’t shake the thought no matter how much she tried. The scene replayed in her mind: the man who had saved her last night, the way he’d moved, the tone of his voice. It all felt familiar. Too familiar.In the kitchen, the smell of sautéed vegetables filled the air. Selena hummed softly as she helped Nora prepare dinner, passing her utensils and tasting the soup now and then. Nora, sitting by the window, had Jaden’s shirt on her lap, carefully sewing the missing button.In the living room, Jaden sat on the couch with his little daughter perched on his knee, her laughter filling the room as they watched a cartoon. His face carried that same calm smile he always wore—gentle, harmless, like nothing in the world could rattle him.But Morganna couldn’t stop staring at him.She sat down beside him quietly, pretending to watch the TV. Her gaze, ho