The butler bowed his head, emotion flooding his eyes. Lily wiped her cheeks, struggling to breathe. Ethan watched Morrison quietly. For a long moment, neither spoke. Then Morrison turned to him, voice low and steady. “I will tear every rotten root from this place,” he said. “If corruption has touched my hospital… I will expose it — no matter who falls with it.” Ethan held his gaze. There was no uncertainty left. Only quiet respect. “…See that you do,” he murmured. Morrison bowed his head. “I swear it.”Then Morrison turned to the trembling staff — the nurses, the junior doctors, the clerks who had stood frozen on the edges of the scene.A chorus of apologies spilled out at once.“Director — we’re sorry—”“We didn’t know—”“We weren’t involved with him, we swear—”“We were only following his orders—”Their voices shook — desperate, fragile — as if distance from the fallen senior doctor might wash away their guilt.Morrison’s gaze swept over them.Not cruel.Not indulgent.Me

Lily’s hands trembled as she clutched the butler’s armrest. “You… you’ll risk yourself?” she asked, voice cracking with worry. Ethan’s expression softened slightly. “Yes. But not recklessly. This is about strategy — about protecting the Hadel family, their legacy, and every life that could be endangered if we refuse or fail. I am not walking into a blind battle.” Morrison’s confusion was evident, his mind struggling to reconcile the magnitude of Ethan’s influence with the humility and quiet control he had witnessed all night. “And… you healed John Hadell earlier, yet you cannot cure all ailments. But you are willing to step into this arena…?” His voice was hesitant, almost incredulous. Ethan nodded. “I can purify corruption, control forces beyond conventional comprehension, and protect those who cannot defend themselves. But human vulnerability… illness… weakness… those still require skill, care, and expertise.” He glanced at Morrison. “And I will need your help — the Hadel family

Ethan met her gaze, unwavering. “I do not ask for belief. I ask only for your focus. The Salers’ challenge is imminent. There is no time for doubt or mistrust. Every moment wasted in skepticism is a moment their advantage grows.”Jenna’s eyes narrowed, the sharp intellect she wielded like a blade now testing him further. Yet beneath her suspicion, there was the faintest flicker of acknowledgment — that he had acted, decisively, where others had faltered.John stepped forward, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Jenna… Ethan Storm is exactly who he says he is. He has served our family when it mattered most. You will see that soon enough.”Jenna’s gaze flickered between John and Ethan, clearly wrestling with the dissonance between the loyalty her grandfather and father displayed and the instinctive distrust she felt for this unknown man who now stood calmly in their home.Finally, after a measured pause, she straightened, drawing in a slow breath. Her expression softened, but on

Jenna’s arms tightened across her chest, her face still flushed with anger. Her voice cut through the tense quiet again, sharp and unrelenting.“This isn’t over! You can’t just sit there and pretend everything’s fine!” she snapped. “Do you all really think he’s going to protect us? Do you understand how reckless this is? How can you trust him when there’s no proof, no history, nothing?!”Ethan stepped forward slightly, palms raised in a gesture of calm. “Jenna, I understand your frustration, but your anger—”“Shut the fuck up!” she exploded, cutting him off. “You don’t get to lecture me! You don’t get to tell me how to feel! You’re not my family! You don’t get to waltz in and claim you’ll protect us!”Chris slammed his fist on the table, his face red. “Jenna! That’s enough! You will not speak to Ethan like that! Do you hear me?!”Jenna’s eyes blazed, and she scoffed loudly. “And why not, father? Why shouldn’t I? He’s a liar! A fraud! A stranger! You and grandfather are fools for even

Even as John spoke again, explaining logistics, and Chris attempted to reassure her, she remained steadfast, calculating, her mind locked on preparation — on the one thing she could control. The selection of the two strongest fighters to carry the weight she refused to entrust to a stranger, no matter how calm, no matter how confident, no matter how heroic he appeared.Her inner monologue was relentless: He may call himself a Storm. He may have performed miracles. But I will not be impressed. I will not be swayed. I will watch. I will wait. And when he falters, they’ll finally see the truth… and I’ll be the one who proved that our family’s survival does not depend on an impostor.Her lips curved into a faint, cold smile, almost imperceptible. Let him step into the arena. Let him play the hero. I’ve already written the plan that will ensure we do not need him at all.And with that, Jenna moved with swift, deliberate steps toward the war room, her mind already plotting, already calculat