Still, no matter how high one climbs, one should never forget kindness—even kindness from a frail old man whose life was fading away like twilight at dusk.Alex knew he could cure that old man effortlessly now—his current strength made it child's play.Silently, Alex slipped toward Caesar Fairchild's opulent suite on the fourth floor.He calmly opened the heavy oak door—only for Karen Fairchild, Sophia’s grandmother, to storm out from the shadows, her eyes blazing with bitter hatred.The frail, sickly woman mustered a shocking burst of strength, striking Alex's face with brutal, savage force.The sharp slap cracked through the air like a whip, reverberating in the ornate chamber.Her voice dripped venom and fury, slicing the thick silence like a rusted blade:“I knew it! I knew you’d come, you shameless bastard!”“I just want to see Grandpa,” Alex growled at the vile old woman, whose fragile bones would crumble to dust with just a flick of his finger.Karen grabbed her walking stick,

The ride was quiet. Too quiet.Alex hadn’t said a word, hadn’t even glanced at her. Cassandra wasn’t used to that.People usually tried to make small talk, offer a polite smile, something.But Alex just sat there, calm and distant, as if she didn’t exist. It was like riding next to a storm that hadn’t broken yet.They rolled up to the Miller estate late in the afternoon.The car slowed to a stop in front of the mansion’s wide front steps. The guard sprang forward, opening the door.Cassandra stepped out first, heels crunching on the gravel.Alex followed, his eyes sweeping the grounds with a soldier’s precision before locking on a man in a dark suit waiting near the entrance.The man bowed slightly. “Miss Dupont. Sir. Welcome. Lord Miller hasn’t returned yet. He asked me to personally guide you to the young lady’s room.”“Thank you, Martin. Please lead the way,” Cassandra said, her tone all business.A few minutes later, Martin stopped in front of a door, opened it, and stepped aside.

Adrian’s lips pressed into a hard line, his chest heaving as he fought to steady himself. “Grandfather… she was fine at first. Then Dr. Cole—he gave her the medicine, and her… her vitals dropped.” His voice cracked as he caught the look of disappointment in Lord Miller’s eyes.Dr. Cole’s hands trembled, sweat dripping down his face as he stammered, “I—I followed the procedure, sir. I… I don’t understand—”“Silence.” Lord Miller’s voice cut like a blade. His cold stare locked on the doctor as he stepped forward, his presence heavy and suffocating.“Who are you,” he growled, voice low and dangerous, “to meddle in my granddaughter’s life without knowing the risk?”Dr. Cole’s face drained of color. His shoulders hunched inward, shrinking beneath the crushing weight of the old man’s wrath.Lord Miller didn’t wait for his excuse. He snapped his head toward the others. “Where is the healer my sworn brother sent?”Adrian’s jaw tightened. Hesitation flickered in his eyes, but before he could

Less than twenty minutes had passed, though to the four onlookers it felt like hours. Finally, Alex lifted his hands from Jessica’s body, his movements steady and precise.“It’s done,” he said, his voice calm but carrying weight. He leaned back on his heels, the tension in the room thick as smoke.“Her body is now as healthy as any normal person’s. All she needs is rest.”For a heartbeat, silence. No one dared move.Adrian stood frozen, his eyes flicking from Jessica’s still form to Alex, searching for a trick, a flaw, anything.“You… you’re saying she’s fine? Just like that?” His voice cracked with disbelief, as if the words themselves fought him.Alex didn’t answer immediately. He set the silk strip aside with deliberate care, then pulled the blanket Cassandra had brought back over Jessica’s waist.“Yes. The poison is gone. What’s left is only exhaustion. She’ll wake naturally once her strength returns.”Cassandra’s hand covered her lips, her wide eyes locked on him. She had seen ev

The man who strutted like a king minutes ago was nothing now—broken, filthy, crawling in his own shame.Cassandra’s chest tightened, but not from fear. Fascination gripped her instead. She wanted to see how far he could fall.“Answer her,” Alex said, his tone flat, his head tilting toward Cassandra like the motion of an executioner’s blade.The man’s gaze snapped to her, eyes wide, frantic. “I—I can’t! If I talk, I’m dead! Please—”Alex crouched low, meeting him eye to eye. His voice was steady, but carried the weight of ice. “You’re already dead. The only choice left is whether you die with your secret or your confession.”Then Alex straightened, stepping back. “He’s all yours.”Cassandra closed the gap, her heels crunching against the gravel with every step. She stopped over him, her shadow falling across his ruined face.“Speak. Now. Who sent you?”His chest heaved. He wanted to lie, but Alex’s silent figure loomed in the corner of his vision like a dark omen.The boy… no, the thin