Jada and Chloe giggled in the background, whispering about how "pathetic" the Lancasters were.Adrian’s eyes darkened. He took a slow, deliberate step toward Mr. Rossi, his presence so overwhelming that the lawyers instinctively took a step back."First of all," Adrian said, his voice like grinding stones, "do not refer to my sister as a 'scholarship student' ever again. A very close friend of mine, who happens to hold more shares in this institution, personally decided that Clara shouldn't have to pay a single dime."Mr. Rossi scoffed, his face twisting in a sneer. He looked at Clara, then at the back of her head where the wound had been. "And this 'injury' you’re whining about? I don’t see a single scratch. My daughter says nothing happened, and the evidence shows nothing happened. You’re just a liar looking for a payday.""That is because I healed it," Adrian replied calmly.The office erupted in a chorus of mocking laughter. Bianca clutched her stomach, pointing at Adrian. "He hea

The Sergeant stood paralyzed, the shades dangling from his trembling fingers. The dust from the road swirled around his boots, but he felt like the air had been sucked out of his lungs."Sergeant, who is this?" one of the soldiers shouted, stepping forward with his rifle raised. "Why are you just standing there? Command us to open fire! We should riddle him with rapid fire right now!""Yes, Sergeant!" another snarled, his eyes red with rage as he looked at his dead comrade slumped against the truck. "He murdered one of our men in cold blood! He deserves to die! Give the order!"The Sergeant didn't move. A bead of cold sweat rolled down his temple. He looked at the soldiers as if they were already ghosts. "You fools," he barked, his voice cracking with a mixture of fear and desperation. "Shut your mouths! Even if you emptied every magazine you have into him, the bullets wouldn't penetrate. I have witnessed it with my own eyes."Before his men could utter another word of protest, the Se

The Sergeant reached into a sheath at his waist and pulled out a long, combat knife. "You should have thought of that before sending us after a man like that," the Sergeant said in a cold voice. "Money means nothing to him. If we don't do this, he will erase everyone bearing our surname from this earth. I have witnessed his wrath firsthand, Rossi, and I wouldn't even wish it for my worst enemies. He gave an order. And I value my life more than your money.""Please! No! NO!" Rossi shrieked, struggling against the iron grip of the soldiers.The Sergeant didn't hesitate. He held Rossi's hand firmly against the stone. With a single, swift, and brutal motion, the heavy knife came down.CRUNCH.The blade severed the middle finger cleanly at the base.Mr. Rossi let out a blood-curdling cry of agony. It was a sound of pure, unadulterated pain that tore through the quiet of the compound, silencing the birds in the trees. He slumped forward, his face hitting the stone as blood gushed from the

Adrian stopped for a brief second. He didn't turn around. "As long as you and yours stay off my lane," he said, his voice echoing in the quiet driveway. "You won't have to worry."With those final words, Adrian vanished into the building. The soldiers let out a collective sigh of relief. They scrambled back into their trucks, the engines groaning as they sped away. A stupid errand for a billionaire had nearly sent them all to their graves, and they knew they would never be the same again.Meanwhile, the City Central Hospital was a maze of white walls and the sterile smell of antiseptic. Bianca burst through the sliding doors of the VIP wing, her footsteps frantic. Jada and Chloe were struggling to keep up, their faces pale with shock.She found her mother standing outside Room 402, her eyes red and puffy from crying. Bianca didn't say a word; she simply lunged forward and hugged her mother, both of them shaking with a mix of fear and fury."Mom! What happened? Where is he?" Bianca s

Bianca’s fists curled into tight balls, her knuckles turning white. She looked like she wanted to strike Clara right there, but something about Clara’s stillness stopped her."Just wait," Bianca threatened, her voice a low growl. "Wait until my father gets better. He will crush the Lancasters. He will wipe you out so completely that you won't even have a roof over your head. You’ll be back in the gutter where you belong."Clara gave a small, mocking smile. "I’ve heard that threat before, Bianca. It’s starting to get a bit boring. Is that all you’ve got?"Bianca leaned in closer, her eyes narrowing into slits. "Don't even bother about the competition. I have represented this school for three years straight. I have the best tutors and the most expensive writers. You stand no chance, scholarship girl. Your name was added just to make the list long."Clara stood up slowly, matching Bianca’s height. The two girls stood face-to-face, the air between them thick with electricity."Three years