“Marc,” Ethan said slowly, his voice low as he tried to understand what had just happened with Marc that he had switched sides all of a sudden. “I need to understand this. After everything I did for you, after all those times I put myself in the line of fire for you—you’re standing against me now? I saved your life, Marc. Not once, not twice. How many nights did I pull you out of death’s reach when assassins came for your head? And this is what I get in return?”Marc’s eyes flicked away for a brief second before snapping back to Ethan’s. There was conflict in his stare, but there was also an unyielding resolve. “Don’t twist this, Ethan,” Marc shot back, his voice hoarse, almost breaking under the weight of his words. “I’ll never forget what you did for me. You saved my life, yes, and for that I’ll always owe you. But this… this isn’t about gratitude. This is about Chloe.”Ethan’s brows furrowed, his chest rising with a breath he struggled to hold. “Chloe?” he echoed, his tone raw wit

The door to the holding area creaked as Marc finally relented, motioning for the guard to let Emma through. Her pulse hammered in her ears as she stepped into the narrow corridor lined with cold steel bars. And then she saw him.Ethan sat on the hard bench inside the cell, his posture deceptively relaxed, one arm resting on his knee. “Ethan…” Her voice trembled, half with relief, half with fear. She clutched the bars, struggling to piece her thoughts into words. “Is it true? Stella told me that you were at Royal City Bank earlier today and she also claimed that you're now its new owner. Is it true?”For the briefest of moments, silence reigned. Ethan’s gaze lingered on her, unwavering. Then, without giving her the confirmation she craved, he shifted his head slightly, his voice smooth and quiet.“Emma… forget the questions. Just get me out of here.”Her heart sank. No denial. No confirmation. Only that calm, steady demand.Behind her, Chloe let out a mocking laugh. “See? He won’t ev

The police officers chased after Marc and caught him just before he could get any farther. Kicking and thrashing wildly, Marc barked orders as though his voice still carried weight.“Unhand me this instant!” he roared. “Do you fools know who I am? I am your superior officer! If you dare lay another finger on me, I’ll see to it that each and every one of you is stripped of your badges and punished!”But his threats only earned him cold, unimpressed stares. The officers exchanged brief glances, their grips on him tightening. They knew the truth—Marc’s authority meant nothing now. The Deputy Inspector General’s power dwarfed his own, and his words rang hollow in the charged silence.“Drag him back inside,” one officer muttered. And despite Marc’s continued bragging and barking, they hauled him away like a captured beast, ignoring his every word. His voice cracked with desperation, but no one listened anymore.The station had fallen into a suffocating silence, broken only by the sound of

Emma wished, in that moment, that her grandfather had not spoken so firmly, had not sealed her fate with Ethan through the weight of his unshakable word.His declaration had silenced the hall, but to her it had felt like invisible chains tightening around her wrists. She loved her grandfather dearly, yet part of her heart ached with resentment, a guilt-ridden resentment that she dared not voice aloud.Her gaze flickered toward Ethan. As always, he remained composed, seated with the calm of a man untouched by storm.It was as though he sat above the chaos, unbothered by the whispers, the subtle comparison, the praise lavished on Danny, or even her grandfather’s final decree that bound her to him. Ethan’s expression betrayed nothing. Emma could not understand him. Why did he never seem shaken, never falter as the rest of them did? Was it strength or indifference?But before she could dwell on Ethan’s calm demeanor for too long, the sound of her grandfather’s sudden, strangled gasp snap

The apprentice’s footsteps dragged as he led them through the winding streets, his pace deliberately slow, as though each step cost him more courage than the last. His shoulders hunched, and his head tilted downward, as if the weight of invisible chains pulled him toward the ground.Leif, impatient, walked closely behind with suppressed anger. His fists opened and closed at his sides, every muscle tight with the strain of holding back. The family doctor kept glancing at Ethan, his eyes silently pleading for restraint, as though he feared that one wrong move might spark disaster. But Ethan said nothing—his gaze was fixed squarely on the apprentice, like a hawk refusing to let its prey slip away.At last, the winding road widened into a broad stone avenue, and at the end of the avenue, the Grand Physician’s compound rose like a fortress. The high stone walls stretched endlessly to either side, carved with intricate designs. Leif slowed his pace, his breath catching slightly, the fury