Director Matthews stood frozen, his mind clearly reeling from what the Coleman sisters had just said. When they'd referred to Pervis as their "little brother" multiple times, he'd assumed it was literal—that somehow the Coleman family had an heir that hadn't been publicly announced.But that didn't make sense either. The Colemans were one of the most prominent families in the region. If they had a son, especially one old enough to be working, it would have been common knowledge in business circles."Little brother?" Matthews repeated carefully, his eyes moving between Pervis and the three sisters. "I wasn't aware the Coleman family had... that is, I thought there were only the three daughters?"Alicia, standing nearby, felt her own confusion deepening. She'd just accepted Pervis's earlier explanation that he was household staff, that the "little brother" comment was just a term of endearment. But hearing it repeated so consistently, so naturally, made that explanation seem increasingl

Alicia felt ice water flood her veins as the implications of Dr. Reynolds's words sank in. The Commissioner of Health. Someone with the power to shut down hospitals, revoke licenses, deny treatment. Someone who could make her mother's care disappear with a single phone call.Her hands began to tremble. Her earlier confidence, the righteous fury that had driven her to slap Reynolds, suddenly felt foolish and dangerous. What had she done? What had her moment of anger potentially cost her mother?"You..." Alicia's voice came out shaky, tears beginning to form in her eyes despite her efforts to hold them back. "You're a terrible doctor. You're unworthy of that title. You don't deserve to practice medicine, to be responsible for people's lives!"But even as she spoke the words, fear was evident in her expression—in the way her eyes had gone red with unshed tears, in the trembling of her lower lip, in the way she unconsciously took a half-step backward.Reynolds saw that fear and smiled wid

Alicia stood there trembling, her mind still racing with fear and uncertainty despite the Coleman sisters' confident declarations. She wanted to believe them, wanted to trust that they could protect her mother from Dr. Reynolds's threats. But years of struggling, of being powerless, of watching doctors and administrators treat her family like garbage had left deep scars.What if the sisters were wrong? What if the Commissioner really did have the power to shut down hospitals, to deny treatment, to destroy her mother's last chance at survival? Could she risk that based on assurances from people she'd only recently met?She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, but the tears continued to stream down her face. Her hands were still shaking, her heart pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears.Then she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, and turned to find Pervis standing beside her. He was looking at her with such calm certainty, such quiet confidence, that some of her panic

After Aria's phone call with Commissioner Mitchell ended, the hospital lobby fell into tense silence. Everyone present—staff, visitors, patients—stood frozen, watching Dr. Reynolds's face cycle through expressions of confusion, denial, and dawning horror.But Reynolds, his mind desperately grasping for any explanation that didn't involve him being utterly destroyed, landed on the most comforting option available: it had to be a joke. Some kind of elaborate prank or bluff."Nice try," Reynolds said, forcing a laugh that sounded hollow even to his own ears. "Very convincing performance. You almost had me believing that was really Commissioner Mitchell."He looked around at the watching crowd, trying to rally support. "But come on—do you really expect me to believe the Health Commissioner just happened to answer his phone immediately for some random woman claiming to be Aria Coleman? That he was that deferent, that apologetic?""It wasn't a claim," Cristina said quietly. "She is Aria Col

Dr. Reynolds remained on his knees, the phone clutched in his trembling hand, his mind desperately trying to make sense of what had just happened. This couldn't be real. The Commissioner couldn't have just destroyed him. There had to be some misunderstanding, some way to fix this."Commissioner, wait!" Reynolds shouted into the phone, even though the call had already ended. He frantically redialed, his fingers shaking so badly he had to try three times before getting it right.The call connected after one ring."I told you not to contact me again," Mitchell's voice came through, cold and final."Please, just listen!" Reynolds begged, his voice cracking. "There's been a misunderstanding! I didn't threaten anyone! I was just trying to defend myself after being assaulted and wrongfully terminated! I thought you'd want to know—""A misunderstanding?" Mitchell's laugh was harsh. "You think there's been a misunderstanding? Reynolds, I just got off the phone with Aria Coleman—the REAL Aria C