The nurse’s final words echoed in Anthony’s head like a siren. He didn’t think—he simply ran.Outside the hospital gates, he flagged down the first taxi he saw, barely managing to open the door. “Central City Hospital, please—fast!”The driver glanced at his trembling hands, then nodded and sped off. The streets blurred past, the city lights cutting through the gathering darkness. Anthony’s heart pounded against his ribs, his mind repeating one desperate prayer: Let her live. Please, God, let her live.When the car screeched to a stop, he threw a handful of cash at the driver and sprinted into the hospital. The scent of antiseptic hit him like a wall, but something was different—eerily quiet.He turned the corner into the emergency ward, and his world collapsed.Two nurses were zipping up a white body bag.Anthony froze. His breath caught, his vision blurring. “No…” He stumbled forward. “No, please, not her. Mom!”One of the nurses tried to stop him, but he brushed past and grabbed h

Anthony stood frozen for a moment, staring at Dr. Kenneth in disbelief. “What did you just say?” His voice trembled—not from fear, but from the boiling anger rising inside him.The doctor folded his arms and gave a condescending smirk. “I said, if you want your mother’s body, you’ll have to pay double the amount. Or you can go home.”Anthony clenched his fists. The last thread of patience within him was wearing thin. “Fine,” he said quietly. “Give me your account number.”Dr. Kenneth chuckled, convinced he was bluffing. “You think this is a joke? That’s $800,000 in total.”Anthony said nothing. Within seconds, he completed the transfer. The notification buzzed on the doctor’s phone, and his arrogant smile faltered. “Impossible,” he muttered, staring at the screen. “You actually—”Before he could finish, Anthony said evenly, “Now release my mother’s body.”Dr. Kenneth hesitated, then scoffed. “You know what? I don’t like your tone. You’ve wasted enough of my time. Pay another $1,000,00

By morning, Anthony’s name had taken over every corner of the internet. Within hours, videos from Vionna’s birthday party had flooded social media. His face was everywhere—on blogs, news platforms, and trending pages. His social media accounts, once almost empty, now overflowed with follow requests, messages, and endless comments.When he got home, exhaustion hit him like a wave. He dropped his phone on the bed, still buzzing with notifications, and lay down without changing clothes. The world outside was spinning with excitement, but inside, silence took him. His thoughts drifted somewhere between disbelief and relief, and before he realized it, sleep pulled him under.Fenrick came in quietly a while later, saw him asleep, and decided not to wake him. Anthony’s phone kept vibrating beside his hand—calls, texts, news alerts—but none of it reached him. Somewhere in his dream, he was walking through a world made of glass and gold, one where his mother smiled again, and his pain was fina

Anthony was still staring at his phone when it buzzed again. It was the doctor.“Sir,” the doctor said quickly, his voice trembling, “your stepfather and mother are still waiting. The time limit on the medication is almost over. If I delay any further, he will not make it.”Anthony said nothing. He listened to the doctor’s words fade into silence, then calmly ended the call.He stood there for a while, motionless. His reflection on the mirror beside the wall looked cold and distant. Outside, the city lights flickered like scattered diamonds, but his thoughts were elsewhere—between vengeance and mercy.Minutes later, a sharp knock broke the silence. The door opened, and Liora stepped in, radiant as ever. Her gown shimmered under the light, perfectly fitted, every thread designed to command attention. Behind her, Vionna followed, her presence magnetic, her beauty effortless. The moment they entered, the air in the room shifted.Liora gave a little twirl, flashing her new car key in Anth

The night after the grand event, silence hung over the house. The cheers, laughter, and echoes from the campus had faded into memory, replaced by the faint hum of the ceiling fan above Anthony’s bed. He was already home when Vionna, Fenrick, and Liora returned, still glowing from the energy of the night.They burst through the door, still talking about the mysterious contestant everyone called “X.”“Anthony,” Fenrick called, surprised to see him sitting on the couch in different clothes. “You didn’t come to the event?”Anthony looked up calmly. “I didn’t want to cause any trouble,” he said. “You know how Darren and his friends are. They were waiting for me.”Liora flopped onto a chair, breathless from excitement. “You missed something unbelievable,” she said quickly. “That mysterious guy, X—he was unreal. You should have seen him! His outfit, his car, everything! The way he walked... the way he stood—it was like he owned the entire world.”Vionna clasped her hands together, her eyes d