The payment terminal remained silent for several seconds after Ethan inserted the card. The assistant’s smile grew wider with each passing moment, as though the delay had already proved him right. Around them, patients leaned forward while the cashier watched the screen with growing tension.The assistant folded his arms and looked Ethan over again. “This is the part where the machine rejects your card,” he said. “You can still save yourself some embarrassment by admitting you were pretending all this while.”A few people in the waiting area exchanged nervous looks. Some had expected Ethan to run away once the amount was entered, but he remained completely still.The assistant noticed their attention and smiled even more confidently. “Watch carefully,” he said. “This is what happens when poor people confuse courage with money.”Ethan did not look at him. “You have spoken enough. Let the machine answer for me.”Ethan kept one hand beside the terminal. “Process the payment.”The cashie

Roland Verda’s assistant stared at Ethan as if the threat had come from a madman. The veteran’s body remained inside the emergency room behind them, covered now by a white sheet while his wife cried beside the bed. Yet the assistant still looked more annoyed than guilty.“The old man was dying before he arrived,” Roland Verda's assistant said with a dismissive shrug. “You are looking for someone to blame because you cannot accept what happened.”Ethan stepped into his path before he could walk away. “He was alive when he came through those doors. He was speaking, breathing, and asking for help.”“People die every day,” the assistant replied. He glanced toward the treatment room as though the body meant nothing to him. “Hospitals are not magical places where every patient survives.”“Not every patient dies because someone chose money over treatment,” Ethan said. His voice remained calm, but the anger in his eyes made several nurses step back. “You delayed him for forty minutes while hi

The notification from the National Doctors Association remained open on Felix Vale’s screen. He read the message once, then again, but the words did not change.EMERGENCY SUSPENSION OF MEDICAL LICENCE PENDING FINAL DISCIPLINARY REVIEW.Felix’s fingers began trembling so badly that he nearly dropped the phone. The confidence he had carried through the hospital only minutes earlier had disappeared completely.“This cannot be happening,” he whispered. His eyes moved rapidly across the notice, searching for some mistake he could challenge. “They cannot suspend my licence without calling me first.”The senior nurse standing nearby looked at the screen and slowly shook her head. “It is official, Dr Felix. The registration number and authorization seal are both there.”Felix turned the phone toward the nurse as though she might discover something he had missed. “Check it properly,” he demanded. “There must be an appeal button or it must be an administrative error.”The nurse looked at the no

Three days after the incident at Verda Medical Center, the executive boardroom overlooked the capital through walls of polished glass. Every detail reflected success, from the imported furniture to the campaign banners showing Roland Verda smiling beside grateful patients. Around the long conference table sat three of the corporation's largest private investors, each holding a confidential report while security guards stood outside the locked doors.Roland stood before a large presentation screen wearing an expensive tailored suit. He clicked to the next slide with an easy smile. “Our expansion plan will establish new rehabilitation centers across four provinces,” he said. “We'll also introduce specialist clinics, mobile health units, and advanced diagnostic facilities. These projects will strengthen Verda Medical Corporation's reputation while increasing revenue.”One investor leaned back impatiently and tapped the table with a gold pen. “Cut the public speech, Roland,” he said. “No

Roland read the invitation three times before he allowed himself to believe it was real. The Xavier Group seal, encrypted verification code, and executive signature were all present. No campaign office in Verdanis could have forged something this secure.Roland checked the digital signature again and compared it with previous documents issued by Xavier Group. Every security marker matched. Even the private access code had been generated through the same encrypted system used for Khagan Council communications.For the first time, he stopped searching for signs of fraud and began considering what the invitation could give him.He looked at his assistant. “Did Xavier Group contact you directly?”The assistant nodded quickly. “Their executive office verified the request twice, sir. They confirmed your name, your position, and the time of the meeting.”Roland returned his attention to the screen. “And Grand Master Ethan requested this personally?”“That is what they said,” the assistant r