The moment the vehicle stopped at the Federal Specialist Hospital, Ethan knew the situation had become worse.The security officers that accompanied them rushed to open the doors while emergency staff approached with a stretcher. Ethan climbed out first, then turned back toward Selene. His face changed when he saw the blood staining her clothes.Ethan had noticed some blood during the journey, but not this much. The stain had spread while they were being driven, turning what had already frightened him into something he could no longer dismiss as a minor complication.“Why is there so much blood?” he demanded.One of the approaching nurses raised a hand. “Sir, let us get her onto the stretcher first.”Ethan immediately moved aside enough for them to reach Selene.“She’s bleeding,” Ethan said sharply as he reached for her hand. “Get someone here now. She’s losing blood.”A nurse hurried forward and looked at Selene. “How long has the bleeding been this heavy?”Selene struggled to speak

Ethan’s expression hardened the moment the gynecologist ordered everyone out of the ward. Selene had warned him only minutes earlier that something terrible was waiting inside this hospital, and now the first person she had trusted with her pregnancy wanted him separated from her. He remained beside the stretcher and held Selene’s weak hand. “No. You treat her, but I’m staying here.”The gynecologist did not show irritation. He had expected resistance, especially after seeing how closely Ethan had followed the stretcher from the entrance. “Mr. Xavier, I understand why you want to remain with your wife,” he said calmly. “But we need room to work, and we need everyone here focused completely on her condition.”Ethan looked around the ward. There was enough space for the nurses to move, and nobody appeared unable to work because of him. “My standing beside her isn’t stopping anyone,” he replied. “I won’t touch your equipment, and I won’t interfere with your staff. I’m staying where she

Ethan had never hated a closed door this much. He paced along the hospital corridor with both hands behind his back, turning every few seconds to look toward the emergency ward. Brigadier General Lorne and another Tribunal officer stood several feet away, watching him without saying much. Neither man needed to be told that Ethan was barely holding himself together.His phone vibrated inside his pocket again. Ethan pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and saw another call from Xavier Group headquarters. He rejected it without hesitation and slipped the phone back into his pocket. Less than a minute later, it started ringing again, this time from a senior Tribunal military personnel contact.Ethan stared at the name until the call ended by itself. Under normal circumstances, repeated calls from both Xavier Group and senior Tribunal personnel would have demanded his attention. Tonight, he could not force himself to care.The Tribunal officer glanced at the phone. “Sir, should I find ou

The gynecologist did not move immediately. Ethan stood directly in front of him, his expression cold enough to remove any doubt about how serious he was. Behind Ethan, Brigadier General Lorne and the other Tribunal officer remained silent, but their presence made the narrow hospital corridor feel even smaller.The doctor drew in a slow breath. “Mr. Xavier, I understand that you are worried, but your wife needs rest. She has just come through a serious medical crisis, and unnecessary emotional stimulation is not what I want for her right now.”Ethan did not move aside. “I don’t need to wake her. I need to see her,” he said, keeping his voice low. “I have already stood outside those doors while you did what you said was necessary. I am not leaving this hospital without seeing her.”The gynecologist tried to remain firm. “I’m asking you to respect my judgment. Your wife is still being monitored, and I have a responsibility to decide what is best for her condition.” He straightened slight

The soldier glanced briefly at Lorne before looking back at Ethan. “There have been assassinations, Grand Master,” he said. “Several of them.”Ethan stopped moving. The word dragged Leon Voss back into his thoughts, along with every death that had already begun gathering around his name.“How many?” Ethan asked.The officer’s grip tightened around his phone. “Five confirmed prominent victims.”Ethan’s expression changed. “Five?” he repeated. “Five people were assassinated tonight?”“Yes, Grand Master,” the officer replied. “The information came in quickly, and the public reaction began before officials could control the situation. Reports spread through social media, television, and the streets almost at the same time.”Ethan glanced back at Selene. His wife was fighting for her life only a few steps away, yet somewhere outside this hospital, five more prominent people were dead.He turned back to the officer. “What do five assassinations have to do with Xavier Group?” he asked. “Why