Lina stood perplexed. Her jaw dropped, and her chest ached. She felt like she had lost something valuable. She swallowed hard. Even though Ivan had gone beyond the iron gate at the compound, she stared into the dark night. At the wind. And something crossed her mind—where would he go? Her eyes narrowed, as guilt bore down on her with relentless weight. She battled with her mind. A part of her wanted to run after him. But…Victor pulled her close, and his arm swung around her waist. "Let him go, darling. He's not worth your breath." But even as he said it, Victor watched the gate with steady eyes. Something about the man's calm, the way he had torn up five million dollars without hesitation... No. Victor shook his head. Just a desperate man's last attempt at dignity. Nothing more. He thought. Meanwhile, Ivan walked down the silent road. No car waited for him. No driver. No one. Just the empty street and the night. The secret lurking in the shadows. The dangers hangin

Death had a schedule, and Ivan was about to make it wait. Dr. Raymond Chen led him through the private wing like a man in a trance. They walked past bewildered nurses and security guards who'd tried to throw Ivan out minutes earlier. Soon, word spread through the hospital in whispers—the Ghost Doctor is real, and he is here. "Mr. Jerome is in the critical care suite," Dr. Chen said, his earlier arrogance completely evaporated. "We've kept him stable, but the hemorrhaging is progressing. Every specialist we've consulted says the same thing. The surgery is impossible." "Nothing is impossible," Ivan replied. "Just improbable." They reached a set of double doors. Through the glass, Ivan could see a crowd of surgeons in scrubs, monitoring equipment, and at the center, an elderly man on life support. Tubes. Wires. The steady beep of machines doing the work his brain couldn't. William Jerome. Billionaire industrialist. Philanthropist. Dying. A woman in her forties stood

Denial was easier than admitting you'd thrown away a diamond while chasing glass. Lina sat in Victor's penthouse living room. Champagne in hand, as she laughed at her phone screen. The video had gone viral—Victor's humiliation at the medical forum. It was the new trend across every social media platform. "It's obviously doctored," she said, taking another sip. "Special effects. Some jealous rival is trying to ruin you, babe." Victor stood by the window, his back in her direction. He hadn't spoken in twenty minutes. "Victor, darling,” she stood up and took a step forward. “you need to issue a statement. Sue them for defamation. This will blow over in a week." Victor turned around, eyes shooting daggers of disdain."Shut up, Lina!" She blinked. "What?" "I said shut up." Victor's voice was hollow. "You have no idea what you're talking about." Lina set down her glass, irritation flashing across her face. "Excuse me? I'm trying to help—" "Help?" His brows furrowed, and Lina rec

Reputation can be built over years, but it takes a minute to be destroyed. Especially when the cameras are rolling. Lakecity Medical University's grand auditorium held three thousand seats. Every single one was filled with influential figures. Cameras from seventeen news networks lined the walls. Medical professionals from forty countries watched via live stream. The air buzzed with anticipation and judgment. At the center of the stage sat two surgical stations, identical in every way. Between them stood Dr. Solomon Krell, sixty-two years old, silver-haired, and radiating authority like a king on his throne. "Ladies and gentlemen," Krell's voice boomed through the speakers. "We gather today not for spectacle, but for truth.” “Medical science is built on verifiable methods, documented procedures, and legitimate credentials." He gestured toward the empty station across from him. "The so-called Ghost Doctor has none of these. No medical license. No documented training. No peer

**Some men were born killers, others became. But all men bleed the same.** Adrian Locke waited in the darkness of the parking garage. He hid behind a concrete pillar, perfectly positioned to see without being seen. He had been waiting for an hour. When the elevator dinged. Ivan stepped out, carrying a bag of takeout, looking tired and completely unaware. He had taken Lina Zhao home and refused all forms of her advances to get on his good side. He didn't go to save her. He went to punish the Jade Society over the event of three years ago that forced him to disappear. Adrian smiled in his hiding spot. This would be easy. He had spent ten years as a military contractor, then another ten as an independent operator. The Ghost Doctor might be impressive in a surgical theater, but this was Adrian's theater. He let Ivan walk past him. Waited until Ivan reached his car. Then he moved. Silent. Fast. Professional. The garrote wire came around Ivan's neck from behind, pulled tight