Edrick, who had remained silent the entire time, finally opened his mouth. His sharp eyes had been studying Drayce from the very beginning, waiting to see whether this young man would slip, hesitate, or reveal himself as a fraud.But nothing changed.Drayce’s calm was not an act.The others suddenly recalled Drayce’s earlier words—“A dying man and one who would rather die.” At the time, they thought it was arrogance. Now, those words echoed ominously in their minds.Edrick slowly rose from his seat. Though his posture was steady, there was something heavy in his expression.“I’ll leave with you two,” he said evenly. “Let’s find somewhere quiet to talk.”Drayce didn’t even hesitate. “No need. I don’t have anything to discuss.”His refusal was clean and direct.He hadn’t come here to build connections with powerful men. He hadn’t come to offer medical consultations. And he certainly hadn’t come to play court physician to officials.He had something to settle—with Nyra.Nyra looked at hi

Edrick’s face darkened instantly. The people in the room were already furious, but now their anger surged even higher. Drayce had provoked a provincial commander until he vomited blood — and now he had the audacity to call him an idiot and claim credit for saving him? How shameless could one person be? “Drayce Black!” Nyra cried, panic rising in her voice as she struggled to hold Edrick back. “Stop talking and run while you still can!” However, Drayce did not move. Instead, he spoke calmly, almost lazily. “Your stomach lining is damaged. When you get angry, you feel a tightness in your chest. Dizziness follows. Then comes the blood.” The room fell quiet. “You also have intestinal inflammation. Chronic digestion problems. Because you smoke heavily, your lungs are compromised — shallow breathing, especially at night.” Edrick’s breathing slowed. “And your heart,” Drayce continued evenly, “occasionally beats too fast. Sometimes it skips. You’ve felt it before — brief pauses that

Drayce froze, stunned by Nyra’s blunt words. Cuckold himself? he thought, incredulous. But he quickly pushed the thought aside. This wasn’t what he wanted to dwell on. He cleared his throat and asked with precise caution, “No, that’s not what I meant. I’m asking… will you marry him? I mean a proper marriage—you can’t cheat on him, understand?” Nyra’s eyes sparkled with conviction, and she shook her head emphatically. “No way!” she said, her voice firm. “Drayce, you must believe me. I’m loyal to you. I can’t love another man. Even if I have a husband, he will never take your place in my heart.” She bit her lip at the end of her declaration, a subtle sign of sincerity. Drayce stared at her, dumbfounded. What is she blabbering about? he thought, the mix of exasperation and disbelief tightening his chest. But a thought struck him—perhaps it was simpler to cut through the noise. From his coat pocket, he carefully pulled out the folded marriage contract. This is it, he decided. If she ch

All the staff at Varywn Corp froze, their faces drained of color. The tension in the office was palpable. The secretary, hiding a smirk, whispered excitedly, “Mr. Black, look—security is here, and they’re in a foul mood. Let’s see how you’ll handle them!” She had no doubt Drayce could deal with a single guard, but a dozen? That seemed impossible. Surely, if they overpowered him, he wouldn’t even have the right to remain Nyra’s business partner. Drayce, unbothered, straightened his jacket. “Relax. I can handle this,” he said coolly, stepping out of his office. Outside, a dozen security guards surrounded him, their leader seething with rage. “So you’re Drayce Black? How do you plan to make amends for assaulting my man?” he barked. The others shouted along, their voices rough and challenging. “Who do you think you are, attacking one of us?” “I’ll crush you if you don’t back off!” Normally, these guards would never dare create such chaos—especially in front of employees and their

The secretary noticed the hesitation on Drayce’s face and smirked. “Can’t answer? Then stop embarrassing yourself and walk out while you still can.” A few employees even chuckled under their breath. If he couldn’t explain something as simple as profit, how was he supposed to run a company? It seemed Ms. Varywn had truly made a reckless decision. Drayce remained silent for a short while. Then he suddenly asked, “Who’s in charge here?” The secretary blinked, then let out a short laugh. “For the moment? You are.” “Good.” His tone turned cold. “Since I’m the one in charge, who gave you permission to interrogate me?” Her smile froze. “Because of your open disrespect toward your superior, your salary will be reduced by half for the next three months. After that, I’ll evaluate your behavior and decide whether you’re fit to stay. If you challenge my authority again, you’re dismissed immediately.” He then shifted his gaze to the guards and the employees. “As for the rest of you—apologiz