The Grand Azure Hotel was a palace of glass and gold. Inside the main ballroom, crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling like frozen rain. The air was thick with the scent of expensive lilies and the even more expensive perfume of the city’s elite.In the center of the room, on a raised marble stage, stood Elara Callaghan.Five years ago, she had been the most vibrant woman in the city. Now, she looked like a ghost carved from ice. Her white silk dress was beautiful, but her face was pale, and her eyes were hollow. She looked less like a bride and more like a prisoner walking toward a guillotine.Beside her stood Lord Halloway. He was a man in his fifties with a sharp, pointed beard and eyes that reminded people of a snake. He leaned in close to Elara, his voice a greasy whisper."Sign the paper, Elara," Halloway said, pushing a thick fountain pen toward her. "Once you sign this marriage contract, the Callaghan Group’s debt is gone. Your father’s medical bills are paid. All you have

The laughter of the rich was a cruel, sharp sound. It filled the ballroom, bouncing off the gold-leafed walls."A miracle doctor?" one man chuckled, sipping his champagne. "He looks like he hasn’t washed in a month, let alone been to medical school.""Look at those little needles," a woman giggled. "Is he going to sew a button on the dying man’s shirt?"Standing next to Lord Halloway was a man in a crisp white lab coat—Dr. Thorne. He was the city’s most famous cardiologist, but his eyes were cold and greedy. He looked at Jian’s silver needles with a sneer."I have practiced medicine for thirty years," Dr. Thorne said, his voice loud so everyone could hear. "Mr. Callaghan is suffering from terminal organ failure brought on by aggressive cancer. To suggest he is poisoned is an insult to science. This man is a fraud, a convict, and a danger to the public."But Elara didn't laugh. She watched her father’s face. It was turning a terrifying shade of blue."Jian," she whispered, her voice tr

The city lights were bright and beautiful, but they did not reach the street where Elara lived.Jian followed her up a flight of stairs that groaned under every step. The hallway smelled of damp wood and old cooking oil. When Elara opened the door to her apartment, Jian felt a sharp pain in his heart. It was a single, tiny room. The wallpaper was peeling like sunburnt skin, and a thin mattress lay on the floor in the corner.This was the "heiress" of the Callaghan Group. This was what the Mercers had left her while he was away."It’s not much," Elara said, her voice small. She turned on a single yellow lightbulb that flickered before staying on. "The Mercers took the mansion. They took the cars. They even took my clothes. I had to sell my mother’s jewelry just to pay the first month's rent here."Jian looked at her, his eyes softening. "You shouldn't have had to live like this, Elara.""I’m alive, Jian. That’s more than I expected a year ago." She pointed to a wooden chair. "Sit. Your

The yellowed pages of the file felt like ice in Jian’s hands. As he sat in a quiet, hidden room provided by Scarface Lu, the truth began to unfold. His father, Arthur Mercer, was not just a man who owned a few factories. He was a Guardian.The file spoke of a legendary manuscript called The Emerald Codex. It was a book of ancient medical secrets that could cure any disease and martial techniques that could shatter mountains. His father had been the keeper of this book. The fire twenty years ago hadn't been an accident or a simple act of greed by the Mercer family. It had been a hunt."The Mercers were just the dogs on a leash," Jian whispered. The paper crinkled under his grip. "They were given the Callaghan Group and my father’s estate as a reward for staying silent. The real killers are in the Capital. The Crimson Sect."Jian looked at the photo of his mother again. She was alive, held in a cage of silk and drugs. To get to her, he couldn't just run to the Capital with his needles.