The sign in front of Peter’s practice room now displayed only the words “Peter Davis Consultation Room.” The words miracle treatment, recovery package, and every other promotional phrase that encouraged patients to expect too much before an examination had been removed.Peter arrived early and opened the previous session’s records. On the form belonging to the forty-two-year-old warehouse worker, he found that the follow-up examination time had not been entered completely, although the registration number, treatment time, and patient response remained in the system.“Lina, complete this section using the registration data and treatment notes,” Peter said, pointing to the blank column. “A small gap like this can be used by Endi or anyone else to claim the treatment was performed without proper procedure.”Lina accepted the file without trying to defend herself. She admitted that the old system focused too much on patient volume, so some staff recorded only the name, payment, and main c

Peter examined the clothes he usually wore to the clinic and found that all of them were still presentable, but none were suitable enough for a formal event hosted by the Steel family. He did not feel ashamed of that. He simply understood that dressing too casually could be taken as disrespect toward the host. He made a short list of what he genuinely needed: one dark suit, one white shirt, a pair of simple leather shoes, and a belt. An expensive watch, eye-catching accessories, and branded items that served only as status symbols did not appear on the list. That afternoon, Peter traveled to a shopping center in Wada City using a rented electric bike. He parked in the official two-wheel parking area, locked the handlebars, then walked toward a formal clothing store in a simple shirt and clean trousers. A young sales clerk noticed him near the entrance. Without first asking what he needed, she directed him toward the disc

The registration officer accepted the two invitation cards from Richard and examined them beneath the desk lamp. The paper was thick, the printing glossy, and the Steel family emblem looked convincing enough to anyone who only glanced at it. Richard stood with his shoulders straight, treating the inspection as a minor formality. Amanda adjusted the edge of her dress while looking at the line behind them, displeased that several guests were already passing through the table beside theirs. The officer turned the cards over, checked the raised codes, then scanned them. The screen did not display the names Amanda Bernadus or Richard. It only showed a notice that the codes could not yet be matched with the main guest list. “We received these invitations through a senior business associate,” Richard said. “Our names may have been recorded as additional guests.” The officer did not a

Mr. Suryo remained beside Peter without showing any intention of leaving. He asked why Amanda still called Peter’s invitation fake after both the coordinator and the registration staff had confirmed that every detail matched. The coordinator signaled the security officers to maintain a safe distance without embarrassing anyone. He still hoped Amanda and Richard would step back on their own before the situation became a more serious violation. Amanda replied that someone like Peter could not possibly be a personal guest of the Steel family. To her, the verification only showed that someone had helped Peter place his name on the list. It did not prove that he deserved to attend. “He takes advantage of elderly patients,” Amanda said. “Sick people are easily influenced by doctors who sell hope.” Mr. Suryo looked at her calmly. “Do you know the elde

Security had already separated Amanda and Richard when the Steel family’s head steward arrived from the main entrance with a senior staff member. He did not shout or ask the crowd to be silent. He went directly to the coordinator and received a concise report. The coordinator explained the sequence without adding personal judgment. Peter’s invitation had been verified as valid, while Amanda and Richard’s invitations remained questionable. Their insults had continued after the verification, and both of them had touched Mr. Suryo despite repeated warnings to keep their distance. The head steward asked for the exact time of the incident. He also instructed the senior staff member to mark the security footage and create a copy so the evidence would not be overwritten by the normal storage system. Only after the evidence had been secured did he approach Mr. Suryo. His attention was not o