All Chapters of After Prison, I Became the Apex of the Stars: Chapter 21
- Chapter 30
80 chapters
CHAPTER 21
The sound was like nothing any of them had ever heard. A high-pitched, keening wail that seemed to come from everywhere at once, filling the room with a frequency that made teeth ache and skulls throb.Dr. Palmer spun around and rushed to the bedside, his medical training taking over despite his rage. The monitors that had been tracking Jude Smith's vital signs were going haywire, the lines on the screens jumping and spiking in patterns that made no medical sense."What's happening?" Agatha cried, pressing herself against the wall as if trying to escape the noise. "What's wrong with him?"Dr. Palmer grabbed Jude's wrist, checking his pulse, then his neck, then his chest. The old man's body was convulsing, his back arching off the bed, his mouth opening and closing in a silent scream. His skin, which had been pale and papery, was now darkening, turning gray, then black, as if something inside him was spreading outward through his veins."I don't know," Dr. Palmer admitted, and the admi
Last Updated : 2026-05-30
CHAPTER 22
"Agatha?" Jude's voice was weak, barely a whisper, but it was the most beautiful sound Agatha had ever heard."Grandfather." Agatha rushed to the bedside and took his hand, pressing it to her cheek, tears streaming down her face. "Grandfather, you're awake. You're really awake.""Of course I'm awake." Jude's lips twitched in something that might have been a smile. "Did you think I was going to miss your birthday?"Agatha laughed through her tears, the sound half-sob and half-joy. "My birthday isn't for another six months.""Then I'm early." Jude's eyes moved past his granddaughter and found Eddard, who was standing at the foot of the bed with his hands at his sides, the golden light gone, the supplies on the table smoking gently. "Mr. Medical Saint. This is the second time you've saved my life."Eddard inclined his head slightly. "It was my pleasure, Mr. Smith. Both times.""Jude. Call me Jude." The old man's eyes were clear now, sharper than they had been in weeks, and they studied E
Last Updated : 2026-05-30
CHAPTER 23
The waiting area on the top floor of St. Catherine's Hospital had been designed to make people feel comfortable, but Arya had never been less comfortable in her entire life.She sat in a cream-colored leather chair that probably cost more than her first car, her hands folded in her lap, her eyes fixed on the double doors that led to Jude Smith's room. The doors had been closed for over an hour now, and no one had come out to tell them anything. No updates. No information. No indication of whether the Medical Saint, the real one, the one they had accidentally found through a series of events that still didn't make complete sense, had been able to help.Fred paced back and forth across the marble floor like a caged tiger, his phone pressed to his ear, his voice low and urgent as he talked to someone on the other e
Last Updated : 2026-05-30
CHAPTER 24
Inside Jude Smith's room, the atmosphere had shifted from crisis to celebration.Jude was sitting up in bed now, his color returning, his voice growing stronger with each passing minute. Dr. Palmer had run a series of tests, and the results were nothing short of miraculous. Every marker that had been abnormal was now normal. Every system that had been failing was now functioning. It was as if the curse had never been there at all."I don't understand it," Dr. Palmer said, staring at the test results in his hands. "I can't explain it. By every medical measure, this man was hours away from death. And now... now he's healthier than he's been in years.""Then stop trying to explain it," Jude said, his voice
Last Updated : 2026-05-30
CHAPTER 25
The morning sun streamed through the windows of the Lewis family home, illuminating dust motes that danced in the air like tiny stars. Gwen Clarke sat at the kitchen table with a cup of tea that had gone cold hours ago, her swollen face still bearing the marks of Agatha Smith's bodyguards' hands. She hadn't slept. She had spent the night staring at the ceiling, replaying every moment of the previous day, trying to find the exact point where everything had gone wrong.Luigi was still in the hospital, his leg in a cast, his spirit even more broken than his bones. Marcus had spent the night at his bedside, leaving Gwen alone with her thoughts and her tea and the growing certainty that she had made a terrible mistake.The front door opened, and Arya walked in.
Read moreLast Updated : 2026-05-30
CHAPTER 26
Across the city, in the penthouse suite of the Gordon family's tallest building, Fred Gordon was having a very different conversation.His father, Richard Gordon, sat behind a massive mahogany desk with his hands folded in front of him and his expression unreadable. He was a tall man, broad-shouldered and silver-haired, with the kind of face that had been carved by decades of difficult decisions and expensive scotch. He had built the Gordon family from nothing, had dragged them from obscurity to second-tier status through sheer force of will, and he did not suffer fools gladly."Sit down, Fred."Fred sat."I've been hearing some interesting things about last night. About the Smit
Last Updated : 2026-05-30
CHAPTER 27
The ballroom of the Smith family estate was a cathedral of wealth, a monument to power that had been built over generations and polished to a mirror shine by the current patriarch's relentless ambition. Crystal chandeliers hung from a ceiling painted with scenes from Greek mythology, their light scattering across the marble floors in patterns that seemed almost alive. The walls were lined with paintings that museums would have killed to display, and the air smelled of expensive perfume and old money and the kind of confidence that came from knowing you were standing at the very top of the world.Arya stood just inside the entrance, her hand still resting on her mother's arm, and felt the weight of the room pressing down on her like a physical force.There were hundreds of people inside, maybe more, all of them d
Last Updated : 2026-05-30
CHAPTER 28
The crowd was silent now, every ear straining to catch every word. Fred's face had gone pale, and his confidence was crumbling like sand in a hourglass."We... we were desperate to help. We didn't want to waste time on verification when your grandfather's life was at stake.""I see." Agatha turned to face the crowd, her voice rising slightly so that everyone could hear. "Mr. Gordon and Miss Lewis brought a man to my grandfather's bedside. A man who claimed to be the Medical Saint. A man who claimed he could cure any illness with a single injection. And when we asked to examine that injection, do you know what we found?"The crowd leaned forward as one.
Read moreLast Updated : 2026-05-30
CHAPTER 29
Near the end of the evening, when the speeches were over and the dancing had begun, she excused herself and walked out onto the terrace.The night air was cool against her skin, a welcome relief from the warmth of the ballroom. She walked to the railing and looked out at the gardens, which stretched into darkness, lit only by the occasional lantern. The stars were out, scattered across the sky like diamonds on black velvet, and for a moment she forgot where she was and what had happened and simply existed."It's a beautiful night."The voice came from behind her, and Arya turned to see Eddard Collins standing in the doorway, his hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable.<
Last Updated : 2026-05-30
CHAPTER 30
The Holden family estate sat at the edge of the city, hidden behind walls that had been built before anyone alive could remember, guarded by men who had been handpicked from the finest security forces in the world. It was not the largest estate in the region, nor the most opulent, but it was undoubtedly the most secure. The Holden family had learned, through generations of conflict and betrayal, that walls and guns and loyal men were worth more than all the gold in the world.Eddard Collins stood at the base of the driveway, looking up at the iron gates that blocked his path, and felt the weight of a hundred hidden eyes upon him.Behind him, in a cluster of confusion and barely concealed contempt, stood the Norton family. Ken Norton had insisted on accompanying Eddard to the Holden estate, claiming that he wanted to "witness history," but everyone knew the truth. Ken wanted to see Eddard fail. He wanted to watch the upstart who had somehow gained the favor of the Smith family be humil
Last Updated : 2026-05-31