Four missed calls from Sarah flashed across the screen the moment Luke stepped into the glass control room. He had been in the noisy basement where thick concrete walls blocked every signal. He tapped his wife's contact immediately and pressed the device against his ear. The call connected before the second ring finished. "Luke! It's here! The cure is here!" Sarah's voice exploded through the speaker, fast and heavy with tears. Luke kept his body still against the glass wall. "Sarah? Slow down. What is there?" "The Blood Lotus Serum!" she gasped. "A worker brought a wooden box to my office a few minutes ago. Luke, the glass bottle is sitting on my desk right now. It is real!" Luke forced a sound of worry into his tone, playing his part as a cautious husband. "Who delivered it? Did the person leave a name?" "No," Sarah said, her words rushing together. "The worker just brought it up. But a woman named Sylvia called my private line right after. She confirmed the package conta

A hundred crystal chandeliers blazed overhead as Luke carried his daughter through the heavy iron gates of the Frost Estate.Zoe rested her chin on his broad shoulder, her cheeks flushed with healthy color. Sarah walked right beside them, her knuckles white as she gripped the wrapped box in her hands. She glanced at Zoe, letting out a soft breath of relief seeing her daughter completely healed."Do you think she will like the gift?" Sarah whispered, her eyes scanning the massive crowd."She will love it," Luke said softly.Crowds of wealthy guests filled the expansive lawn. Diamond necklaces shimmered under golden floodlights, while servers in black vests moved briskly between tables with silver trays.An usher bowed deeply, gesturing toward the front row. "Mr. Dark, Mrs. Quinn, please follow me. President Frost personally reserved your seats near the main stage."Sarah adjusted the silk ribbon on her package, letting out a quiet breath. "Thank you."They sat at a round table directly

"May your twenty-ninth birthday bring absolute power over every commercial sector in the province!" a wealthy guest shouted, pulling a dark velvet cover off a towering frame.Golden floodlights hit the canvas, revealing brilliant, sweeping brushstrokes. Gasps echoed across the wide, manicured lawn."The final surviving masterpiece of Master Lane!" the guest declared, bowing deeply toward the elevated stage. "No other collector on earth owns one!"Helena Frost nodded from her elegant white leather chair, her posture sharp and commanding. "A remarkable addition to my private collection, Director Mercer. Your loyalty is noted."Applause exploded from every table in the courtyard.Tycoons, politicians, and socialites clapped fiercely, desperate to outdo one another in front of the province's most powerful woman.The gift presentation had run for over an hour. Previous guests had already delivered deeds to private islands on velvet trays, lines of custom sports cars parked along the estate

"Capture him before he reaches the street, but do not cause him further harm!" the doctor barked into his receiver, his boots pounding down the concrete stairwell. Upstairs, the young nurse quietly gathered the scattered trays and tools from the floor.Downstairs in the wide glass lobby, two thick security officers moved into the path, their large arms spread wide to block the exit.Tristan stumbled across the slick tiles, his pale face covered in sweat. The steel blade quivered in his hand as he slashed it through the empty air."Get out of my way!" Tristan screamed, his voice cracking against the high ceiling. "Touch me, and I will make sure every single one of you loses your job by nightfall!"Fresh dark blood soaked through his white bandages, running down his side with every breath. His left shoulder throbbed with hot pain, but he did not slow down."Mr. Frost, please drop the weapon," the lead guard said, taking a slow step forward with his hands raised. "You are bleeding. Let u

"So you've been hiding your strength all thi—," Tristan wheezed.He tried to take a step forward. His knees buckled instantly. Blood poured from the ruined wound on his shoulder, soaking through his clothes and dripping onto the cold marble floor.Tristan did not finish his sentence. His eyes rolled back into his head. The massive blood loss from his shoulder finally shut his system down.He crashed onto the hard stone, completely unconscious. The broken stub slipped from his limp hand, clattering against the marble.Helena turned her gaze to the head guard. He was still standing by the archway. His mouth hung open. He stared at her fingers in pure shock, unable to process how she had caught the moving steel."Are you going to stand there all day?" Helena asked.The guard flinched. He snapped to attention, his face pale. "No, President Frost.""Pick him up," Helena ordered."Yes, Ma'am. Where should we put him?""Take him inside the estate," Helena instructed. "Call Dr. Thorne immed