At that moment, upon hearing what the secretary had just asked Are you done? Nathan felt a flicker of uncertainty pass through him.Yes, it was done.He could feel that much with absolute certainty.The spiritual energy he had transferred into Vivienne's body had completed its work. The unnatural cold that had been consuming her from the inside out had been neutralized. Her internal systems had been stabilized. The root cause of her condition had been addressed.It was done.But there was supposed to be a reaction by now.Nathan frowned slightly, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten as he studied Vivienne's peaceful, sleeping face.According to the knowledge that had somehow become part of him — knowledge he did not remember learning but that felt as natural as breathing — there was supposed to be a final stage in the healing process.A purge.The body was supposed to expel the toxins, the corrupted energy, the physical manifestations of whatever had been causing the problem in the f

At that moment, upon seeing what was happening — upon seeing Vivienne bent forward in agony, vomiting up that thick, whitish substance that looked like corrupted pus — the secretary's face transformed into something beyond fury.It was certainty.Cold, absolute certainty that she had been right all along."I knew it," Claire said, her voice low and venomous. "I knew it. I knew that you were just a quack. I knew that nothing good was going to come from you."She took a step closer to where the bodyguards were holding Nathan, her eyes blazing with barely controlled rage."I blindly allowed you to do this," she continued, her voice rising slightly. "Yes, I blindly allowed you to touch the young miss when I knew — I *knew* — that nothing good was going to come from you. How could I have made such a mistake? How could I have been so stupid?"Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, her entire body trembling with fury and self-recrimination.Nathan looked at her calmly, despite being hel

At that moment, two of the strongest-looking security guards stepped forward in response to Claire's command.They moved with purpose, their expressions cold and professional, their hands reaching for the tactical knives they kept holstered at their belts.The blades came out with a soft metallic whisper that somehow seemed louder than it should have been in the tense silence.Sharp.Gleaming.Designed to cut through meat and bone with terrifying efficiency.They started walking toward Nathan with deliberate, measured steps, closing the distance between them with the kind of calm confidence that came from years of training and experience in doing exactly this kind of work.Claire watched them approach Nathan, and for the first time since this entire nightmare had begun, she felt a flicker of satisfaction.She knew that if she actually did this — if she actually followed through with cutting out Nathan's tongue right here and now — then at least she would not be severely punished when

At that moment, Vivienne stood there, utterly surprised.Utterly shocked.She could barely comprehend what had just happened — what *he* had just done.This stranger.This man she barely knew, he had literally healed her.Completely.In less than an hour, he had accomplished what teams of world-class doctors had failed to do over the course of two years.But there was something else beneath the shock and gratitude.Something deeper, something she could not quite name.It was a feeling of warmth.Not physical warmth, though that was part of it.But a different kind of warmth — emotional, spiritual, something that made her feel like she was standing in a very special place. A place she had never been before. A place she never wanted to leave.She wanted to stay in this moment.She wanted to hold onto this feeling of safety and healing and rightness.But reality was crashing back in around her.The pavement beneath her feet.The cold afternoon air.The bodyguards standing frozen in awkwa