Marcus continued before the older man could interrupt.“I know how it sounds. At first, I dismissed it too. I assumed it was another exaggerated claim designed to attract wealthy customers. The cosmetics industry is full of products that promise impossible things—youthful skin, renewed energy, flawless appearance, and all kinds of nonsense. Most of them are nothing more than clever marketing.”His expression became serious.“But this appears to be different.”“How different?”Marcus leaned forward.“This product is said to slow the aging process dramatically. More than that, it may be capable of reversing some of the physical effects of aging. A person who takes it may not simply look younger. Their body may actually begin to recover.”His father’s breathing became quieter.“Recover from what?”“From age itself.”The words hung in the air.Marcus allowed the silence to deepen before continuing.“Imagine a person in their seventies. Their joints are weak. Their organs are tired. Their s

Marcus’s father remained silent after hearing those words.The older man had been prepared to doubt him. He had expected exaggeration, emotional outbursts, or another one of Marcus’s impulsive schemes dressed up as a grand opportunity. His son had a habit of turning every rumor into a revolution and every minor advantage into a declaration of war.But this was different.The person who had brought the information to Marcus was not some careless messenger or frightened subordinate. He was the secretary Marcus’s father had personally chosen and placed at his son’s side years ago. A man whose judgment had been tested repeatedly. A man who rarely spoke without evidence and never made claims simply to impress anyone.If that secretary had identified Mia’s product as genuine, then the matter deserved attention.Marcus heard his father draw a slow breath through the phone.“Well,” the older man said at last, “since that is the case, then we may have something worth discussing.”Marcus leaned

He gestured toward the bleeding secretary on the floor with expression of disgust and continuing fury that suggested his emotional state hadn't fully resolved despite the interruption. "But look at what she brought me. She literally came here empty-handed. Couldn't give me any information that I actually wanted or needed. No CCTV footage because it was all destroyed before we could secure it. Nothing about what actually transpired at that bus station beyond vague inferences that our men must be dead because the target is still alive. Nothing concrete. Nothing actionable. Just failure after failure reported with professional courtesy as if that somehow makes it acceptable."The boss's jaw tightened again as he articulated his grievances, his voice rising slightly as anger threatened to resurge. "Now, I'm not going to just accept that. I can't simply nod and pretend that this kind of performance is adequate or that bringing me nothing but reports of catastrophic failure without any sol

At that moment, Mia was completely stunned.She stood by the hospital window, staring down at the massive arrangement of roses that covered the entrance below. The entire scene felt unreal. The flowers were too extravagant, too public, and far too grand for anything she could understand.Her mother was looking at her with surprise, while her secretary was still standing close to the window with his mouth slightly open in disbelief.Mia slowly shook her head.“I don’t actually know who this person is,” she said, still trying to process what she was seeing. “I really don’t know what is going on. I’m shocked. I’m just as shocked as everyone else here.”She looked outside again, watching as more nurses, visitors, and patients gathered around the entrance.“I honestly have no idea who could have done something like this.”Mia’s secretary turned toward her, curiosity already taking over his expression.“What if we go downstairs and check it ourselves?” he suggested. “What if we try to find o

At that moment, while Mia and Amanda were still standing before him, Marcus could barely keep the expression on his face steady.Outwardly, he looked calm.He looked concerned.He looked like a man who had interrupted an important day simply because he had heard that Mia was ill and wanted to make sure she was alright. His posture was relaxed, his voice was warm, and his eyes carried the kind of soft concern that could easily convince anyone watching that he had come there for no reason other than kindness.But deep inside his mind, Marcus was thinking something entirely different.He was looking at Mia.He was looking at Amanda.He was looking at the hospital staff, the curious patients, and the people gathered outside with their phones raised, recording every little thing he did.And beneath the charming smile on his face, Marcus felt nothing but contempt.He would never have involved himself with a family like theirs under normal circumstances.No matter how respectable they were, n