Ethan followed Dr. Elias Grant out of the dirty basement clinic, still fumbling with the buttons on his shirt. His boots left muddy prints across the clean hallway floor. The air down here smelled like antiseptic and old metal, mixed with something sour he didn’t want to name. His heart was still hammering from the chaos in that little room. “This has to be a scam,” he muttered under his breath, voice low and rough. “I came here to sell a kidney. You people are playing some kind of sick joke on a desperate man. That’s it, right? Some rich guy’s idea of entertainment?” Dr. Grant didn’t stop walking or try to argue. He simply placed a steady hand on Ethan’s back and guided him toward a private service elevator that looked completely out of place in this rundown part of the building. The doors were polished stainless steel. The inside had soft lighting and a faint scent of something expensive, like leather and clean wood. The car rose smoothly, almost silently. “You will understand ev

Ethan spent the rest of the morning in the quiet Chairman’s Suite, sitting beside his father’s bed. The old man was resting more peacefully than he had in weeks. The new treatment protocol had already started showing small improvements... better color in his face, steadier breathing, and a little strength returning to his grip when Ethan held his hand. Private nurses moved in and out silently, checking vitals and adjusting IV drips with careful, professional hands. For the first time in months, Ethan didn’t feel like the world was collapsing around him. Instead, he felt something heavier... the weight of everything that had suddenly landed on his shoulders. He watched his father’s chest rise and fall, remembering all the nights he had sat in cramped hospital chairs, praying for one more day. Three jobs. Endless bills. Sophia’s cold stares every time he came home exhausted and empty-handed. Now here he was, in a suite bigger than their old apartment, with doctors on standby who actual

Ethan stood frozen for a second, processing Dr. Grant’s words. A grandmother? He had vague memories of old family stories from his father... distant relatives, heated arguments behind closed doors, and people who seemed to disappear after his grandfather’s death. But no one had ever mentioned a living grandmother who knew the inner workings of the empire. The idea felt both impossible and strangely inevitable after everything else that had happened in the last two days.“Bring her up,” Ethan said finally, his voice steadier than he felt. “But keep security close. I don’t want any surprises tonight. Not after the power incident earlier.”Dr. Grant nodded and gave the order into his phone. A few minutes later, the door to the suite opened again. An elderly woman walked in slowly, supported by a polished wooden cane but carrying herself with quiet dignity. She had silver hair pulled back neatly into a bun, sharp intelligent eyes, and a simple but elegant coat that spoke of old money. The