Returns Of God Of Medicine

Chapter 4

Noctis Villa.)

The car’s engine died, leaving an eerie silence that made the villa loom even larger. I stepped out, adjusted my suit, and let my gaze sweep over Villa Noctis.

Perched on the northern edge of town, the villa’s walls were tall, jagged, and crowned with iron spikes. Its reputation wasn’t the sort that thrived in rumors alone; it had teeth. Politicians, power brokers, even law enforcement treated it like sacred ground, careful to tiptoe where others might dare stomp. Law here wasn’t law—it was whatever the owner decreed.

Legends clung to the villa like smoke. Some whispered it was the seat of a mafia lord, a devil clothed in Armani. Others swore men had vanished after crossing its gates, only to resurface days or weeks later—dumped in forests, rivers, or abandoned alleys, their fate a warning etched in fear.

I scanned the perimeter. The guards didn’t move, but I felt them. Their presence was sharp, lethal. Tailored suits hid weapons like a magician’s sleeve hides tricks: knives, handguns, the kind of precision that could end a life before a heartbeat passed. Civility worn as a mask, with danger stitched into every seam. I stiffened slightly, feeling the weight of their scrutiny.

I took a step toward the gates, measuring my confidence against the odds, when the roar of an engine shattered the quiet. A black Lamborghini Aventador sliced through the air, stopping beside me. Its door opened, and a man stepped out.

Cream-colored suit. Expensive. Impeccable.

His eyes scanned me with the kind of casual condescension that can unnerve the strongest. “Who do we have here?” His voice was smooth, but the edge beneath it promised trouble.

I raised a brow, scanning his familiar face, trying to place him. “Do I know you?” I asked, my voice calm, but my gut tightened. There was something sharp in the way he looked at me.

He chuckled, a low, mocking sound that made my skin prickle. “Of course I know you, Soren George. Everyone in this town knows about you—or at least, your family.”

The arrogance in his tone crawled under my skin. He extended a hand, the gesture overly formal, exaggerated, like introducing himself was some kind of favor I should feel honored to receive.

“Matino Thornton Ashborne,” he said, his words dripping with pride. “President and CEO of Ashbourne Security Services. And I must admit, I’m rather surprised to see one of my employees wandering outside Villa Noctis.”

It clicked. Matino Thornton Ashborne—my brother’s wife’s brother. The president of the very company I’d just started working for. And yet, we’d never met.

I offered a polite nod, keeping my expression neutral. But then, his face shifted. The smile vanished. His eyes narrowed, storm clouds gathering behind them.

“What the hell are you doing here, Soren?” Reginald’s voice was low, dangerous, like a coiled whip. “Don’t you know men like you don’t just stroll into Villa Noctis? They end up six feet under.”

My stomach twisted, but I pushed the shock down, forcing my calm to mask the surge of adrenaline. I met his gaze evenly. “I’d appreciate it if you’d leave me alone,” I said, steady, though my muscles tensed, ready for a move if he dared.

His sneer deepened, curling like venom. “Leave you alone? Oh no, Soren.

Disrespect runs in your blood, doesn’t it? Your brother, Jasper… arrogant, entitled, thinking the world owes him something.

You’re no different. Parasites, leeching off others because you can’t stand on your own. I hate your family. Hell, if not for my sister, I’d hate everything you stand for.”

The words landed harder than I expected, slipping past my guard and striking somewhere deep. I was still searching for a response when the villa doors swung open, cutting the tension clean in half.

A man stepped out.

He didn’t rush. Didn’t hesitate. Tall, broad-shouldered, with a face carved sharp enough to belong on a statue of war.

His eyes were cold, assessing, the kind that stripped a man down to his bones in a single glance. Power clung to him—not loud, not flashy. The quiet kind that didn’t need permission.

He stopped in front of Maltino and gave a brief nod.

“What’s going on here?” he asked.

Maltino straightened immediately and stepped forward, his confidence snapping back into place like a well-worn mask. “I’m here to see Master Luca,” he said smoothly.

Master Luca?

The name sent a flicker of surprise through me. I turned toward Maltino before I could stop myself. “You know Master Luca?” I asked.

He smiled, pleased with himself. “Of course. I only associate with the respectable and the powerful, Soren. And Master Luca is very much both.”

The man from the villa shifted his attention back to Maltino. “And what business do you have with him?” he asked.

Maltino clasped his hands together. “The redevelopment of the Blackthorn Ward,” he said. “We’ve discussed it before. I believe there’s room for a mutually beneficial agreement.”

Then the man’s gaze slid to me.

“And you,” he said quietly. “Who might you be?”

The air felt heavier as his eyes locked onto mine. I felt it in my chest, the subtle tightening of instinct, the wolf stirring just beneath my skin.

“I’m looking for the Black Raptor,” I said.

The shift was instant.

Steel sang as weapons were drawn. Guns rose in perfect unison, barrels snapping into place, all of them aimed squarely at my chest. Maltino let out a strangled sound and scrambled behind me, clutching my coat like it could save him.

“Ah—no, no, no!” he stammered, shaking. “This is a mistake! Soren, what have you done?”

I didn’t move.

The man stepped closer, his own gun steady, eyes burning into mine. “Who did you say you were looking for?” he asked again, slower this time.

I held his gaze, unblinking. “I’m looking for the Black Raptor,” I repeated.

“Protocol code: NX-7719-R.”

Something changed.

His eyes flicked briefly to Maltino—now visibly trembling behind me—then back to my face. “And who are you?” he demanded.

I straightened, every inch of my posture snapping into place, muscle memory taking over.

“Captain Soren Black,” I said. “Aegis-9 Unit.”

He didn’t lower the gun. “Tag?”

“Obsidian-Wolf-03,” I answered instantly.

I slipped my hand into my jacket slowly, deliberately, giving them no excuse to twitch. The envelope brushed my fingers. I drew it out and held it forward.

“Give this to the Black Raptor,” I said evenly. “He’ll understand.”

The man hesitated before stepping closer. When his fingers finally closed around the envelope, I leaned in just enough for him to hear me.

“I hate it when people point guns at me,” I said softly. “It’s… unwise.”

I took a measured step forward, close enough now that the tension between us felt alive, buzzing under my skin. My eyes locked onto his.

“Lower your gun,” I said. “It’s disrespectful.”

For a heartbeat, the world froze.

The guards didn’t move. Barrels stayed trained on me, fingers hovering, breaths held. The man searched my face, something unreadable flickering behind his eyes. Then—slowly—he lowered his weapon. He tilted his head once, and the others followed, though none of them fully relaxed. Their grips stayed tight.

“Stay here,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”

He turned and disappeared into the villa, the envelope clenched like it carried a live wire.

The moment he was gone, Maltino hurried closer, his confidence leaking away in sharp breaths. “I don’t know what you’re trying to accomplish, Soren,” he said, glancing nervously at the doors. “But you should leave. Now. Before he comes back. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

I turned to him slowly. “I hate chatterboxes who don’t know when to stop,” I said. “It would be wise for you to stay out of my way.”

His face twisted, anger pushing past fear.

“What am I supposed to do?” he snapped. His voice rose, brittle and sharp. “Your family is nothing but a pack of poor rats, feeding on scraps from people who actually matter. You’re all leeches, Soren.”

He stepped closer, emboldened by his own poison. “And your brother, Jasper? He was the worst of you. Worthless. He couldn’t even afford a house in this town. A disgrace.”

Something in my chest tightened, hard and sudden. My jaw locked.

“Careful,” I warned him.

He didn’t listen.

“You think you’re any different?” he sneered. “You’re just as—”

My hand moved before the thought finished forming.

The slap cracked through the air. Maltino staggered back, clutching his face as blood spilled from his nose. His eyes were wide, stunned.

I stepped into his space, my shadow swallowing him whole. “I warned you,” I said slowly.

He tried to speak.

I didn’t give him the chance.

My hand struck again—harder this time. His body folded as he hit the ground with a dull thud, limbs slack, head rolling to the side.

For a breath, the world went quiet.

Maltino’s driver, who’d been frozen stiff moments ago, finally moved. He rushed forward, dropping to his knees, hands shaking as he checked for signs of life.

“He’s fine,” I said calmly. “Get him out of here.”

Relief flashed across the man’s face. He hauled Maltino up, an arm hooked under his shoulder. Maltino sagged like dead weight, head rolling as he was half-dragged, half-carried toward the waiting car. Gravel crunched. A door slammed. The engine roared to life and peeled away.

Then the villa doors opened again.

This time, the air shifted.

A man stepped out—huge, broad enough to make the guards look like decoration. His suit strained over thick muscle, tailored but unforgiving. His face was carved from stone, eyes empty of warmth, the kind of cold that didn’t flare or threaten. It simply decided.

He walked toward me, each step heavy, deliberate. When he stopped, he stood so close he blotted out the light.

“Are you the one asking for my boss?” he growled.

I didn’t move. Didn’t blink.

“Yes.”

He studied me in silence, searching for something—fear, maybe. Whatever he expected, he didn’t find it. At last, he gave a short nod.

“Strip him,” he ordered.

The guards moved in fast. Rough hands patted me down, efficient and impersonal.

My jacket was pulled away. My phone vanished. My watch followed. Everything familiar was taken, piece by piece.

Before I could speak, a strip of cloth slid over my eyes. Darkness closed in.

Hands clamped around my arms and pushed me forward. I kept my balance, jaw tight, breathing steady.

Behind me, the giant’s voice rumbled again.

“Take him inside.”

Then, colder still, aimed elsewhere—

“And tell Maltino not to come back without a damn good reason.”