Supreme Authority

Chapter 14

“Doctor, her vitals are dropping!” The nurse’s voice cracked, fear carved deep in her eyes as the monitor screamed with plunging numbers.

Dr. Cole’s composure shattered. His gaze darted from screen to syringe, breath shallow, hands tightening around the metal like a drowning man clutching driftwood.

This wasn’t supposed to happen. The dosage was correct. The medicine was perfect. But if she died—God help him—his career was over.

The Millers would skin him alive.

The patient convulsed violently, body arching. A gush of thick, amber liquid spilled from her mouth—the same color as the drug he’d injected.

Moments later, a tide of crimson followed, blood mixing with the bile, soaking the sheets in a sickening mess.

“Crash cart! Now!” Cole barked, voice trembling, sharp as glass.

Chaos erupted. Nurses tore across the room, yanking cords, dragging equipment, snapping oxygen masks into place.

The defibrillator was slapped onto a tray, hands fumbling, hearts racing.

Adrian stood frozen, his world cracking apart in front of him. Just minutes ago, his sister had been stable, breathing on her own.

Then Cole had forced that poison into her veins. Now she was drowning in her own blood.

His heart hammered so hard it shook his chest. Trust—what little he had given—was gone. Replaced by something darker. Hotter. His fists curled tight, nails biting skin.

“You listen to me,” Adrian growled, voice low and lethal, vibrating with rage.

“If my sister dies here, I swear to God, I will tear every one of you to the ground. I’ll ruin your careers, your families, your goddamn lives. One more mistake, and you’ll regret it every single second you breathe.”

The words hung heavy, cutting through the chaos. For a split second, the nurses froze, their faces pale, the weight of his fury pressing down on their chests.

Then, trembling, they forced their hands back into motion.

Cole wiped sweat from his forehead, his own hands trembling as he snapped orders.

His voice cracked under the strain, his eyes flicking between the monitor and the girl’s fading body. Panic chewed him alive.

No, no, no. Not now. Not here. His thoughts screamed, frantic. Please don’t die. Keep fighting.

Stay alive. He scrambled, trying every maneuver, every ounce of training, but the numbers on the screen kept sinking like stones in deep water.

The room pulsed with panic—alarms blaring, shouts overlapping, fear choking the air. And yet Alex stood silent, a pillar of stillness.

The monitors beeped like a countdown to doom, each drop of the numbers cutting deeper into the room’s nerves. His face unreadable, but behind his eyes—something burned.

Alex wasn’t a man who bent easily to pity. He didn’t throw his strength at just anyone’s feet.

If people spat on him, looked down on him, they’d never see his hand extended. But this… this was different.

This girl pulled something raw out of him. Something he hadn’t let himself feel in years. She looked too much like his own sister.

He couldn’t stand by. Not this time. Not when death was circling so close.

Cassandra stiffened beside him, sensing the storm but not seeing its shape. She didn’t notice when Alex stepped forward.

Through the chaos, he moved like a shadow breaking free from the dark. Silent. Inevitable.

No one even saw him coming.

Not even Adrian noticed the moment Alex moved.

Before anyone could react, he was at the bedside. His hand rose slowly, deliberate, like a gunslinger drawing at high noon.

One finger hovered, then pressed softly against the girl’s forehead.

The monitor’s shrill alarm shifted in an instant. The numbers stopped their deadly drop and began crawling back up.

The room fell into stunned silence. Her chest, which had been rattling for air, steadied into smooth, even breaths.

The panic froze in midair. Every nurse, every aide stopped cold, their eyes darting to the stranger at her side.

“How the hell did he get there so fast?” one nurse whispered, barely breathing.

Adrian’s face twisted. He barreled through the staff and seized Alex’s arm with a grip that trembled from rage and fear.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he spat, his voice sharp as a blade.

Alex didn’t flinch. His gaze held steady, calm as stone. “Saving her. The doctor can’t. But I can.”

Adrian’s jaw locked, his teeth grinding. “You think you can save her? You don’t know shit. You’ll only make it worse.” His words came out low, dangerous, like a growl before the strike.

Alex raised one brow, his voice cutting clean. “Did I? Look at her. Look at the monitor. She’s breathing again. Her vitals are climbing. If I screwed this up, she’d be dead already.”

Dr. Cole edged closer, wiping sweat from his brow, relief flickering across his face as though he’d been handed a last-minute reprieve.

“H-her vitals are stable again,” he stammered. “She’s out of immediate danger.”

Alex shook his head, calm but firm. “No. This is only a bandage. The root runs deeper. I need more time if I’m going to heal her.”

Adrian’s eyes narrowed into slits. “Time? You’ll get your time when she’s in the ground because of your bullshit. Touch her again, and I’ll kill you myself.”

Alex’s reply was steel. “Your threats don’t scare me. But keep standing in my way, and you’ll lose her.”

Adrian snapped. His fist shot out, a strike meant to break bone. Alex slipped aside like water, his gaze never leaving Adrian’s eyes.

“You son of a bitch!” Adrian roared, pulling back, rage flooding his face. “You think you can play God? If she suffers because of you, I’ll carve regret into your life every damn day!”

Cassandra stepped between them, her voice sharp, urgent. “Enough! Adrian, look at her—Alex saved her. Your anger is blinding you. This isn’t the time to fight.”

Adrian’s chest heaved, his fury barely leashed. “Save her? That was luck. Nothing more. If she gets worse—”

The words died in his throat.

The heavy door slammed open, echoing like thunder. The room went still.

Lord Miller entered, and the air changed. Age had silvered his hair and carved lines into his face, but his frame was solid, his step steady. Authority clung to him like a mantle, heavy and undeniable.

A fine coat draped his shoulders, not showy, but rich enough to remind everyone he was a man accustomed to command. Two hulking men flanked him like shadows, while Martin followed close, clutching a small leather case.

Miller’s cold eyes swept the room, sharp as knives, landing on each trembling soul before settling on his grandson.

His voice came low, quiet, but colder than a blade pressed to the throat.

“Explain this mess. Now.”

Every gaze swung to Adrian. Under that stare, even his fury shrank, leaving him smaller than he’d ever felt in his life.