The Doctor's Reckoning

Chapter 11: The Standoff

And just as he was about to crush Andrew’s throat for good.


A voice rang out from the doorway, slicing through the chaos like a blade.

“Joaquin! Stop!”

Joaquin froze, his eyes darting toward the voice. 

Serena stood in the doorway, her face a mask of stern authority.

“Let him go! Now!” she ordered, her tone unwavering.

Andrew, seizing the opportunity, gasped for air, his voice barely audible as he wheezed, “Help... Help! Someone—”

Mikyla, standing by, quickly stepped forward. 

“Joaquin, are you completely out of your mind? Let him go! You’re going to ruin everything!”

Serena’s gaze shifted from Joaquin to Andrew, then back. 

“Joaquin, this isn’t you. Stop this madness!”

But Joaquin wasn’t done. 

His eyes narrowed, and his grip on Andrew’s wrist tightened, unyielding. 

“He assulted my sister! Andrew and Mikyla, they—” Joaquin paused, his chest rising and falling. “They’ve been plotting to frame me!”

Serena took a step closer. 

“I know. You think I don’t know what’s been going on?” 

Her voice softened slightly, but there was still an edge to it. 

“But this—this won’t help. You can’t throw everything away. Your medical career, your future...” She glanced over at Andrew, still gasping for air. 

“It’s not worth it.”

Joaquin stood his ground, his eyes blazing. 

“I don’t care about that anymore! I’d rather leave the hospital than let them get away with this! Especially him!”

Jasmine, who had been silent until now, stepped forward. 

She looked at Joaquin, her expression a mix of concern and frustration. 

“Joaquin, please! Don’t let this guy ruin your life! We’ve been through too much already. Don’t throw it all away over him. I’m okay!”

He turned to look at her, the fire in his eyes dimming for just a moment. 

“But he hurt you! He tried to–” he murmured, his voice low, pained.

“I know,” she whispered back, her eyes pleading. “But getting revenge on him won’t bring us peace. Let it go. You’ll regret it.”

Joaquin’s grip finally loosened, but only slightly. 

He glanced at Serena, then Jasmine, weighing his options. He clenched his jaw and slowly stepped back. 

“For now, I’ll let him go. But if he touches my sister again, I swear—he won’t get away with it.”

Andrew, still on the ground, gasped as he clutched his injured wrist, glaring at Joaquin with burning hatred. 

He sneered. “You’ll regret this, Joaquin.! You think you’re untouchable?! There are consequences for your actions!”

Mikyla, who had been silent up until then, stepped forward, her face contorted with anger. 

“This is not over! You think you can just walk away from this?! You’re a fool, Joaquin!”

Joaquin and Jasmine were about to leave when Mikyla moved to block their exit. 

“You’re not going anywhere,” she said coldly. “I’ve already called Mr. Alvarez. He’ll hold you responsible for what you’ve done to Andrew!”

Joaquin’s eyes burned with fury again. 

“It’s self-defense, Mikyla! He threw a brick at me!” he said in defense. 

Serena, sensing the rising tension, took a step forward, her voice calm but firm. “It’s true. I saw everything.” 

“It doesn’t matter! You injured Andrew more! Do you think his father will just let this go?” 

Mikyla smirked when she saw the hesitation to Serana’s face. 

Serena took a deep breath. 

“I’ll take responsibility for what happened here,” she said, her gaze steady. “Let Joaquin leave with his sister. It’s over.”

Mikyla scoffed. “You can’t protect him forever, Serena. You know that Mr. Alvarez will make sure he pays for this!”

Serena’s expression didn’t waver. 

“You don’t want to make this a bigger issue than it already is. I’m advising you to let them go.”

Jasmine, who had been silent at Joaquin’s side, looked at Serena and smiled. 

“Don’t worry, Miss. Joaquin will be okay.”

Mikyla laughed. “Really? Don’t be a fool, Jasmine! Your brother is nothing!” 

Jasmine’s expression became serious. 

“I wouldn’t be sure about that.”

Then, the door slammed open, and a figure stormed into the room. 

It was Antonio Alvarez, Andrew’s father, accompanied by two large security guards. 

The man’s face was red with fury.

“What the hell happened here?” Antonio demanded, his voice booming through the room. 

He took one look at his son, still sitting on the floor, clutching his hand in pain, and his eyes flashed with rage. 

“Andrew, are you okay? What did he do to you?”

Andrew, still gasping for breath, pointed a trembling finger at Joaquin. 

“He attacked me! He’s insane!”

Antonio turned to the security guards. 

“Take action, now! Get this man out of here!”

Mikyla quickly pointed to Joaquin. 

“It was him, Mr. Alvarez! He did this! He’s the one who attacked Andrew!”

Antonio’s gaze shifted to Joaquin, his anger flaring. 

“You think you can just attack my son and get away with it? You’ll pay for this! You’ll regret laying a finger on him!”

As the security guards moved in closer, preparing to take Joaquin into custody, Serena stepped forward. 

She raised her hand to halt them, her voice clear. 

"Stop! You cannot just act without following the proper procedures! This is a hospital, not a battlefield!"

Antonio sneered. 

"Procedures? This man assaulted my son! I don’t need to follow any rules when my family is involved."

Serena’s eyes flashed with determination as she stepped in front of Joaquin.

 "You’re abusing your power, Mr. Alvarez! If you take one more step, you’ll be in direct violation of hospital regulations!"

Antonio’s expression didn’t waver, his anger still burning. 

"I don’t care about regulations when it comes to my son! This ends now!" 

He gestured sharply to the guards, signaling them to move forward.

Joaquin knew he had no choice but to stand his ground. His earlier restraint had already been a concession. 

But Serena, despite her calm demeanor, wasn’t backing down.

Before anyone could act, a sleek Maybach pulled into the parking lot, the engine roaring as it skidded to a halt. 

The sound echoed in the tense atmosphere. The door opened, and a man stepped out—Rick Smith, wearing a crisp suit that screamed authority.

Antonio’s expression shifted immediately. He straightened up and gave a slight bow. 

"Mr. Smith!" he greeted, his tone full of respect. 

Rick walked toward Joaquin, ignoring everyone else in the room. 

"Joaquin," he said, his voice firm and commanding. "I’ve come to take you to the Dragon King’s residence. He wants to meet with you."

‘Dragon King?’ Joaquin question himself. 

He doen’t have an idea who was the Dragon King. 

Antonio’s eyes widened in disbelief. 

"The Dragon King?" he muttered, glancing between Joaquin and Rick.

"You... you must be mistaken. There’s no way this young man knows him."