Sophia Baker was one in a million. She was Harvard-educated, born into a doctor family, and had resounding success in the medical world at a young age. She was only twenty-seven years old but had already surpassed many big-league peers. The female doctor was a leading researcher and authority in cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery. An insider had leaked the news that she had performed surgeries on various royal family members across nations.
Sophia was such a voluptuous beauty that TIME magazine featured her as the sexiest doctor of the decade. The bombshell had a million followers on I*******m. She was fashionable and filthy rich; even popular international brands signed her to promote their products.That international celebrity Sophia Baker would arrive in Springfield to treat a random elderly patient shocked the hospital administrators. Edgar Damone used to be a successful businessman, but now he was just an infirm old man whose name was relatively unknown in Springfield. Why was Sophia interested in his case?"Edgar Damone?" Dr. Hodge asked, taken aback. He looked anxious all of a sudden. "Yes, of course. He's in the ICU as we speak. Regrettable case," he said, shaking his head.Sophia raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by regrettable? Tell me the current status.""Err…" the Director hesitated. "He may not be fit to operate on." Hodge looked around with shifty eyes as if he was hiding something."Well?" Sophia urged with irritation. "Is that your professional opinion?" The Hospital Director appeared incompetent by her standards. She was half his age but had scaled great heights already while he was going to retire as Director of a hospital. If she was a giant in the medical field, he was a dung beetle.Dr. Hodge figured that keeping any information from Sophia would be foolish. Her knowledge far exceeded his, and any untruth would be immediately exposed. He took a deep breath and said, "Mr. Damone was admitted last week due to chest pain. We diagnosed that he needed a thoracic aortic dissection repair. Moreover, he was facing renal failure. It is quite impossible to operate on such an elderly person at this serious stage. I would advise against taking up this patient, Dr. Baker. It would not go well on your perfect record of successful surgeries."Sophia eyed him with annoyance. "Did I ask for your advice? Do you think I have come to this backwaters hospital for mundane discussion?"The Director turned pale. "My apologies, Dr. Baker. Please go ahead if you must. My staff and hospital are at your disposal."The elegant female doctor passed Victor and Carol but failed to notice their presence. Edgar was wheeled to the operating room within minutes, and green lights went on. Carol stayed close to Victor in anxiety. She was both confused and worried about the sudden reversal of events. Why would a celebrity doctor arrive at that exact time to treat Edgar Damone? Who summoned her? Wouldn't such a person have tremendous influence and power?"Do you know Dr. Sophia Baker?" she asked her husband.Victor answered calmly. "There's no justification for me to know who she is."Carol nodded. His words made sense since she was a huge celebrity while Victor worked in a failing company with a small turnover. There was no way her towny husband remotely knew Sophia Baker. Carol did not know that her husband meant something different when he said, 'There's no justification for me to know who she is.' Sophia was the one unfit to talk to him. Not the other way around."Then why did she arrive out of the blue to treat grandpa?" Her husband did not answer this question, nor did she push him. Edgar's life was hanging by a thread at the moment, and Victor had been behaving abnormally since last night. Moreover, she wondered how much Sophia would charge for her medical services. It would probably cost millions and bankrupt the Damone family. She bit her lip anxiously, imagining Victor as a homeless person.After ninety minutes, Sophia walked out of the operating room with her team. Her cold and aloof attitude had not wavered. She ignored Victor but talked to Carol. "I presume you are the patient's family?" Carol nodded. "The surgery was successful," the female doctor said monotonously. "The patient is stable now." Carol exhaled and cried out with relief. She looked at her husband, but his expression was cold as always.Sophia turned towards Victor but did not look into his eyes. "My fee of three million dollars has already been paid for. There are some separate costs which I will bill separately." It was as if she was addressing a wall from which she expected no answer.Carol was speechless. Did the doctor say three million dollars? Who paid for it?
Latest Chapter
276 Victor Cromwell
The conference hall at Sapphire University buzzed with energy in the evening. Every seat was taken. Students sprawled across the rows, buzzing in anticipation while media crews jostled for the best angles.Even parents found an excuse to fit in. They craned their necks to see the stage.Banners with the university’s crest fluttered overhead, along with Springfield’s new logo—a metal hawk. The Mayor had made it official earlier that month.This wasn’t just any event; it was a big deal since Victor barely ever made any private appearances.The Dean stepped up to the podium stiffly. His voice boomed through the speakers. “Ladies and gentlemen, thanks for attending. Your wait is over. Please welcome our distinguished guest and fearless leader, Lieutenant Mayor Victor Cromwell!”The crowd erupted as Victor strode onto the stage. He was impossible to miss—tall, muscular, with a tailored suit that looked old-school mafia. His sharp features and piercing eyes made him look like he’d stepped o
275 Missing in Action
Kate knelt on the kitchen floor, scrubbing at a stubborn grease stain with a worn-out sponge. The overpowering smell of disinfectant almost choked her since she didn’t even have a mask. But she kept going, her hands moving in steady, practiced strokes. The girl’s workout regime was so punishing that any physical labor didn’t even make her break a sweat.It was a month after the chaos at the abandoned factory. Kate had already returned to her daily boring life at her foster home. She sometimes wished she had never left the orphanage. At least, nobody treated her like a servant there.“Seriously, Kate, can’t you do anything right?” Clara’s voice cut through her thoughts. She stood in the doorway with her arms crossed. “That floor’s still a disgrace,” she sneered. “What do we keep you around for?”Kate ground her teeth and didn’t look up. ‘It’s clean,’ she thought bitterly. ‘You just want something to complain about.’ She swallowed the words, knowing they’d only fuel Clara’s temper. They
274 The Tribunal
Kate went on. “I get it—losing someone… It tears you apart inside. I’ve been there, in my own way. But I’m here, okay? We’ll figure this out together.”Victor didn’t respond, his growls growing louder, more feral. His body shook harder, the black veins creeping up his neck. The building groaned ominously, as if it might collapse under the weight of his pain.A sharp, piercing ring cut through. Victor’s phone was ringing. He had dropped it on the floor nearby.He snarled, swatting at it with a clumsy motion, sending it skittering across the concrete. Kate lunged forward, catching it just before it smashed against the wall. The screen glowed faintly in the dark. The contact calling him was THE TRIBUNAL.With a shaky breath, she pressed the answer button. “Hello?”A calm and elderly voice came through. “Who is this? Where’s the owner of this phone?”“I’m The Raven,” Kate said, her eyes fixated on Victor’s trembling form. “A neighborhood hero. Are you a friend of Roadkill?”“Tell me how h
273 The Breaking Point
Kate froze where she stood, her breath uneven as she stared at the figure before her. Roadkill, the hero she’d fought beside, wasn’t himself anymore.Black veins snaked across his skin, twisting his body into something unnatural. His mask hid his face, but she didn’t need to see it to know he was suffering.Not to mention, he just asked her to get out or she would die.Kate was a science genius and believed there was logic and method to everything. But the scene unfolding right now shattered her reality.She’d heard stories—urban legends. As a kid, she’d devoured books about werewolves, demons, and cursed souls, dismissing them as fairy tales. But this? This was real, and it was terrifying. She took a step back in apprehension.‘Is he cursed?’ Kate wondered, her mind spinning. ‘Or possessed?’Roadkill was indeed strong and fast. Her first encounter with him demonstrated his exceptional skill in martial arts. Yet here he was, his body contorting as if he were undergoing mutation.Kate’
272 The Gift
Kate yanked her arm free, glaring at him. “No way. I’m not some kid you can boss around. We’re doing this together, Roadkill. You can’t scare me off that easy. Whoever this Puppetmaster guy is, I’m not scared of him.”“This isn’t about scaring you,” he growled, his patience running thin. “It’s about keeping you alive. The Puppetmaster does not play games—he wins them. He almost killed me last time.”“Then we beat him this time,” Kate shot back, crossing her arms. “Last time, you didn’t have me. Anyway, what’s he even want with you?”Before Victor could answer, a sharp click echoed through the room. The puppet’s chest whirred, a tiny key turning somewhere inside. Then, a voice crackled to life—distorted and mechanical. The Puppetmaster!“Thought you could fool me with that death act, Caesar?” it taunted. “I knew you were alive. Knew you’d crawl back here, sniffing around my work. You think you’re untouchable?”“What’s your plan here? Why kill these innocents? Are you building a changel
271 The Hospital
Victor gripped the rusted handle, shoving it open with a grunt. The hinges shrieked a high-pitched wail that would scare the strongest of hearts. A gust of pungent, icy air rushed up from below.A steep staircase descended into pitch-black nothing. Kate stepped forward and flicked on her flashlight, another feature of her advanced costume.The beam trembled slightly but remained alive. She glanced at Victor, now having second thoughts. Her teenage frame was rigid, her breath puffing in the cold. Was going into the basement a good idea?“Ready?” Victor asked, his voice a low whisper.Kate nodded, her jaw tight with tension. “Yeah. Let’s get this over with.”They started down, each metallic step groaning under their weight. The air grew thicker as they went—cold, damp, and sour with a stench that hit like a slap.Everything smelled like rotting flesh mixed with the tang of old metal. Kate coughed, pressing her sleeve to her nose.“What is that smell?” she whispered in a muffled voice. “
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