The Phantom General:Return of the Ex-Convict

The Prison Favor

The VIP room was silent except for the steady beep of the heart monitor.

Zoe lay on the white hospital bed. Her tiny wrist was wrapped in a fresh cast. An IV fed nutrients into her frail arm. She was finally sleeping, her breathing deep and calm.

But the mood in the room was heavy.

Sarah sat by the bed, clutching her daughter's small fingers. Tears ran down her face as the surgeon's words echoed in her head.

Her bone marrow is shutting down. She has less than a month.

Luke stood by the window, his broad back blocking the city lights.

"Dr. Thorne," Luke said, his voice low and dangerous. "There's always a cure. Name it."

The old surgeon swallowed hard, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Sir... the only thing that can fix this is a classified military medicine. The Blood Lotus Serum. But it's held by the Capital City Aristocrats. It's guarded heavier than the Empire's gold. Money can't buy it."

Luke's jaw tightened. He waved his hand, dismissing Dr. Thorne. The surgeon bowed quickly and left, pulling the doors shut behind him.

Luke turned to the window. Outside, he gave a small hand signal to the Frost guards in the hallway. They silently walked away from their posts.

They were finally alone.

"Luke..."

Sarah's voice broke the silence.

She stood up and looked at him, her eyes red from crying but sharp with desperate hope.

"How?" Sarah pleaded, grabbing his muddy sleeve. "The helicopters... the bodyguards. Helena Frost is a billionaire. She owns half this city. Why did she kneel to you? Luke, if you have that kind of power... please! Tell her to get the serum! Save our baby!"

Luke looked at his wife's desperate face. It broke his heart to lie, but the truth would put a target on her back. He had to stay a nobody.

"I got lucky," Luke lied, forcing a bitter smile.

"Lucky?" Sarah frowned.

"Three years ago, in prison," Luke said, keeping his voice steady. "A riot broke out. I dragged an old man out of the gunfire and took a knife to the shoulder for him. Turned out that old man was Helena Frost's grandfather. The former boss of the Frost Group."

Sarah gasped, her eyes going wide.

"When I got out, the Frost family said I had one favor," Luke continued, pulling out his shattered phone. "Just one. I didn't want to use it. But when that doctor told our daughter to die in an alley... I used it. To get Helena here. To get the surgeon."

Sarah stared at him. Slowly, the truth sank in. It made perfect sense. Luke wasn't a billionaire. He was just a desperate father who cashed in a life-saving debt to fix Zoe's wrist tonight.

"So... they owe you nothing now?" Sarah asked softly, tears falling faster. "We can't ask them for the serum?"

"Nothing," Luke nodded gently. "We're back to zero. I'm just an ex-convict with a ruined coat."

Sarah let out a broken sob. The billionaire lifeline was gone. But then she looked at the cast on Zoe's wrist. She looked at the expensive VIP room.

She stepped forward and threw her arms around Luke's neck, burying her face in his chest.

"You saved her from the pain tonight," Sarah sobbed into his coat. "You gave up a billionaire's favor — a favor that could have given you a new life — just for us. Thank you, Luke."

Luke wrapped his arms around his shaking wife, resting his chin on her head. "I'll find the serum, Sarah. I promise."

BANG!

The heavy doors of the VIP room were kicked open, slamming against the wall.

Sarah screamed, jumping back from Luke. Zoe whimpered in her sleep, the heart monitor spiking.

Two people stormed in.

The first was an old man in a silk suit, leaning on a dragon-headed cane. His face was twisted with rage. Beside him was a young man in a designer jacket, glaring at Sarah with venom in his eyes.

It was Sarah's grandfather, Patriarch Quinn. And her arrogant cousin, Marcus.

"Grandfather?" Sarah gasped, stepping in front of Zoe's bed. "What are you doing here?!"

"You ungrateful wretch!" Patriarch Quinn roared, slamming his cane on the floor. His face was purple with anger. "Victor Vance's kneecaps were shattered by the military! The Vance Patriarch doesn't want an apology. He wants blood! He demanded we hand you over to be Victor's personal slave. He gave us until midnight to drag you and this convict to the Vance Estate. If we don't deliver you, he'll slaughter our whole family and bankrupt our businesses!"

Sarah shook her head, terrified. "No! Victor lied to us! He canceled the medical card the second I said 'I do'! He was going to throw Zoe to the dogs! I won't go to be tortured!"

"You don't have a choice!" Marcus snarled. He marched up to Sarah, raising his hand high. "You're just a tool to pay off our debt! You will crawl to the Vance Patriarch, you stupid—"

Marcus swung his hand down, aiming a brutal slap at Sarah's bruised cheek.

Sarah squeezed her eyes shut.

But the slap never landed.

CRUNCH.

Marcus let out a blood-curdling scream.

Sarah opened her eyes.

Luke stood beside her. He hadn't just caught Marcus's wrist mid-air. He was crushing it. The sickening sound of bones splintering under his grip filled the silent room.

"You dare raise a hand to my wife?" Luke whispered. He didn't yell. His voice was freezing cold. "Looks like the Quinn family has lived too long."