your great-grandfather! How can you stand there without an ounce of shame, flaunting yourself as his mist

, and pressed its sharp tip against her own neck. Her eyes were wild, unhi

art seized

od paralyzed, the weight of

death-if Ruby were to collapse now, the fam

a crushing wave of regret wash over

ed about Damien. Could she trul

man he had always known. Yet, what other explanation could there be? Perhaps she had hear

rustration as she witnessed

could she take now?

re on the hospital bed suddenly stirred

d from beneath his tightly shut eyelids, tracing shal

er was barely audible, f

ried out, her v

restraint. Her eyes burned crimson with unshed tears as she s

lly. "He stirred to life because he heard your voice? What nonsense about wanting to see his m

ose to a sh

my back, he kept a girl young enough to be his great-granddaughter?!" She pointed violently toward the door. "Get out

ssly at their father on the bed

ents. But what if Ruby was right? What if their fath

situation. Regardless of your relationship with my father, I implore you to leave-now. If you are here f

inue causing chaos, I assure you, you will gain

ected her to

ead-Alic

, she surged forward. By the time anyone

attempted to drive the syringe into her own a

uns were drawn, muzzles snapping up,

ice remained unfazed. With one hand gripping Ruby by the

me! Are you insane?! If anything happens to me, the

Michael, whose face was a mask of rage. "Prepare a sterile operating

mother hostage?! Release her now! Otherwise, even if

l! Order them to shoot! I'd rather

ice sent the syringe flying. It cut through the air like a bullet-piercing straig

aid, her voice glacial. "Provide me with what I need.

through the W

ne who must not be provoked. And if they r

, turned to the doctor beside him, urgency etch

ed to sterilize the area, hastily preparing an operating roo

curses-and without the slightest hesitation,

r slamm

n and grasped a scalpel with a ste

owded against the observation window

uce murmured, his voice barely

both looked read

medical knowledge, how can she possibly rival a trained surgeon?

itterness as he turned to their fath

do we do now?" h

suffering from organ failure and a brain tumor... We can only pray she does no

r as Alice gripped the scalpel and, without the s