Cassius stood outside the glass room, back and forth, his footsteps echoing repeatedly in the empty hall. He had already walked the same stretch of corridor countless times. His hands were shoved into his pockets, yet his fingers were trembling.

He glanced at the viewing window every few seconds. Kendrick. Zephany. Machines. Vitals. Numbers.

He did not understand half of what he was seeing. He only knew one thing.

They were alive... for now.

Reynold sat silently in the corner of the hall. Unlike Cassius, he was completely still, elbows on his knees and eyes fixed downward. No words. No complaints. Just quiet patience. But the tension in his clenched jaw revealed how worried he was.

Sophia and Jeric were no longer here.

Cassius’s father had ordered them to oversee the cleanup of everything that happened. To erase evidence. To suppress witnesses. To rewrite information. To ensure that what took place last night would never reach the public eye.

Something that should have been impossible.

Yet with the old man’s command and influence... the world remained quiet.

No headlines.

No breaking news.

No whispers.

It was terrifying.

Even Cassius could only silently acknowledge it.

His father was truly frightening.

Meanwhile, somewhere far from this hidden lab, Larman was in the middle of hell.

He was seated in an office he never wanted to use for this purpose, surrounded by people discussing funeral arrangements. Brent’s funeral. Words like coffin, burial, memorial service, and condolences floated around him like distant echoes. His fingers dug painfully into his palm, but he still tried to remain composed.

He had to be strong.

He had to keep moving.

Then his phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID.

His heart sank.

He answered quickly.

A few seconds later, every trace of color vanished from his face.

He stood up abruptly, chair scraping loudly against the floor. His chest tightened and panic surged through him.

"Let’s go. My son." His voice cracked.

His driver froze for a moment, then his expression changed as he immediately nodded. They rushed out, got into the car, and sped away.

They arrived at the Diamond mansion with urgency pressing every step. The bodyguards opened the doors instantly as Larman stormed inside, not even wasting a breath greeting anyone.

He rushed straight toward a secured chamber at the back of the mansion.

The small laboratory.

Machines beeped rhythmically inside. Medical equipment lined the walls. The faint antiseptic smell lingered, yet beneath it was something much heavier. Fear. Desperation.

On the hospital bed, Lian lay unconscious, a breathing mask over his nose, his small chest rising faintly. Tubes were attached to his arms, his entire body looking far too fragile.

Beside him stood the doctor Larman trusted the most. The same doctor who had explained everything before. The one who said Lian’s condition was similar to Kendrick and Zephany’s.

Larman hurried toward him.

"How is he?" His voice trembled.

The doctor hesitated.

He swallowed and glanced briefly at Lian before meeting Larman’s eyes again.

"It’s no good," he finally said, voice heavy. "His condition is getting worse. We tried... we really tried everything. But we couldn’t save him."

Silence crashed heavily into the room.

For a moment, Larman did not react. He stood frozen, staring blankly at his son. His hands shook. His heart throbbed painfully inside his chest.

Brent’s face flashed in his mind.

His brother.

Now his son?

No.

He could not accept it.

He clenched his fists.

He would not lose Lian too.

He abruptly came back to his senses, turning sharply toward the doctor.

"Tell me," his voice wavered, "what do you need to save my son? More blood? You need more of their blood, right?" His thoughts scrambled as he remembered last night. "Farah extracted a lot of blood from them. I will talk to Cassius. I will give you anything. Just save my son!"

The doctor bit his lower lip, guilt visible across his expression.

"It’s no use."

Larman stiffened.

The doctor continued, voice low.

"We already injected Lian with the mixed blood from Kendrick and Zephany that Mr. Varen provided last time, but..." he exhaled heavily. "The pathogen is now completely dominant. The treatment is no longer effective. His system is rejecting it."

Larman’s breathing turned shallow.

"How long...?" he asked quietly, afraid of the answer.

The doctor looked at Lian sorrowfully.

"He only has a day left before his organs collapse."

The world spun for Larman.

Only a day?

His throat closed. His vision blurred. His chest burned painfully.

He shook his head desperately.

"No. Maybe... maybe it wasn’t enough. Maybe if we use more—" He did not even finish his sentence before pulling out his phone. "I’ll call Cassius. We will ask for more blood."

He did not wait for any response.

He hit the call button.

Back in the hidden laboratory, Cassius was still pacing when he suddenly stopped.

His phone rang.

He took it out.

Larman.

A bad feeling instantly formed in his gut.

He answered.

Before he could speak, Larman’s voice erupted through the receiver. Broken. Pleading. Desperate.

"Cassius, help me... Please help me save my son."

Cassius froze.

His breathing slowed.

His gaze instinctively drifted toward the glass where Kendrick and Zephany were resting. He remembered their condition. Their limited time. The fact that Lian’s life depended on them.

And now Larman sounded like his world was collapsing.

"What do you mean?" Cassius asked, his voice trembling despite trying to stay calm.

"Blood!" Larman almost shouted. "I need more blood from those two. Please. My son needs it now!"

Cassius’ heart pounded.

Something was very wrong.

On the other end, the doctor looked at Larman. Seeing him like this was painful. Larman was always calm, always collected, always composed no matter what storm struck. But right now, he looked lost. Weak. Completely shattered.

The doctor inhaled deeply and spoke softly.

"Can I talk to him?" he asked gently, gesturing toward the phone.

Larman stopped.

He hesitated only for a moment before silently handing the phone over. His hands were shaking.

Cassius, who had fallen silent on his side, blinked when a different voice came through.

_______________

Author’s Notes:

Special announcement!

For those who prefer listening instead of reading, our sweet reader Leezertje created an audiobook for this story. Just search @LeezsReadingCorner on YouTube and you can listen to the free Chapters of this story.

Don’t forget to check it out!

Thank you, my lovely readers!