Chapter 8

Rylie shot the officer a glare and said, "You waste precious time while Mr. Morgan's life hangs by a thread! Will you answer forit if he dies?"

Reluctance was written all over their faces as the two officers guided her into the patrol car and set off toward the Morgan estate.

Standing at the end of a long drive, the Morgan residence towered with a stately presence. Pillars lined the broad porch, their details catching the afternoon light.

Inside, Rylie trailed behind the officers through the hushed hallway. They led her straight to an elevator,and together, they descended below the main floor.

Light poured from a dazzling crystal chandelier when the elevator doors slid open. A crowd of the most skilled doctors in the world filled the room, each one gathered anxiously at Brad's doorway.

Brad's illness had struck so hard that even the experts were left bewildered, their only hope now the arrival of the Nexo-7 compound.

The second Sean spotted the familiar uniforms, he hurried to meet them and asked, "Is the compound with you?"

Stepping aside to let her through, one officer pointed Rylie out and said, "She brought it. The compound is with her."

Stepping forward in haste, Evita Wilde, the head of the Wilde family-a leading medical family,reached for the medicine in Rylie's grasp. "Hand over the Nexo-7.I'll take charge of Mr. Morgan's care."

Avoiding her reach with ease, Rylie took a measured step back and answered, "Nexo-7 in its pure form is dangerously unstable. No one else here can administer it safely." Startled faces turned her way. A smirk tugged at Evita's lips as she said, "You expect us to believe a courier knows more about Nexo-7 than I do? Let me tell you-I'm Crolens' top doctor. Don't make a fool of yourself in front of me. Give it to me."

Evita possessed unmatched expertise in handling the compound, or so she believed. She had sourced it herself from Aetheris Pharmacy, but every trial had yielded only a diluted version. That lesser medicine offered Brad little relief, but with the pure vial now in sight, Evita saw a chance for personal glory.

With a nod, Evita directed her apprentice, Yosef Bates, to seize the vial. Yosef lunged for it, but Rylie caught his wrist and, in one motion, delivered a sharp kick to his knee.

Pain shot through him, and Yosef crumpled to the floor, his cry echoing through the tense crowd. Rage flashed across Evita's features as she retorted, "Who do you think you are, assaulting my apprentice like that?" Ignoring Evita altogether, Rylie shifted her focus to Sean,who wore the crisp lines of a military uniform,and said, "If the Wilde family insists on taking the medicine, so be it, but I want it clear that whatever happens to Brad will not fall on Aetheris Pharmacy.I must remind you - this vial contains pure Nexo-7,not some diluted substitute. Handle it without my expertise, and you may as well sign Brad's death certificate."

Before anyone could respond, an officer moved.up beside Sean and quietly relayed what he had learned about Rylie's treatment by the pharmacist at Aetheris Pharmacy.

Whispers rippled through the onlookers - everyone had heard the stories about the true owner of Aetheris Pharmacy, a shadowy master chemist called "Healing Hand" on the dark web, yet the woman standing before them seemed far too youthful for such a reputation.

Sean could not bring himself to accept the idea that Rylie might be Healing Hand herself. Still, there was a

commanding certainty about her, and if she had learned from Healing Hand, it would fit. After taking a moment to consider, he addressed the room, saying,"Is anyone present willing to absolutely guarantee my grandson's survival after this drug is given? Step up if you are."

Without delay, Evita strode forward,joined by several ambitious doctors from the crowd.

Sean met their show of confidence with a warning,his voice like steel as he said, "If you make a mistake,and my grandson suffers for it, you will not leave this estate alive."

His threat left every doctor visibly rattled. The severity of Brad's illness was no secret, and even the smallest error could end his life. No one in their rigght mind wanted that kind of responsibility.

Evita, usually brimming with confidence, found herself faltering. Memories af the Morgan family's unforgiving ways pricked at her nerves. She tried to hide her unease and replied, "Mr. Morgan, it's not that we lack the skill, but your words cast doubt on the Wilde family's reputation. With a case this complicated, no one can guarantee a recovery.Retract your threat, or there's nothing more I can do -Brad will not make it to morning."

Taking a step closer, Rylie looked Sean in the eye and declared, "Let me handle it. I'm willing to stake my life on this."

Sean studied her in silence, measuring her resolve,and finally said, "Very well. You have my respect."

Getting ready to treat Brad, Rylie approached his room. Evita, unwilling to let go of her skepticism,feigned concern and responded, "You've been warned, Mr. Morgan. She's hardly older than a student. Entrusting your grandson to her is as good as giving up hope."

A sharp glance from Sean cut Evita off, his words cold and unyielding. "You, at your age, lack the resolve of thisyoung woman. Either hold your tongue or leave at once."

That silenced Evita. Her shoulders stiffened, and she bit back any retort, swallowing her pride in the heavy silence.

Rylie then crossed the threshold and stepped into Brad's bedroom.①

Darkness filed every corner of the chamber, the walls pressing in from all sides. As the door shut behind her, silence swallowed the outside world and the sound of labored breathing filled the air.②

Moving cautiously, Rylie advanced a few steps and her foot nudged something across the floor-a syringe. Glancing down, she recognized it as a sedative among a sea of empty painkiller bottles strewn across the floor.①

Making her way through the clutter, she carefully avoided the glass and plastic as she headed for the bed. Meanwhile, Sean monitored the room's interior from a distant screen, marveling at how easily she moved in the pitch black. He remarked, "It's as if this girl can see in the dark."

Drawing near the four-poster bed, Rylie could see thick iron chains stretching from each corner,anchoring the limbs of a powerfully built man curled tight in agony.

Iron chains shackled Brad's hands and feet, his upper body half bare, his hair partially covering his eyes. Pain twisted his body, leaving him drenched in sweat.

Perching on the mattress, Rylie let her hand hover before gently touching Brad's arm. Instantly, he recoiled, jerking violently against the restraints like an animal fighting capture.

Steel links rattled loudly as Brad strained against them, the metal biting into his raw skin. His ragged breaths came fast, his eyes flickered with both fear and warning-ready to lash out.

With a voice scraped raw, Brad shouted, "Stay away from me!"

Rylie didn't back down, instead gently placing her hand on his arm, feeling the heat radiating from his skin. Her manner stayed composed and unwavering as she assured him, saying, "Brad, I haven't come to harm you. I'm here to help."

Despair clouded his face. "No one can help.If you stay, I'll lose control. You'll be hurt."

Stillness and pain kept Brad's body tense, his eyes swimming with misery.

Choosing not to force him, Rylie simply inched closer, her voice steady as she analyzed his suffering. "You're facing a rare disorder. It brings sensitivity to light, muscle spasms, and wild movements. Early on, the pain is·sharp and numbness sets in. As it advances, the nerves stiffen,losing all flexibility. Eventually, there's total paralysis and every sense fades away. Nexo-7 can slow the damage, but nothing can erase it entirely."

Iron links jangled as Brad pulled himself upright. The heat of his breath lingered near Rylie while he fixed her with a scathing glare and said, "You've figured all this out and you still want to throw your life away?" Unfazed, Rylie answered, "Maybe everyone else believes there's no cure, but I've never met an illness that could defeat me."

Tilting her chin, she locked eyes with him, her gaze unwavering even in the pitch-black room.

Brad's body had endured so much torment, yet the lines of his face remained unspoiled - his brow strong, every feature almost impossibly well-formed.

"You'll see morning because I say so," Rylie said with conviction. "Mr. Morgan, would you risk everything on my word? If I fail to pull you through, I'll put my own life on the line."