Lucas rushed forward, trying to tear the tubes away from Old Master Quinn, but before he could take more than two steps, two heavily built foreign guards stepped in front of him like iron walls, stopping him completely.
A sharp "beep—beep—beep—" suddenly pierced the air as the monitor erupted into a rapid alarm. The lead doctor's expression darkened instantly while he stared at the wildly fluctuating data, then he snapped his head toward Lucas and shouted in broken English, "What have you done?! Are you trying to kill him?!"
The room fell into chaos.
Chairman Quinn stepped forward, his voice trembling. "Doctor… what does this mean? My father looks better, doesn't he? His face… it's red… he looks alive again…"
"Alive?!" the doctor snapped, barely restraining his anger. He pointed sharply at the monitor. "This is not recovery—it's artificial stimulation! His heart was already failing, and those needles forced his body to burn the last bit of energy he had. At most, this will last ten minutes. After that, his heart will collapse completely. No one will be able to save him!"
Silence swallowed the room.
A live scan appeared on the screen, showing Old Master Quinn's heart beating at an abnormally violent speed, the surrounding blood vessels swollen and darkened to a deep purple. Even without medical knowledge, the danger was obvious.
Lucas staggered back, his face pale. "No… that's impossible… this is the Trembling Dragon Needle… it regulates internal energy… it can't harm anyone…"
"That so-called 'energy' is exactly what's killing him."
Victor's cold voice cut through everything.
He walked forward slowly, stopping right in front of Lucas, his gaze looking down like a judge delivering a sentence. "In this day and age, anyone who practices medicine without evidence, without trials, without data—and relies only on some torn piece of paper…" His eyes sharpened. "He's not a doctor. He's a fraud. And if that fraud kills someone… he's a murderer."
Each word landed like a hammer.
The Quinn family's expressions shifted from anger to horror—and then to fury.
"Lucas!! You bastard!!" Chairman Quinn lost control and rushed forward, slapping him hard.
SMACK!
Lucas froze, his hand rising slowly to his cheek, as if the slap had shattered everything he believed in. He turned toward Sophia, his voice shaking. "Sophia… you have to believe me… I was trying to save him…"
"I don't believe you!" she cried, tears streaming down her face. "The truth is right in front of us! If you knew what you were doing, why did Grandpa end up like this? Just go… I don't want to see you again…"
Her words hit harder than the slap.
Lucas stood there, completely broken.
Meanwhile, the medical team moved swiftly. "Inject beta-blockers!" one doctor ordered. "Prepare ECMO—take over circulation if needed!"
The room filled with the hum of machines and precise movements. One injection followed another, and slowly, the chaotic lines on the monitor began to stabilize. The unnatural redness faded from Old Master Quinn's face, replaced by a weak but normal pallor. His breathing steadied, and soon he slipped into a deep but stable unconscious state.
He was weak—
but alive.
Victor glanced at Lucas, who still stood frozen, and a faint cold smile appeared. "Do you see now? This is what saving a life actually looks like." His gaze dropped briefly to the silver needles in Lucas's hand. "Now take your toys and get out. If I ever see you using them again…" his voice turned icy, "…you won't have hands left to use."
Without waiting for a reply, Victor turned away, adjusting his collar as his presence once again dominated the room.
The Quinn family looked at him with a mixture of fear and respect.
Finally, Victor's gaze settled on Chairman Quinn. "I saved him. But the blacklist still stands." He paused briefly, then added, "And one more thing."
His eyes shifted to Sophia.
"It seems you're quite dissatisfied with my son."
Sophia froze. "Uncle Hale, I—"
"If you don't like it," Victor interrupted flatly, "then the engagement is canceled."
"What?!" she gasped.
Ryan Hale, who had been silent until now, suddenly panicked and rushed forward despite the pain. "Dad! No! I love Sophia! I can't live without her—"
SMACK!
Victor slapped him again without hesitation. "Shut up. Pathetic."
The hall fell silent once more.
Victor's gaze swept across the Quinn family. "Old Master Quinn isn't fully cured. What happens next is your problem. And if anyone dares to make my son a joke again…" his voice dropped dangerously low, "…there won't be a second chance."
No one dared to speak.
Sophia stood frozen, her mind blank.
Cancel the engagement…?
The very words she once used to control others had now turned absolute—and this time, they weren't hers.
Victor raised his hand slightly.
Mr. Foster stepped forward immediately, and within seconds, a group of elite lawyers entered the hall carrying briefcases. Their expressions were cold and professional.
Victor took a thick document and casually tossed it on to the table.
THUD.
Chairman Quinn's heart trembled at the sound.
"Since the engagement is canceled," Victor said calmly, "let's settle the accounts."
Chairman Quinn swallowed hard, his voice shaking. "Mr… Mr. Hale… what… what does this mean…?"