Chapter 13

Was Jeffry's search really for Eliana? And could she be the miracle doctor they had brought in for Miguel?

Leyla brushed the notion aside almost immediately.In her mind, the only explanation was that the real doctor must have arrived at the same time by coincidence.

Jeffry's eyes swept the area in vain before he grabbed Terry by the collar. "Where's the doctor?"

"I've been here the whole time. No doctor has shown up," said Terry, shaking his head without thinking.

At that, Jeffry's attention shifted sharply to Ruby, the one who had answered the earlier call.

Ruby's words tumbled out without hesitation. "No way! The person on the line was certain. They told me she came, but our butler blocked her at the entrance." The color drained from Terry's face. "Don't tell me Ms.Murray was-"

"Ms. Murray? What the hell are you talking about?Did the doctor come or not?" Jeffry yelled.

Flustered, Terry replied, "A woman did show up, but it wasn't a doctor. It was the Murray couple's lost daughter. She was just brought back from the countryside. Leyla can confirm it. I didn't turn the doctor away."

Leyla took the opening and jumped in, saying,"That's right. The visitor was Eliana, the Murray couple's lost daughter. No doctor came here."

Jeffry and Ruby exchanged glances. Both had heard whispers of the Murray family's tangled affairs.

Yet the message had been clear-the doctor had been turned away.

This so-called miracle doctor rarely left her practice,and it had taken considerable effort through the Onyx Syndicate to reach her. Was it possible that the daughter the Murrays had just reclaimed from the countryside was the very doctor they had sought?The Clarkes were no longer certain.

Ruby's voice wavered as she asked, "Honey, what do we do now?" She lingered in doubt, torn over whether bringing Eliana back was the right move.

Tension had always run high between the Clarkes and the Murrays, and the thought of humbling themselves before Eliana twisted her stomach.

If Eliana truly was the doctor, should they swallow their pride and beg for her help?

Jeffry didn't waste a second thinking about it. With a swift kick to Terry's side, he shouted, "What are you waiting for? Go after her right now!"

His entire standing in the Clarke family's power circle came from Miguel's influence. Losing Miguel would mean losing every chance of climbing higher.

That meant if Eliana really was the doctor, he had no choice but to bring her back to save Miguel. "I'll head ouut right away!" Terry said, nodding quickly.

Before he could take more than a step, Jeffry's voice cut in. "Hold on!"

"Is there something else, sir?" Terry asked,straightening immediately.

"I'll go myself," Jeffry declared, convinced that nothing about this doctor's visit could be left to chance.

With Miguel's life hanging by a thread, only this mysterious figure could pull him back.

"I'm going too!" Ruby blurted, not bothering to think it over before hurrying after her husband.

Leyla's face drained of color as she watched them leave. The idea that Eliana might truly be the miracle doctor was something she could not accept.

To Leyla, the Murray family was nothing but a family of failures-six sons, all either broken or useless.

A woman like Eliana, lost in childhood and raised in some rural nowhere, couldn't possibly have become a doctor of any real skill.

Even so, something unexplainable pushed Leyla to follow them outside.

She doubted Eliana was the doctor the Clarkes wanted, but part of her needed proof.

Across town, Tristan stepped down from the Moonlight Club's second floor.

The sight had Hector setting aside his cards at once,greeting him with a practiced smile.

Still, the speed of Tristan's return nagged at him. It had been less than ten minutes since he'd gone upstairs with Anaya.

For a man at his age, that was unusually quick. Or maybe Anaya hadn't managed to charm him?

Hector's eyes flicked toward Anaya, and she gave the faintest confirming nod.

That was all he needed to know his plan had gone exactly as intended.

An inward smirk tugged at him, paired with the thought that perhaps Tristan's performance in bed was quite bad.

But Hector understood that nothing bruised a man's pride faster than such an implication.

So he kept it to himself and asked lightly, "Mr.Pearson, shall we go to my family home,or would you like another round?"

"Let's see your grandpa first. Games can wait,"Tristan said.

"Of course. This way." Hector motioned for his man to lead Tristan toward the waiting car.

He slowed his steps, leaning close enough to murmur,"Did Mr. Pearson find you to his liking?"

Playing the part exactly as Tristan had told her,Anaya let a faint blush creep onto her cheeks. "More than that. He said he wants me around for a few more days. What's your opinion?" Hector didn't hesitate. "If he's pleased with you, then stay. Just make sure you pass along anything you notice about him."

"Understood," Anaya said smoothly, though the slight tremor in her hands was hidden behind her back.

At the entrance, their paths diverged.

Anaya was escorted to Tristan's residence, while Tristan himself joined Hector in the same car bound for the Clarkes' estate.

As the driver pulled away, Hector explained, "My parents reached out to the Onyx Syndicate. They claim to have found a doctor capable of curing my grandfather."

One browlifted, Tristan's tone edged with curiosity."The Onyx Syndicate?"

"Yes. Their base is in Eighvale, and their reputation's solid. If you want something done, they're the people to find-they claim there's nothing they can't handle," Hector said.

Tristan gave no immediate reply.

From what he knew, the Onyx Syndicate accepted a wide range of jobs, often brushing against the power and interests of the upper class.

Lately, with several of their Eighvale branches under pressure, it seemed they were setting their sights on Qidence.

Right now, Eighvale was a mess-two political heavyweights locked in a stubborn standoff.

Groups with influence always drew fire, and the Syndicate Onyx's neutral stance would only make them a target sooner or later.

Relocating before the crosshairs settled on them was the smart move.

The thought stirred Tristan's curiosity about the person running the Syndicate. Despite all his reach,he had never once crossed paths with that elusive leader. Breaking the silence, Hector asked carefully, "Do you think they can be trusted?"

"Whatever else you might say about them," Tristan said at last, "their doctor is the real deal."

The answer drew a faint breath of relief from Hector.

In Eighvale, even the most powerful tread lightly around the Onyx Syndicate.

Tristan's lack of strong opinion eased whatever concern Hector had been holding.

If there'd been bad blood between the two sides,their upcoming meeting could have turned into a mess.

Meanwhile, Eliana stood by the road waiting for a taxi.

In a neighborhood where every family had their own driver, hailing one was like chasing a mirage.

She had just reached for her phone to call the Murrays for a ride when the sound of fast- approaching footsteps cut through the quiet.

"Ms. Murray! Wait!"

Were they talking to her? Confusion tugged at her brow as she turned, spotting a group rushing toward her.

At the front were two people dressed in obvious wealth,with Terry and Leyla trailing behind.