Chapter 154

Chapter 154

Jack stepped out of the casino.

Warm sunlight pierced through the clouds, spilling over the city's steel forest, yet it couldn't penetrate the thick shadows in his eyes.

He stood on the steps, drawing in a deep breath of the cool morning air.

In Jack's hand was the transfer agreement Karina had given him, with a piece of paper attached to the back.

On it was written a single sentence: "Go home and take a look."

He'd assumed Karina would give him a clue—an address, maybe, or a name. He never expected her to offer something so seemingly ordinary, yet utterly baffling.

Go home.

Jack's mind raced through a thousand thoughts in an instant.

How long had it been since he'd gone home?

A long time, it seemed.

Karina told him to go home and take a look.

Could there be some kind of clue there?

While Jack was still thinking, his phone rang.

It was Joseph.

"General."

The moment he answered, Joseph's respectful voice came through.

"What is it?"

Jack asked.

"Lucia's awake." There was a hint of excitement in Joseph's voice.

"She wants to see you."

Jack's eyes lit up at the news.

Lucia was actually awake.

After the fire, she'd inhaled too much toxic gas and slipped into a vegetative state.

The fire had happened right after she investigated Fidelity Tower Technologies.

Someone had clearly tried to silence her permanently.

Everyone thought she'd never wake up again.

But now, she had.

And the first thing she did upon waking was ask for him.

Jack knew she must have something important to tell him.

"Keep her protected. I'm coming back now!" Jack said coldly.

Joseph replied respectfully, "I've already dispatched three special ops teams."

After hanging up, Jack called Sherry to tell her he had urgent business back in Viridis State.

On the other end, Sherry's voice remained crisp and composed. She simply said, "I understand," nothing more.

After speaking with Sherry, Jack left Imperial City with Seraphina and Freya.

The three of them boarded a plane.

Heading for Viridis State.

The next day, Jack arrived at the hospital early.

Under Joseph's personal command, this military hospital had been transformed into an absolute fortress.

Fully armed special ops soldiers stood like statues at every critical checkpoint in the hallways, their cold weapons and sharp gazes completely cutting off any potential threats.

Jack strode through the layers of security and pushed open the heavy isolation door to the hospital room. The sharp smell of disinfectant hit him immediately.

The room was eerily quiet, with only the heart monitor's monotonous, faint beeping breaking the silence.

Jack's gaze instantly locked onto the hospital bed.

Lucia lay there quietly, her face so pale it nearly blended with the sheets, her body hooked up to various life-support tubes.

That merciless fire hadn't managed to take her life, but it had left her wasted away to nothing.

Hearing the door open, Lucia slowly turned her head.

When her slightly clouded but still stubborn eyes recognized Jack, her calm expression instantly shattered into waves of emotion.

Large tears rolled uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes, soaking into the hair at her temples.

Jack quickly walked to the bedside, dropped to one knee, and reached out with both hands to grip her frail, ice-cold hand—skeletal from prolonged bed rest.

"Lucia..." Jack's voice came out low and hoarse, his chest feeling like it was stuffed with waterlogged cotton, the dull ache making it hard to breathe.

Lucia looked at him, her cracked lips trembling violently. She used every ounce of strength left in her body to grip his fingers back, as if clutching the last piece of driftwood in a vast ocean.

"Mr. Carter..." Her voice was so weak it seemed like smoke that could be scattered by the wind at any moment, heavy with emotion. "You... finally came..."

"I'm here. You're safe now. No one can hurt you anymore." Jack took a deep breath, forcing down the burning in his eyes, his gaze steady and gentle as he looked at her. "Tell me, what did you find out?"

"I..."

Just then, the hospital room door suddenly swung open.

A nurse wheeling a cart of medications walked in.

Jack frowned slightly. He'd specifically ordered that no one was to disturb them.

"Sorry, sir, I need to change this patient's medication."

Jack paused his conversation with Lucia, quietly stood up, and stepped aside.

The nurse wheeled the cart over to Lucia.

Then she skillfully picked up a syringe, opened a vial of medication, and drew the liquid out.

Next, she moved toward the IV drip beside Lucia, preparing to inject the liquid into it.

However, just as she was about to insert the needle into the IV line, Jack—who had been standing quietly to the side—suddenly moved.

Without any wasted motion, he simply raised his hand and grabbed the nurse's wrist.

The nurse's body went rigid.

"You..." She turned her head, a flash of panic in her eyes.

Jack said nothing. With his other hand, he gently took the syringe from her.

He held it up to the sunlight streaming through the window.

Then Jack's lips curved into a cold smile.

What was in the syringe wasn't medication—it was poison.

A potent poison that would cause instant death once injected.

"Someone get in here!"

Jack called out coldly.

The next moment, Joseph rushed in with two guards. Entering with them was the hospital's chief physician, Anthony.

Anthony froze slightly at the scene before him.

"Layla, what's going on?" Anthony looked at the nurse, confused.

"You know her?" Jack's eyes narrowed as he turned to Anthony.

"She's my assistant," Anthony said.

At those words, Jack looked at the woman whose wrist he was gripping. He handed the syringe to Joseph.

Then he turned to Anthony and said coldly, "She just tried to kill Lucia."

"What?"

At those words, Anthony's face went deathly pale. His eyes widened in disbelief as he rushed forward and snatched the syringe from Joseph's hand.

He brought it close to his eyes. One glance, and his pupils contracted violently.

"This... this is high-concentration potassium chloride!" Anthony's voice shook. He whipped his head around, staring hard at the nurse called Layla. "Are you insane?! Push this directly into a vein, and she won't even have a chance at resuscitation!"

Layla was pinned in place by Jack's iron grip, her face ashen, but a flash of madness and venom flickered in her eyes.

She clenched her jaw and said nothing.

"Anthony." Jack's voice was as cold as ice, devoid of any warmth. "Your staff just tried to commit murder right under my nose."