Chapter 16

Minutes slipped by before Eliana finally stepped into Miguel's room.

The old man lay half-awake beneath an oxygen mask, thin as parchment, the soft beeping of machines marking every fragile moment.

Ignoring the equipment entirely, Eliana trusted her own way of doing things.

Her fingers wrapped gently around Miguel's frail wrist as she concentrated on hearing his pulse.

The onlookers seemed frozen, hardly daring to take a breath. Only Tristan kept his eyes fixed on Eliana's face,wrestling with the thought that he had seen her somewhere before.

Time dragged on before Eliana let go of Miguel's arm. Jeffry seized the moment to ask, "Doctor, can you help my father?"

Eliana's gaze met his, but the eager intensity in his eyes unsettled her.

It felt as though his worry had more to do with his own situation than with the man on the bed.

Still, that was something outside Eliana's concern.She answered with steady composure, "Your father isn't sick. He's simply old."

Had it been an illness, she could have treated it.Yet the turning of life's wheel was beyond the reach of medicine.

Miguel's troubles were the slow wear of years.

Bodies worked like well-used machines, prone to jamming or breaking after too long. But unlike metal parts, a human being couldn't be swapped out for something new.

A transplant here or there might extend life, yet a full renewal was impossible and MigueI's state could not endure such invasive attempts.

Jeffry's face fell at once, disappointment cutting through him. If even the doctor secured through the Onyx Syndicate could do nothing, then Miguel's fate was already sealed.

Out of nowhere, Leyla's voice cut through the air."Mr. and Mrs. Clarke, I warned you she's a fraud!That famous doctor you were looking for? This isn't her! Think about it-how could someone so celebrated fail to cure an illness?"

Leyla had been sent away earlier in disgrace.

The moment Hector's car rolled into view, she wasted no time in calling him. So, it was Hector who escorted her straight inside.

Without a hint of expression on her face, Eliana answered, "I already told you. He isn't sick. He's just old."

"Old? That's your diagnosis? You can't even figure out what's wrong and you expect us to swallow that? Do you think we're fools?"

Jeffry's jaw tightened, his thoughts shifting fast.More than anyone else, he refused to watch Miguel die.

Eliana earlier statement had dragged him into despair, yet Leyla's accusation rekindled a dangerous ember of hope. If the renowned doctor was still out there, then perhaps his father's fate wasn't sealed.

"So tell me. Are you the doctor we've been searching for, or aren't you?" Jeffry asked coldly, staring at Eliana.

Eliana's brow tightened, irritation shadowing her voice. "What's this now? Back to doubting me?"

Jeffry opened his mouth to answer but froze when he caught sight of Tristan.

Quickly snatching the white card from Ruby, he handed it over. "Mr. Pearson, you know your stuff.Can you check if this card's the reaI thing? If it is, I'll admit I was wrong. But if it isn't..."

He left the last words unsaid, yet the threat in his tone landed hard.

Eliana remained unfazed. She knew the truth could not be faked.

Tristan reached for the card with slow, deliberate ease. One quick look was enough for him to decide."It's the real thing," he said.

The Onyx Syndicate had their cards crafted to perfection. Even Tristan's skills would fail to imitate one.

The red rose emblem on it was very intricate, more complex than the currency, and no one in the market could reproduce such a card.

Jeffry's mood sank at the confirmation. Shame kept his eyes off Eliana, and he turned his anger on Leyla.Without her, he would not have doubted Eliana's identity. "| warned you to stay away from our property. Who gave you permission to step inside?" Color drained from her face, and she instinctively turned to Hector for help.

Unease gnawed at Hector. Why must she speak up at such a time? Even so, he would stand up for her. "I was the one who brought her in, Dad."

"Take her out! Do not drag strays into our home! This house is not a place anyone can walk into!"

The insult twisted Leyla's features. Strays? Did Jeffry mean her? Damn it! This mess was all on Eliana.Where had she even gotten that card?

"We're done here, Leyla. Let's leave," said Hector,already reading the irritation on Jeffry's face and deciding it was best to get her out for now.

Still, Leyla refused to budge.

Her eyes locked on Eliana, and she said, "If you're truly this renowned doctor they claim you are, then why can't you cure Mr. Clarke? And even if he's old,there has to be a way to keep him alive for a few more years." Eliana raised her eyebrows. "And who told you |couldn't?"

That simple question drew every gaze toward Eliana.

Jeffry, more desperate than anyone else, nearly tripped over his words. "Doctor, please, I let myself be misled by her earlier-"

Eliana had no patience for his rambling. The decision to treat the patient was already made, and she intended to collect a fee worth her trouble.

Cutting him off with a raised hand, she said, "You don't have to explain. I'll handle it. But there's one thing I want first."

"And what is that? Whatever it is, we'll make it happen!"

Her finger landed on Leyla without hesitation. "Get her out of my sight. She's nothing but noise."

Leyla blinked in shock, a flicker of loathing sparking in her gaze. Jeffry said quickly, "That won't be a problem! Hector,get Leyla out of here now!"

Clutching Hector's sleeve, Leyla blurted out, "Don't believe a word she says, Hector! She's nothing but a fraud-"

"That's enough, Leyla. We're leaving," said Hector,his tone edged with annoyance.

He didn't give her a chance to argue again as he dragged her out.

Leyla found herself facing another round of disgrace.

This time, the Clarkes, who had barely tolerated her before, seemed disgusted beyond measure.

Leyla cursed Eliana inwardly. She believed it was all Eliana's fault and there was no way she'd ever let her get away with it.

Inside, Eliana told a servant to strip off Miguel's shirt before asking, "Have you gathered everything I told you to prepare?" "Everything is here. Except for one herb. My daughter went to get it, and she should be back soon."

"Good. I'll start working now." Eliana took the sterilized tool the maids had laid out and began the procedure.

At the same time, Hector escorted Leyla to the doorway.

"Hector, you doubt me as well?" she asked.

With a weary sigh, he said, "You acted too recklessly today. This isn't about me believing you or not.My dad... he can't risk losing my grandpa. Even if he suspects she's a fraud, he still has to take the chance."

Her eyes sparked with sudden hope. "So your parents don't truly think that bitch can heal your grandpa?"

Hector gave a short nod.

Leyla regained her strength. "Fine. I'll wait by the gates. She won't even notice me. Just let me stay,I'm begging you."

Her only wish was to witness the moment Eliana's failure became undeniable, to watch the punishment that came when Miguel's illness went uncured.