Chapter 14 Chapter 14 "Just hypertension?" Nina sounded bewildered. "But Dr. Evans said Grandma needed bypass surgery or she'd die. The cost is 600 thousand dollars. We sold our house and managed to gather 450 thousand, but still owe the bank 150 thousand." Olivia frowned. For a regular family, 600 thousand dollars was a sky-high price. Besides, a bypass surgery shouldn't cost anywhere near that much. "Nina, listen to me," Olivia sighed. "Your grandma just had a minor problem. She didn't need surgery at all. In fact, this surgery only ruined her otherwise healthy body." Olivia leaned down and whispered in Nina's ear, "I'm sorry, but your grandma may not have much time left." Nina shook her head, unable to believe it. "How could this happen? Dr. Evans is supposed to be the top doctor in Hillarica. How could he..." Olivia stayed silent. She didn't want to crush the kid any further. Honestly, no matter which hospital Nina went to, the diagnosis would always be the same. Olivia knew that the Evans family essentially controlled most of Hillarica's hospitals. People trusted them as they were the dominant force in the city's medical field. Lately, their influence had surged, with everyone eager to secure an appointment with Nathan. Even the Shea family had traveled here solely because of the Evans family's renowned reputation. Nina slowly knelt by her grandma's bedside, tears streaming down her face. "Grandma, I'm so sorry. I was so stupid. It's all my fault. I did this to you." "It's not your fault," the old lady said, smiling warmly. She knew her body well; since the surgery, she'd been growing weaker daily. Yet, after just a few acupuncture sessions with Olivia, she felt significantly better and began to grasp the true situation. "Nina, if something happens to me, you have to live your life well, okay?" Nina's grandmother said, gently stroking Nina's hair, her eyes full of warmth and love. Olivia's eyes turned icy, a lethal glint flickering in them. 'Is this how the Evans family preys on the vulnerable?' she mused. "The wicked will face their reckoning," she stated coolly, her stunning beauty untouched by her frosty demeanor. Nina's grandmother's ailment was minor, yet the Evans family had the audacity to suggest surgery. Nathan had needlessly ruined a healthy body-a crime, exploiting the ignorance of ordinary people with false diagnoses and swindling them dry. Olivia stepped outside, took out her phone, and logged into the Shadow Syndicate. In every major industry, the name whispered in hushed tones was the Shadow Syndicate. It was an underground network governed by the elite, nearly invisible to outsiders. Olivia was its leader. She quickly typed out her orders: [Starting now, the Shadow Security Division needs to dig up everything on the Evans family. The Violet Division is banned from helping them in any way-no medical help, no money, nothing.] [No division is allowed to share any info with them. Break this rule and you're out.] [The Evans family is blacklisted. Effective immediately.] She sent those commands under the name "Phantom Chief." Most people called her the Phantom Healer because her legendary Phantom Thirteen Needles technique was that good. But only a few people knew she was really the Phantom Chief. Since Shadow Syndicate was founded, she'd only ever spoken up three times. This time, her words blew up the whole 1/3 8:51 pm Chapter 14 organization. Shadow Security Division: [By your command, Chief] Violet Division: [At your command.J Enigma Institute: [Message received, boss.] 65 vouchers Phantom Chief never went after any of the big families. Her rule was simple: as long as people didn't mess with her, she'd leave them alone. But now that she was targeting the Evans family, everyone in the Shadow Syndicate knew they'd really ticked her off. Whatever they did, it had to be serious-and now the Evans family was screwed. Olivia put her phone down, gazed at the sky, and murmured, "The Evans family has really crossed the line." News of the Evans family getting blacklisted spread through Hillarica like wildfire. All the major families in the city were gearing up to take them down. After crossing the Shadow Syndicate, the Evanses were basically toast. Lucas was absolutely thrilled. He shot Olivia a message right away: [Boss, you're a genius! The Evans family's always been bad news. Finally, we're going after them. I'll go dig up some dirt on them.] Olivia didn't reply. She turned off her phone, slipped it into her pocket, and walked back inside. Nina wasn't crying anymore. She was chatting and laughing with her grandma, the two of them looking so close and happy together. Seeing this, Olivia felt her heart melt a little. She couldn't help but think of her own days with Grace. Olivia slipped a note into Nina's hand and said softly, "If you ever find yourself with nowhere to go, just come find me." With that, she turned and walked away. Nina unfolded the note. It said: 22 Willow Lane. She would never imagine that the ordinary-looking girl walking away was none other than the mysterious Phantom Healer. Meanwhile, Henry was sitting at the breakfast table, sipping his coffee and chatting with Cheryl, when a sudden chill ran down his spine. Just then, Nathan burst in, stumbling over himself. "Dad, something's wrong. Seriously wrong!" "Calm down and speak clearly," Henry snapped. "What's the rush? Cheryl's right here." Cheryl gave an awkward smile. Nathan finally managed to calm himself down, walked over to Henry, and said in a strained voice, "Shadow Syndicate... they're shutting us out. Every single industry, Dad. We're finished." "What did you just say?" Henry shot to his feet, his cup crashing to the floor. He snatched Nathan's phone, frantically scrolling through the messages again and again. It was real-the blacklist order came straight from Shadow Syndicate's top boss. "No way. This can't be real," Henry stammered, slumping into his chair, his face pale with shock. "We never did anything to piss off Shadow Syndicate. How is this even possible?" Cheryl blinked in confusion. "Shadow Syndicate? What's that?" 2/3 8:51 pm 50 Chapter 14 Henry was in no state to answer her-he could barely keep himself together. EX 55 vouchers Nathan noticed how awkward Cheryl felt and quickly explained, "Shadow Syndicate is a secret network that only industry leaders know about. It's packed with big shots, and each division handles something different, selling everything from intel to rare medicines to secret recipes." The Evans family became Hillarica's top medical group, thanks mostly to the info and rare meds they got from the Shadow Syndicate. Honestly, without Shadow Syndicate, the Evans family would be nothing like they were today. Most people had no idea about any of this. But now, with the boss of Shadow Syndicate personally handing down the blacklist, the Evans family was doomed. Suddenly, Henry thought of the broke student who read his fortune yesterday. 'Could it be her?' he wondered. But he quickly dismissed the idea. 'No way. She couldn't possibly take down the whole Evans family. I must be getting old, coming up with wild ideas like this. Why? Why is this happening?' Henry wondered, utterly lost. "Grandpa Henry," Cheryl said, noticing how grim they both looked. She stepped up to comfort them. "The Evans family has been in Hillarica for decades. So what if some underground group wants to blacklist you? It's really not a big deal." Nathan gave an awkward smile. He wanted to tell her she had no idea what she was talking about, but kept quiet so he wouldn't embarrass her. He thought, 'Shadow Syndicate shot to the top of the world in just a few years-the power behind it is off the charts. And she thinks it's nothing? She really has no clue. 3/3 Freelance photographer Violet Beck is forced into an engagement with CEO Roy Payne. He is everything her wild heart rebels against: proper, predictable, and painfully kind. But love has a way of devel...