The morning air hit Jack's face as he stepped onto the stone terrace. Dawn painted the manicured lawn in shades of gold and shadow, dew sparkling on grass that probably cost more than his old apartment's monthly rent. He stuffed the crumpled envelope into his pocket, trying to push away thoughts of Elisabeth and The Gilded Academy.
His mother needed him focused today. The experimental treatment would start in a few hours - her best chance at survival wrapped in cutting-edge medical technology and his grandfather's money. His chest tightened. Everything came with strings here, even hope.
A rabbit darted across the lawn, disappearing into a perfectly trimmed hedge. Jack followed its path, wandering away from the mansion's looming presence. His sneakers left dark prints in the wet grass, marking his passage through this carefully curated world.
Back in Ashton, he'd sometimes climb to the roof of their apartment building before dawn, watching the city wake up while planning how to stretch their latest paycheck. The view here was different - no crumbling buildings or distant factory smoke. Just endless green rolling away to a horizon blocked by trees worth more than his life savings.
He reached a stone bench tucked beneath an old oak tree. The worn granite felt real under his fingers, weathered by time rather than crafted for show. Jack sank onto it, letting out a long breath.
"Get it together," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Mom needs you steady."
The morning breeze carried the scent of flowers he couldn't name. Somewhere nearby, birds called to each other, unconcerned with human problems like cancer treatments and arranged marriages. The world felt huge and small at once, like someone had taken his life and stretched it into shapes he barely recognized.
But his mother was getting treatment. Real treatment, not just painkillers and empty promises. He clung to that thought, letting it anchor him as the sun crept higher. Whatever game his grandfather was playing, whatever plans were being made for his future, none of it mattered compared to that.
A shadow fell across the bench. Jack looked up to find a man standing before him, his presence as sharp as a knife's edge. Everything about him seemed precise - from his perfectly pressed black suit to the way his silver cufflinks caught the morning light. A dragon pattern snaked up his silk tie, its eyes seeming to watch Jack with the same intensity as the man himself.
"Your mother's treatment begins soon." His accent carried traces of Hong Kong, each word measured and exact. "Stand up. We must not keep the medical team waiting."
Jack's skin prickled. The man carried himself like the gangsters he'd seen in old movies, but with an air of legitimate authority that made him even more intimidating. His black leather shoes probably cost more than Jack's entire wardrobe, yet he moved with the quiet grace of someone used to violence.
"Who are you?" Jack rose slowly, his body tensing on instinct.
"Dr. Chen's associate. You may call me Mr. Wei." He gestured toward the mansion with a hand adorned by a single jade ring. "Your grandfather requested I escort you personally."
Of course Elias would send someone like this. Everything was a power play, even a simple walk to his mother's room. Jack fell into step beside Mr. Wei, noting how the man matched his pace perfectly while somehow making it clear he was the one in control.
They crossed the lawn in silence. Morning light spilled across the mansion's windows, turning them into sheets of fire. Mr. Wei moved with practiced ease through a side entrance Jack hadn't noticed before, leading them through a maze of corridors.
"Your mother's medical wing has been fully staffed," Mr. Wei said as they walked. "Dr. Chen has assembled an excellent team."
Jack caught their reflection in a passing mirror - his borrowed clothes looking shabby next to Wei's immaculate appearance. "You work directly for my grandfather?"
"I ensure certain matters are handled appropriately." Wei's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Your safety, for instance, is now one of those matters."
The implied threat in those words wasn't lost on Jack. Protection and surveillance were often the same thing in this world. They turned down another hallway, this one leading to the medical wing.
"Your mother is through there." Wei gestured to a set of double doors. "The team is preparing the first treatment protocol. Dr. Chen will explain everything."
Jack paused at the threshold, looking back at Wei. "Tell my grandfather I don't need a babysitter."
"Of course." Wei's expression didn't change. "Though you'll find I'm quite good at my job, regardless of your preferences."
With that, he melted away into the mansion's shadows, leaving Jack alone before the doors. Jack took a deep breath, pushing aside thoughts of jade rings and dragon ties. His mother needed him clear-headed for whatever came next.
He pushed through the doors, stepping into the sterile brightness of the medical wing.
A petite woman in an elegant Chanel suit turned from his mother's bedside. Despite her age, she carried herself with the bearing of someone who commanded respect without asking. Her silver bob caught the morning light as she fixed dark, penetrating eyes on Jack.
"So. You are Thomas's son." Her accent matched Wei's, but carried more authority. She approached with measured steps, the tap of her designer cane marking each movement. "I am Mei-Lin. Your grandmother's sister."
Jack froze. Another relative emerging from the shadows. His gaze darted to his mother, who lay sleeping peacefully among the medical equipment.
"I did not expect..." Mei-Lin studied his face with unsettling intensity. "But yes, I see it now. The way you hold yourself. Your father's training shows through."
Something in her tone made Jack's spine straighten. She spoke about his father with intimate knowledge, not the vague references Elias had dropped.
"You know what really happened to him." It wasn't a question.
"Smart boy." A smile curved her lips, but her eyes remained calculating. "We have much to discuss, nephew. But first, let your mother rest. The treatment begins soon."
Jack watched Mei-Lin glide across the floor to where Dr. Chen stood reviewing charts on her tablet. The two women spoke in rapid Mandarin, their voices low but intense. His aunt's cane tapped a steady rhythm as she gestured toward the medical equipment surrounding his mother.
The scene felt surreal - these powerful women discussing his mother's fate in a language he couldn't understand, while Eliza slept peacefully, unaware of the forces gathering around her. The monitoring equipment beeped in steady intervals, each sound a reminder of how far they'd come from the crowded ward at Ashton General.
"I see you've met your Aunt Lin."
Elias's voice carried none of its usual sharp command. Jack turned to find his grandfather standing beside him, hands clasped behind his back as he watched the women confer. Something in his posture suggested... respect? No - wariness.
"She knew my father." Jack kept his voice low, studying his grandfather's reaction.
"Better than most." Elias's jaw tightened. "Your Aunt Lin has always had her own methods of gathering information. Her... influence extends far beyond what most people realize."
The way he said 'influence' made Jack's skin prickle. He remembered Mr. Wei's dragon tie and deadly grace. How many more layers of power and secrets would he discover in this family?
Mei-Lin turned from her consultation with Dr. Chen, her dark eyes finding Jack's. For a moment, he saw something fierce and calculating in her gaze - a predator assessing potential. Then she smiled, transforming her face into that of a kindly aunt, though the sharp intelligence remained.
"The treatment protocol is prepared," she announced. "Sarah will begin shortly." She crossed to Jack, reaching up to pat his cheek with surprising affection. "We will speak more later, nephew. There is much you should know about your father's... legacy."
Jack caught Elias stiffening at those words. Whatever game was being played between these powerful siblings, he was now a piece on their board. But as he looked at his sleeping mother, he knew he'd play along - for now. Her life depended on navigating this maze of family politics and hidden truths.
The medical equipment continued its steady beeping, counting down the moments until everything would change again.