Chapter 4

"You're talking about Dr. Carter! He's basically a legend in medicine! A miracle worker that even the most powerful politicians and billionaires have to wait years just to get an appointment with! Every paper he publishes shakes the entire medical community to its core!" Frank pointed at Stuart, making no effort to hide his mockery. "And you think one phone call is enough to get him here with his whole team? Who do you think you are? What a joke. Your bragging might actually be a bigger sin than your murder charge!"

The middle-aged attending physician nearby let out a couple of awkward coughs and tried to smooth things over. "Sir, I understand how anxious you must be feeling, but what he said... does have a point. Dr. Carter's schedule is booked out by the year. Let's talk about something more realistic — I could reach out to my mentor..."

Ryan Schulz let out a long sigh from the hospital bed, the last flicker of light fading from his eyes. He weakly waved his hand. "Stuart, my boy, let it go. Don't say things like that just to make us feel better. I have lived a full life. I'll accept whatever God has planned for us."

Dani covered her mouth, crying silently, unable to bring herself to look at her son.

Only Diana still had a trace of hope in her wide eyes. She walked over to Stuart and asked quietly, "Stew... is it true? What you said?"

Stuart didn't bother responding to the two doctors. He looked at his family with warmth and gave a slow nod. "Dad, Mom, Diana — trust me."

No loud arguments. No angry comebacks. Just quiet certainty.

"I said he's coming, and he will. We just need to wait thirty minutes."

He pulled a chair over and sat down beside the bed.

The whole room fell into a strange silence.

Frank stood there with his arms crossed, a smug look on his face, waiting to watch Stuart crash and burn.

The attending physician shook his head, thinking the family had probably been hit so hard by the news that they were losing it.

...

Time ticked by, second by second.

Thirty minutes — both endless and over in a flash for those who were waiting.

Just as Frank was about to open his mouth and take another shot at Stuart, a commotion broke out in the hallway.

"Move! Everybody move! Clear the corridor!"

"Oh my God — that's actually Dr. Carter's team!"

The door swung open and the hospital director rushed in, drenched in sweat, his face a mix of excitement and desperate eagerness to please.

"Excuse me... which one of you is Mr. Stuart Schulz?"

The smile on Frank's face froze instantly. The attending physician's jaw nearly hit the floor.

Behind the director, a group of medical professionals walked in — faces serious, each carrying sleek silver equipment cases.

Every single one of them had sharp eyes and carried themselves in a way that made it clear they were no ordinary doctors.

And walking at the front was an older man with silver-white hair, full of energy, with clear and steady eyes.

The quiet authority he carried — the kind that didn't need anger to command respect — made the air in the entire room feel heavier.

Owen Carter.

It was actually Dr. Carter.

The man you only ever saw on the covers of top medical journals or in the news.

"Dr. Carter! Oh my God, it's really you! I'm the attending physician here — I've read every single one of your papers on targeted therapy!" The doctor rushed forward, tripping over his own words in excitement.

"Oh my God! Dr. Carter, I'm Frank Leonard — Cambridge graduate! I've attended every single one of your lectures, not one missed!" Frank instantly switched to full-on fanboy mode and shoved his way forward.

But Owen Carter didn't seem to see either of them. He didn't spare them so much as a glance.

His eyes swept quickly across the room, and the moment they landed on Stuart sitting by the bed, his expression shifted — into something that looked like deep respect, and something close to fear.

With everyone watching, this giant of the medical world walked straight up to Stuart and did something nobody in the room could have ever expected.

Owen Carter dropped to one knee.

"My Lord." His voice was strong and clear, filled with reverence. "I have brought my team as ordered. I failed in my duty by not learning of your father's condition sooner. I await your punishment."

The room felt like it had gone sideways.

Frank's mouth hung open wide enough to fit a fist. He stood there completely frozen.

The attending physician's knees buckled — he nearly collapsed. He stared at Stuart in horror, frantically replaying everything he'd said in the last half hour, trying to figure out if he'd said anything to offend him.

Ryan, Dani, and Diana were completely stunned.

Their son... their brother...

Who was he?

Why — why was someone like Owen Carter kneeling before him, calling him "My Lord"?

Stuart slowly stood up and helped Owen Carter to his feet, his expression unchanged.

"Dr. Carter, there's no need for that. Please, just take care of my father."

"Yes, My Lord." Owen Carter straightened up, his face composed and serious.

He turned toward the bed where Ryan lay, but spoke to Stuart. "My Lord, rest assured. I swear on my life and on a hundred years of this team's reputation — I will cure your father. If I fail, I will answer for it with my head."

Those words left Ryan and Dani completely speechless.

They looked at their son, their eyes full of confusion, unfamiliarity — and a quiet pride.

What on earth had happened in those three years?

"Begin a full workup immediately!" Owen Carter gave the order, and his team moved at once.

Equipment that Frank and the attending physician had only ever seen in science fiction films was assembled quickly and used to scan and examine Ryan.

Frank and the attending physician stood in the corner, barely daring to breathe.

Looking at those devices, they felt like everything they'd learned in their entire medical careers was nothing more than a child's scribbles compared to what these people were doing.

Frank especially had gone pale. He kept replaying every mocking word he'd thrown at Stuart, and each time he did, a fresh wave of dread washed over him. His legs were shaking so badly he could barely stand.

A man who could make Owen Carter kneel before him... and he had been mocking this person?

He didn't even want to think about what would happen if Stuart decided to make him pay for it.

About an hour later, Owen Carter returned to Stuart with a new report in hand.

"My Lord, the picture is clear." There was a hint of relief on his face. "The local hospital's general diagnosis was correct — it is pancreatic cancer. But their assessment of 'late stage' was based on conventional medical standards. From where we stand, while the cancer cells do show signs of spreading, their activity level is not at its peak. With our treatment protocol to eliminate them, followed by long-term cellular repair and recovery, I am more than ninety percent confident that your father will make a full recovery — and may even be in better health than before he fell ill."