Jack stood rooted beside his mother's bed, his mind spinning from Mei-Lin's cryptic words. The steady beep of monitors filled the silence as he watched Eliza's chest rise and fall. Her face looked peaceful, untroubled by the web of family secrets tangling around them.
He traced the familiar lines of her features, searching for hints of his newly-discovered heritage. Had she known about Aunt Lin? About whatever his father had been involved in? The woman who'd raised him alone in their cramped apartment suddenly felt like a stranger.
His fingers found the scar above his eyebrow, a habit from simpler times.
Dr. Chen swept into the room, her tablet tucked against her hip. She moved with practiced efficiency, checking the IV lines and adjusting the medical equipment surrounding Eliza's bed.
"We're starting with targeted immunotherapy," Dr. Chen said, her fingers dancing across a touch screen. "The treatment works by enhancing your mother's own immune system to fight the cancer cells." She inserted a syringe into the IV port, the clear liquid flowing into the tube. "This particular cocktail was developed in our research facility."
Jack's attention split between his mother and Dr. Chen's precise movements. The doctor's explanation continued as she worked, but his focus drifted to the corner of the room where Elias and Mei-Lin stood in hushed conversation. Their heads bent close together, Mei-Lin's silver bob catching the fluorescent light as she gestured with sharp, controlled movements.
"The treatment takes about an hour to complete," Dr. Chen's voice cut through his observation. "We'll monitor her vitals throughout the process."
But Jack couldn't shake the intensity radiating from the corner. Elias's jaw clenched, his usual mask of control slipping for just a moment. Mei-Lin's hand shot out, gripping his grandfather's wrist. The gesture looked casual, almost affectionate, but Jack caught the way Elias's shoulders stiffened.
Dr. Chen adjusted another setting on the medical equipment. "Your mother's readings are already showing improvement from yesterday."
In the corner, Mei-Lin released Elias's wrist. His grandfather straightened his platinum cufflinks - a nervous tell Jack filed away for future reference. Whatever they discussed had rattled the unshakeable Elias Altiar.
"Jack?" Dr. Chen's voice pulled him back. "Did you hear what I said about the treatment schedule?"
"Sorry, I-" He forced his attention back to Dr. Chen and his mother, but his mind churned with questions. What could make his grandfather, a man who commanded global markets with a phone call, look unsettled? And why did Aunt Lin's presence seem to shift the power dynamics in the room?
The steady beep of the heart monitor marked time as the treatment continued, each sound adding to the weight of secrets pressing down on Jack's shoulders.
The treatment continued its slow drip into his mother's veins. Jack leaned against the window ledge, unable to shake the tension crackling between Elias and Mei-Lin. Their whispered conversation had moved to the hallway, but their shadows stretched across the frosted glass of the medical wing's door.
"Your mother's responding well." Dr. Chen's voice carried a note of satisfaction as she studied the monitors. "Her cell counts are already showing promising changes."
Jack nodded, but his attention caught on a sharp gesture from Mei-Lin's shadow. The movement reminded him of his father's hand signals during their "training games" - precise, deliberate, meant to convey specific meaning.
"How long until we know if it's working?" His throat felt dry.
"We'll do comprehensive scans in forty-eight hours." Dr. Chen made another adjustment to the IV flow. "But these early indicators are positive."
The door swung open. Mei-Lin glided in, her designer cane tapping a measured rhythm against the floor. "Dr. Chen, a moment please." Her tone left no room for discussion.
Dr. Chen's spine straightened. She gave Jack a quick nod before following Mei-Lin into the hallway.
Jack's gaze shifted to his mother. Her face had more color than yesterday, the grey pallor replaced by a hint of pink in her cheeks. He reached for her hand, careful of the IV line.
"What aren't they telling me, Mom?" He kept his voice low. "Dad's 'games' weren't just games, were they? And Aunt Lin..." He traced the familiar calluses on his mother's palm, earned from years of waitressing. "How many secrets did you carry to protect me?"
The monitors beeped their steady rhythm. Outside the window, morning sun gilded the estate's grounds. Everything looked pristine, perfect - and completely foreign to Jack's reality of forty-eight hours ago.
A flash of movement caught his eye. Through the window, he spotted a figure darting between the hedges. The person moved with military precision, dressed in black tactical gear. Before Jack could process what he'd seen, the figure vanished.
His father's voice echoed in his memory: "Always know your exits, Jackie. And always watch the shadows - they tell the real story."
Jack's fingers found his scar again. The "accident" that caused it suddenly felt less like a clumsy repair job and more like a lesson. But a lesson for what?
The monitors continued their steady beeping, offering no answers to his growing list of questions.
A soft knock interrupted Jack's thoughts. Lily stood in the doorway, her usual cheerful demeanor subdued.
"Mr. Altiar requests your presence in his study." She twisted her hands together. "He says it's urgent."
Jack squeezed his mother's hand one last time. "I'll be right back, Mom." He straightened his shoulders, already dreading another confrontation with his grandfather.
As they walked, Lily's steps fell into rhythm beside his. "The staff's talking," she said, voice barely above a whisper. "About the security teams sweeping the grounds. And there's rumors about Aunt Lin-"
"What kind of rumors?"
Lily glanced over her shoulder. "That she's not just here for your mother's treatment. That she's..." She shook her head. "Never mind. It's probably nothing."
They reached Elias's study. Jack's hand hesitated on the ornate brass handle. Through the heavy oak door, he caught fragments of heated conversation.
"...cannot protect him from this forever..." Mei-Lin's voice carried an edge he hadn't heard before.
"He's not ready." Elias's response was sharp. "Thomas's training or not-"
Jack pushed the door open. The conversation cut off mid-sentence. Elias stood behind his desk, hands planted on its polished surface. Mei-Lin perched in a leather armchair, her cane across her lap.
"Jackson." His grandfather's voice had recovered its usual control. "Come in."
Mei-Lin's dark eyes tracked Jack's movement as he entered. Her fingers drummed a pattern on her cane's handle - three quick taps, pause, two slow. The sequence triggered something in Jack's memory, but before he could grasp it, it slipped away.
"We need to discuss your security arrangements," Elias said.
"My what?"
"Your father-" Elias caught himself. "Recent developments require additional precautions."
Jack's jaw tightened. "What aren't you telling me about my father?"
"Patience, nephew." Mei-Lin's smile didn't reach her eyes. "Some truths must be earned."
"I'm done with half-answers." Jack planted his feet, mimicking his grandfather's stance. "Either tell me what's really going on, or-"
A distant explosion rocked the mansion's foundation. Security alarms blared to life. Jack's body moved before his mind could process why, dropping into a defensive crouch his father had drilled into him years ago.
Mei-Lin's smile turned sharp. "Well," she said, rising smoothly. "Perhaps it's time for your first lesson after all."