Quincy stormed into his lounge like a man possessed, throwing his jacket on the couch and tugging at the buttons on his shirt with frustrated fingers. His jaw was clenched, his movements sharp and reckless.
"I swear on my life I will never go find her ever again. Everything I feel for her—I'm dumping it all in the trash. My lover boy era is over! No more love. I will remain single forever," he barked.
Paige, seated quietly at the corner of the room with a tablet in his hand, glanced up hesitantly.
"You are still married, boss…"
"Shut the fuck up, Paige!"
"Sorry, boss!" Paige straightened instantly, hiding behind his screen, eyes wide.
"I'm really dumping her for real this time! Since she chose her sister, I will also choose myself."
Paige muttered under his breath, just loud enough for himself to hear, "Isn't she the one who dumped you?"
Quincy whipped his head toward him.
"I heard that, Paige."
"Sorry, boss!" Paige stammered again and quickly stood, pretending to straighten his already perfect shirt. Just then, his phone vibrated. He picked it up and stepped aside to answer.
"Yes? Ohh! Boss!"
"Yes," Quincy muttered, still pacing.
"Freya on the line."
"What is she doing there?" Quincy snapped.
"She wants to speak with you."
"Hang it up."
"It's about Blue."
"I don't wanna hear it!"
"She fainted this morning."
"She did what?" Quincy froze, his face contorting in alarm as he stood bolt upright.
"She was rushed to the emergency. Freya said she was bleeding so she passed out."
"Get the car right now!"
"Yes, boss!"
In a blur of motion, Quincy darted out. Paige barely had the keys in the ignition before Quincy leapt into the passenger seat. The tires screeched as they sped toward the hospital.
They burst into the hospital lobby. Quincy's heart thundered in his chest as he spotted his parents already waiting.
"You guys are here?"
"Yes, we brought her here," Fransisca said, worry etched deep into her face.
"What happened to her? Where is she?" Quincy demanded.
"Let's ask the doctor. He's here!" Fred motioned toward the corridor as the doctor approached.
"She lost too much blood. That's why she fainted," the doctor explained calmly.
"Doctor, her wound is not healing. She's always looked sick and pale since she left the hospital," Fransisca added.
"It just reopened. We'll take care of it today."
"Then why did she faint? She was bleeding too, right?"
The doctor hesitated slightly, exchanging a brief, unreadable look with Fred. Fred shook his head subtly, then reached for the nurse's clipboard and handed it, along with a pen, to Quincy.
"You are registered as her guardian here, so sign the papers."
"What's in there?" Quincy asked, narrowing his eyes.
"We are going to operate on her."
"Is it that serious?"
"Yes, sir."
"Oh—here, here!" Quincy snatched the paper and signed it quickly. "Doctor, please make sure she is fine."
"She will definitely be fine after the operation."
"Thank you so much."
The doctor walked away with the clipboard, and Quincy began pacing the hallway. His boots echoed ominously across the sterile floor, his shoulders stiff with tension. Every now and then, he peered toward the surgery ward, frustration brewing in his chest like a storm. The opaque glass kept everything hidden, but his nerves didn't.
Fransisca sat down slowly, her face pale. She placed her head in her palm, sighing heavily every few minutes. Fred gently patted her back. She looked up at him and managed a tired smile. He stood, walked toward Quincy, and gently squeezed his shoulder.
"She will be fine, boy."
"I'm so worried, Dad."
"Nothing will happen to her."
"I hope so!"
"Do not worry about it. She's a strong woman."
Fred returned to his seat beside Fransisca. Quincy stayed rooted near the surgery ward. He pressed his palm against the glass, ears straining. The room was soundproofed, but he swore he could hear something—maybe a yell. His hearing was sharper than most; he never doubted it.
A gnawing unease curled inside his chest.
Now that I think about it… he frowned, his thoughts racing. Why does Harper need a surgery that requires my signature?
He rubbed his temple. She was shot at the back of her shoulder, not her stomach. If her wound reopened, it just needs stitches, not full-blown surgery. This doesn't add up.
He replayed everything—her constant sickness, the doctor's strange hesitation, Fred shaking his head at the doctor.
Fred watched him closely. "Babe," he whispered.
Fransisca looked up at him. "Yes?"
"Quincy is calculating something in his head."
"Yeah, right. He probably caught on."
"It will be disastrous if he caught on."
"Quincy can't be deceived that easily. His head calculates so fast. If he wasn't in a hurry to save Blue, he would've asked for the reason she needs surgery."
"At least Blue will be fine before he makes any trouble."
"Yes. We just need her to be okay right now. Then everything else comes later."
The doors finally swung open. A nurse wheeled Harper out slowly. Her face was ghostly pale, her eyes rimmed red with fresh tears. Her body looked defeated, drained. Quincy rushed to her side.
"Harper, are you okay?"
"Hmmm," she managed, shaking her head weakly. Tears were still streaming down her cheeks.
"Doctor, is she fine now?"
"Definitely. After some rest, she will be completely fine."
They wheeled her into the ward, and she slipped into sleep not long after. Fred and Fransisca settled into chairs beside her, keeping silent vigil.
Quincy stood by the door for a while, watching her fragile frame under the covers, chest heavy with questions. Without a word, he turned and quietly left the ward.
"Get me Harper's report right now, Paige!" Quincy's voice thundered across the hallway like a rolling storm, sharp and cutting.
"Yes, boss!" Paige jolted, adjusting his glasses as he rushed off with brisk steps.
"Meet me in the doctor's office. Not a minute later." His voice held finality.
"Immediately!" Paige called out behind him, already half-running.
Quincy stormed down the corridor, fury radiating off him like a furnace. Nurses and patients instinctively stepped aside as he shoved the doctor's office door open and marched in, slamming the door behind him. He dropped into the chair with a cold, eerie calmness.
The doctor stood up, nervously adjusting his coat. "Mr. Dylan…"
Quincy forced a tight smile. "Thank you for your hard work, doctor. I really appreciate your care."
The doctor gave a small bow. "I'm just doing my job, sir. It's nothing."
The door burst open again. "Boss, I brought it!" Paige held out the report, panting slightly. Quincy took it from him with a nod, his jaw tight. He glanced at the doctor again, flashing a brief smile that didn't reach his eyes. The doctor looked away, his shoulders tensing.
Quincy crossed his legs and began flipping through the report. The pages rustled crisply—one, two, three—until he reached a page that made his hand freeze. His fingers clenched around the sheet, crumpling the edges. A tremor passed through his shoulders. He slowly looked up, eyes burning.
The doctor took an uneasy step back. Quincy stood, face stone-cold, then lunged.
With lightning speed, he grabbed the doctor by the collar, hoisting him from the chair like a ragdoll. A punch slammed into the doctor's jaw—a sickening thud echoed through the office.
The doctor screamed, reeling. Quincy pulled him up again, delivering another punishing blow.
"Mr. Dylan! What are you doing!" the doctor cried, blood now trickling from his lip.
"What am I doing, huh? What the hell did you do, motherfucker!" Quincy snarled, his voice feral.
"I—I was only doing my job, sir!" the doctor stammered.
"By aborting my child?! You killed my child!" His voice cracked under the weight of rage and pain.
"It wasn't going to survive, sir! The girl was almost losing the pregnancy the first day she got shot. It affected her pregnancy. This was the only way to save her!" the doctor pleaded, breathless, terrified.
"And you expect me to believe that bullshit?! That was the only way to save her—by killing my child?! You didn't even inform me! You made me sign the termination papers!"
The doctor's hands trembled. "Your father thought it wouldn't be… appropriate for you to know. He made me keep it from you."
Quincy froze. "The gunshot caused this?"
"Yes, sir."
His hands dropped slowly. He backed away, breathing heavily.
"How… how is Harper holding up?" His voice dropped, thick with grief.
The doctor looked down. "I'm sorry, sir. This is going to affect her for a while. Unless she's someone who doesn't hold onto things long, the pain… it was too much for her. She was devastated."
Quincy turned abruptly, fists clenched. "Damn it! Damn it!! Damn the courtesan house rules—I'm really going to kill Angel this time around. I swear on my life!" He stormed out, the door slamming behind him.
He stalked down the hall like a predator, footsteps echoing with violent purpose—until a voice called out.
"Quincy, where are you going?"
He turned. "Mum…"
Fransisca stood with her arms folded, face weary.
"To harm Angel or what?"
His eyes narrowed. "Did you know about it too, Mum?"
"I surely do. Since the first time she was brought here—I knew it."
"Why didn't you say anything, Mum?! I signed the paperwork in front of you!"
"What am I supposed to say?" she snapped, eyes glistening. "The baby was just a few weeks old. It was killing Blue carrying a dead fetus inside her because she was still holding onto the child. She refused to get it aborted despite being in so much pain and bleeding out every day. Until her body couldn't take it anymore. She risked herself to hold the pregnancy for almost a week instead of getting the surgery."
Quincy staggered a step back, as if the words were physical blows.
"If I had told you," she continued, "then you would be feeling bad about having your child aborted while Blue was dying."
His breath hitched. "I swear I'm gonna kill Angel for this!"
"What will you tell Blue then? Do you think she went through all this ordeal just to watch you kill her sister?"
His eyes darkened. "Our child died because of her!"
Fransisca stepped closer. "Don't put Blue in more agony. Her life is already hard enough!"
He turned away, rubbing his temples in anguish. "She was going through all this and still pushing me away. How could this happen… what the hell…"
Fransisca's voice dropped. "She couldn't face you! She chose her sister over you despite knowing she was gonna lose her child because of it. She can't bring herself to say anything to you. Blue has been fighting to survive all her life. Then she started fighting to keep your life in order. She got shot while protecting you, Quincy—because Angel never intended to kill her sister. You were the target!"
He froze, eyes wide.
"Angel was also trying to protect her sister in her own foolish ways. But she didn't harm Blue intentionally. What happened with the pregnancy… wasn't her intention. And I hope you can look deeper into this matter. Because if you kill Angel out of anger and Blue finds out—just know that you are losing her forever! Both physically and mentally, she will be totally drained and give up on everything."
Fransisca's voice cracked. "Whatever happens to Blue now and henceforth will be because of you! Her life is at risk because of you!" With that, she walked off, head bowed in sorrow.
Quincy leaned back against the wall, chest heaving. His world was unraveling in front of him.
"Paige!" he barked, voice raw.
"Yes, boss!"
"That doctor—find out more about him. And dig around the hospital for some information. I don't want to believe that Harper's fetus became weak because of some damn gunshot. This is the Shield Hospital. We have the best doctors here. They could've saved the child through many ways. So I find this suspicious."
"I will work on it, boss!" Paige nodded and ran off.
Quincy remained still, swallowed by silence. His fists clenched at his sides, his heart a battlefield between rage and heartbreak.