After Zigh had secured both the suspect and the evidence, he immediately contacted his subordinates.

  "Target is in custody," he informed his subordinates.

  "Copy that, sir."

  "Inform the personnel heading to the location: stay low, maintain silence, and remain on high alert. I don't want a scene."

  "Understood, sir."

  Zigh ended the call with a sharp click.

  Lian, who had been standing back and observing Zigh with his usual passive gaze, finally approached him.

  "Where to next?" Lian asked, his voice soft.

  "The hospital."

  "Huh?!" Lian blinked, startled.

  "You're sick, remember?" Zigh's eyes narrowed, reflecting Lian's state.

  Lian turned his face away, staring at the concrete floor. "I told you, I'm fine."

  The sharp ring of Zigh's phone cut through the tension.

  Zigh sighed, rubbing his temples before answering. "Report."

  "We've reached the perimeter, sir."

  "Get to the roof. Now!"

  "Understood! On our way!"

  Zigh snapped the phone shut.

  "Didn't you already buy medicine at the clinic?" Lian persisted.

  "Medicine is one thing, but a proper diagnosis is another. You haven't been examined."

  "It's not necessary..."

  Zigh stepped closer, standing firmly beside Lian. He looked him in the eye, his voice dropping to a stern tone.

  "You need to start caring more about yourself, Lian. Life is a gift, and you're treating yours far too lightly."

  Lian fell silent, his breathing heavy.

  "Lian is sick, right?" Outer whispered into his ear.

  Lian only offered a small, weary smile and a nod.

  The sound of rhythmic footsteps broke their focus. Two men in tactical police uniforms burst onto the rooftop. Upon seeing Zigh, they snapped into a sharp salute.

  "Officer Lexin, reporting for duty!"

  "Officer Devin, ready for orders!"

  Zigh rubbed the back of his neck. "Cut the formalities, both of you. We're in the field, not a parade."

  Lexin nudged Devin's ribs, leaning in close. "Hey, Dev," he whispered. "Who's the man?"

  Devin clicked his tongue, looking straight ahead. "Ask the Boss yourself if you're so curious."

  Lexin grumbled under his breath, "You're as cold as ever..."

  "Instead of whispering like kids," Zigh's voice boomed, "get the suspect to the station. Fast."

  "Yes, sir!" they replied in unison.

  They moved toward the unconscious suspect. Lexin poked the man with his boot. "Dev, he's out cold. He was even handcuffed and shackled."

  "I have eyes, Lex. I can see that."

  "So... who's carrying him?"

  "We'll carry him together," Devin suggested.

  "And you can grab the evidence too." Lexin added.

  Devin flashed a mischievous grin.

  Lexin rolled his eyes, sighing. "Fine, I'll take the evidence. Just grab his other shoulder."

  As the two subordinates lugged the suspect toward the stairwell, their bickering faded into the echoes of the building.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Zigh massaged his temples. "Those two..."

  "So," Lian's voice was faint, "it turns out you're actually someone important..."

  In a flash, the world began to tilt. Lian's vision blurred, the edges of his sight fraying into darkness.

  "Forget about that. We're going to get you treated," Zigh said, turning back.

  "No need..." Lian murmured, his voice barely a thread.

  His legs gave way. The balance he had been desperately maintaining finally shattered.

  "LIAN!" Outer shrieked.

  Outer lunged to catch him, but Zigh was faster. He dove forward, catching Lian before the man's head could strike the hard roof.

  "Lian! Stay with me!"

  Lian's breath was coming in ragged, shallow gasps. As Zigh pulled him closer, he recoiled slightly—Lian's skin felt like a furnace.

  "He's even hotter than before," Zigh muttered, his heart hammering against his ribs.

  Zigh rose up, lifting Lian into a bridal carry. He's too light. Far too light.

  He sprinted into the building, reaching the elevator just as Lexin and Devin were about to descend.

  "Hold the door!" Zigh roared.

  Lexin flinched, reflexively slamming his finger onto the open button. The doors hissed open. Zigh burst in, chest heaving.

  "Sir? Who is... I mean, is he okay?" Lexin asked, his eyes wide with shock.

  "A partner," Zigh replied, his tone becoming grim.

  The ride down was silent, save for the heavy, ragged sound of Zigh's breathing. The moment the doors opened at the ground floor, Zigh vanished, sprinting toward his car.

  "I've never seen the Boss look like that," Lexin whispered, watching the tail lights disappear.

  "Focus on the job, Lex," Devin said, though his eyes remained fixed on the exit.

  Zigh laid Lian across the backseat with trembling hands. Outer sat beside him, huddled like a frightened child. Zigh didn't waste a second; he roared the engine to life.

  The car tore through the streets, far exceeding the speed limit.

  "Dammit," Zigh hissed, gripping the wheel until his knuckles turned white. "I should have taken him to the hospital the moment I touched him."

  He glanced at the rearview mirror. Sweat poured down his face, though he didn't feel the heat. "Hang on, Lian. Just a little longer."

  He swung the car into the hospital entrance, the tires screeching and leaving black streaks of rubber on the asphalt. He didn't wait for a proper parking spot. He scooped Lian up and ran toward the Emergency Room.

  "Help!" Zigh shouted as he burst through the doors, his voice raw. "Get a doctor! My partner needs immediate care!"

  The triage nurse didn't hesitate. "Bring a gurney, now!"

  Zigh laid Lian down, his hands lingering for a split second before the nurses pushed the gurney toward the trauma ward. Zigh followed until a nurse blocked his path at the double doors.

  "Sir, you can't come inside. Please, wait here."

  "Right... yeah," Zigh breathed.

  He watched the doors swing shut. The hallway felt quiet. He wiped his face with both hands. "Damn. Perhaps from the very moment Lian had joined me, he had been suffering in silence."

  A doctor entered the ward shortly after. Zigh sat on a waiting bench, trying to regulate his breathing, trying to find his center. His phone buzzed.

  "Sir, the suspect... he needs medical attention too," Lexin's voice came through.

  "Take him to the military hospital. Secure wing," Zigh ordered.

  "Understood."

  Zigh leaned back, staring at the ceiling. Why am I like this? he wondered. I just met him. Is it because he saved me? Or is it something else? To care for another is a duty, but this felt... personal.

  Footsteps approached. A doctor in a white coat stopped exactly two paces in front of him.

  "Young Master Eosvile. My apologies for the wait."

  Zigh's jaw tightened. "Spare me the formalities," he muttered, standing up. "How is my partner?"

  The doctor sighed, looking at his clipboard. "He is suffering from extreme physical exhaustion. But more concerningly, Sir Zigh... the tests show severe malnutrition, dangerously low blood sugar, and chronic anemia."

  Zigh ran a hand through his hair, his heart sinking. Malnutrition? In this day and age?

  "Is it treatable?"

  "Of course, but it won't be instant, Young Mas—"

  "I said call me Zigh."

  "My apologies, Sir Zigh. It will take six months to a year for a full recovery, depending on his psychological state and a very strict nutritional regimen."

  "Anything else?"

  "We need further tests for that. He's stable for now, but he's very fragile."

  "Thank you, Doctor."

  With a polite nod, the doctor left. Zigh stood there. The name Lian tasted like ash in his mouth. He sat back down, folding his arms.

  Does Miss Edelweiss know? He closed his eyes, recalling their first meeting. Miss Edelweiss... she was worried. She knew, right?

  "Who exactly was Lian? And what kind of life had he led to end up like this—starving while standing right in front of me?"

  Zigh walked toward the ward. He stopped a few meters from the door, his sharp gaze softening for the first time. "Lian... just hang in there."

  He stayed there for a long time, leaning against the cold hospital wall. "I need to meet Miss Edelweiss again."

  A nurse approached him. "Excuse me, sir... the administration and billing?"

  "Lead the way."

  At the counter, Zigh pulled out a black card and handed it to the clerk. The clerk's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

  "This card... you're..."

  "Process the payment. Quietly," Zigh commanded.

  "Ah! Yes! Right away!"

  The clerk's fingers flew across the keyboard. "All set, sir. Thank you."

  Zigh didn't answer.

  He returned to the lobby and dialed Devin.

  "Dev."

  "Yes, sir?"

  "Where are you?"

  "Almost at the military hospital."

  "Good. Once you're done, go to the coordinates I'm sending you. Immediately."

  "What about the suspect, sir?"

  "Lexin can handle the guard duty. I need you on something else."

  "Copy that."

  Lexin and Devin sighed simultaneously in their car.

  "Since the day we joined Boss, vacation has been a foreign word," Lexin grumbled.

  "Even on our off days, the Boss is a magnet for chaos," Devin added.

  "But the guy he was carrying... do you think he's someone important? Does it ring a bell, Dev?"

  "Who knows? We follow orders, Lex. Don't go digging into the Boss's private life."

  "I'm just saying, Dev. The Boss... looked different. Genuinely rattled."

  "Well, after a shooting and his partner's collapse, anyone would be. Even a Young Master."

  "Fair point."

  The military hospital loomed ahead. "We're here," Devin said. "Lex, stay with the car. I'll notify the guards."

  "Got it."

  As Devin headed inside, Lexin glanced in the rearview mirror at the unconscious man in the back. Did Boss take him down alone? Or was it... He shook the thought away. Devin's right. Just focus on the duty.

  To be continued...