Chapter 3 – Adrian Blackwood

Sydney.

The rain washed over the city before sunrise.

Far above the streets, the top three floors of Blackwood Private Medical Centre had been completely sealed.

No reporters.

No ordinary patients.

No visitors.

The entire floor belonged to one person.

Adrian Blackwood.

Inside the operating room, more than twenty specialists worked in complete silence.

Every one of them was among the best in Australia.

Normally, a surgery of this scale would have been broadcast to medical universities around the world as a learning case.

Today...

No cameras were allowed.

The patient's identity alone was enough to silence everyone.

The heartbeat monitor suddenly dropped.

A nurse's face turned pale.

"Blood pressure is falling."

The chief surgeon didn't even look up.

"Epinephrine."

"Already administered."

"Again."

Another doctor spoke.

"Heart rhythm collapsing."

"Prepare defibrillator."

Outside the operating room...

A red light remained lit.

No one dared approach the waiting area.

The hallway was empty except for four people.

A tall man stood before the glass wall overlooking Sydney.

His tailored black suit showed not a single wrinkle.

His face remained expressionless.

Yet no one would have mistaken that calm for peace.

This was Vincent Blackwood.

Chairman of Blackwood International.

One of the wealthiest men in Australia.

A man whose name appeared on magazine covers, charity foundations and business conferences.

To the public...

He was an admired businessman.

Only a handful of people knew another side of his empire.

His eyes never left the operating room door.

"...How long?"

A man behind him checked his watch.

"Five hours, sir."

Vincent said nothing.

Nearby sat a woman clutching a folded sweater.

She held it against her chest as if afraid someone would take it away.

Every few minutes she looked toward the operating room.

Then lowered her head again.

Her name was Evelyn Blackwood.

Adrian's mother.

She had prepared breakfast herself this morning.

She had promised Adrian that after the surgery they would eat together in the hospital garden.

The breakfast still sat untouched inside a thermal bag beside her.

Across from them stood two young men.

The eldest, Alexander Blackwood, stared silently at the floor.

The younger, Lucas Blackwood, walked back and forth through the hallway.

Finally...

Lucas stopped.

"I should've gone with him."

Alexander answered without raising his head.

"You did."

"I mean inside."

"We're not surgeons."

"I know."

Silence returned.

The atmosphere grew heavier with every passing minute.

A secretary cautiously approached Vincent.

"Sir..."

"The Prime Minister's office called again."

"They're asking whether today's meeting—"

"It's cancelled."

"They said it's urgent."

Vincent finally looked at him.

"My son is in surgery."

The secretary immediately lowered his head.

"I understand."

He left without another word.

No one questioned the decision.

Not today.

...

Inside the operating room...

"Cardiac arrest!"

The surgeon immediately responded.

"Charge to two hundred!"

The paddles pressed against Adrian's chest.

"Clear!"

His body jerked violently.

Nothing.

"Again!"

"Clear!"

Another shock.

Still nothing.

The room remained silent except for alarms.

One nurse quietly wiped tears from her eyes while continuing to work.

She had looked after Adrian for nearly seven years.

Everyone in the hospital knew him.

He thanked every nurse.

Remembered every birthday.

Never complained about painful treatments.

Even when he was too weak to stand...

He still smiled.

The surgeon refused to stop.

"Again!"

One shock.

Two.

Three.

Minutes passed.

The monitor finally produced one long...

Unbroken...

Tone.

No one moved.

The surgeon slowly removed his gloves.

His shoulders dropped.

"...Time of death."

No one spoke.

Several doctors lowered their heads.

The nurse who had been treating Adrian since childhood quietly covered her mouth to stop herself from crying.

The operating room doors slowly opened.

The chief surgeon stepped outside.

Everyone immediately stood.

Vincent looked directly at him.

He didn't ask.

He already knew.

The surgeon bowed deeply.

"I'm sorry..."

"We couldn't save him."

The hallway became completely silent.

Evelyn stared at the doctor.

"No..."

She smiled weakly.

"No..."

"You're mistaken."

"He promised..."

"He promised we'd have breakfast."

No one answered.

Lucas punched the wall so hard that blood immediately ran down his knuckles.

Alexander closed his eyes.

Vincent remained standing.

Completely still.

For nearly thirty seconds...

He didn't move.

Then he quietly asked,

"...Can we see him?"

The surgeon nodded.

"Of course."

The family slowly entered the room.

Adrian lay peacefully on the operating table.

He looked as though he had simply fallen asleep.

Evelyn gently held his cold hand.

"...Breakfast will get cold."

Her voice broke.

"You always hated cold food."

Alexander looked away.

Lucas covered his face.

Vincent stood beside the bed.

He reached out...

And gently brushed a strand of hair away from Adrian's forehead.

The last time he had done that...

Adrian had been six years old.

"I should have spent more time with you."

His voice was barely audible.

"I thought..."

"There would be more years."

No one noticed...

The heart monitor beside Adrian's bed flickered.

Once.

Then again.

A finger twitched.

So slightly...

That everyone believed they had imagined it.

The monitor suddenly gave a single...

Beep.

The surgeon froze.

"...Wait."

Another beep.

Then another.

A weak heartbeat slowly returned.

Everyone stared in disbelief.

The line that had been completely flat...

Began to rise once more.

And somewhere...

Deep within that body...

A pair of eyes slowly opened.

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