Before Mr. Madison could even draw a breath to launch a counter-attack, the heavy fire-rated doors of the medical ward were kicked open with a thunderous resonance. Alexis Mackay stormed in, his presence alone causing the temperature in the room to drop. Behind him, Mark followed with a contingent of twenty hardened enforcers, their footsteps heavy and synchronized like a marching army.
The sight of this new arrivals sent a shockwave through the room. The local thugs Mr. Madison had brought—tough enough when harassing a bedridden patient—instantly recognized the black-clad soldiers of the city's true underworld. They didn't just back away; they scrambled into the corners of the ward, pressing their backs against the sterile white walls as if trying to merge with the paint.
" Mark," Tiger
