Nick stood silently, watching John's calm, indifferent expression. The bitterness in his heart deepened. He knew they had wronged him—badly. It was no wonder John held such coldness in his eyes.
"Actually," Nick said, voice heavy with regret, "Marcia wasn't always like this. In fact, her situation isn't so different from Queenie's."
John didn't interrupt, though it was unclear whether he was truly listening.
Nick went on. "She was born into the Kelvin family of Chicago—a powerful martial arts clan. Years ago, they tried to arrange her marriage into another martial arts family. But she refused. She chose to marry me instead…"
A shadow passed over his face.
"That decision caused a complete rift with the Kelvin family. She gave up everything for me."
He sighed, a deep pain buried in his voice.
"Knowing that, you'd think she'd understand Queenie better… but now she's become just like the family that once tried to control her."
There was only one reason Marcia could become so unrecognizable: she regretted marrying him.
On the surface, everything looked perfect. Nick had treated her well. The Yeats family was wealthy, and their material life lacked nothing.
So the problem had to be somewhere else.
He didn't say it outright, but the silence between the lines spoke volumes.
John finally glanced at him. "It's because of your… unspeakable disease, isn't it?"
Nick froze.
His entire body trembled as the words sank in. He looked at John in disbelief. "You… you saw through it?"
John nodded. "The first time you came here, I noticed it. But your arrogant attitude annoyed me, so I didn't bother mentioning it."
Nick was shaken to the core.
John was right. For over ten years, he'd been quietly suffering.
The condition began one night, long ago—just as he and Marcia were about to be intimate. A wild cat suddenly leaped in through the window, startling him. The shock struck deep, and ever since… he had been impotent.
He'd consulted famous doctors across the country. None could cure him.
Eventually, he gave up.
He kept the condition a secret. If people found out that the powerful Yeats family patriarch suffered from this… he would become a laughingstock.
Marcia had loved him truly. But even the strongest love could sour over time—especially in the absence of physical intimacy. She was a passionate woman, and year after year of neglect slowly turned her heart bitter.
She never said it aloud.
But her cold attitude and distant gaze spoke volumes. Nick had pieced it together long ago—and each realization felt like a blade to the heart.
Now, hearing John say he could see right through him…
Nick was stunned.
"John—Doctor John," he said eagerly. "If you know what's wrong with me… does that mean… you can cure it?"
John offered a faint smile. "You want to know if I can cure your unspeakable disease, right? Then let me tell you clearly: yes. I can. And it's not even difficult."
Boom.
Nick felt like his soul had been struck by thunder.
"You… you can?"
He could hardly believe it.
He had lived with this torment for over a decade. He had long buried hope under the rubble of disappointment. But now…
John not only diagnosed him at a glance—he even said it wasn't hard to fix!
Nick's eyes shone with desperation and renewed hope.
But John's expression turned flat again.
"Don't celebrate just yet. I only said I can cure you. I never said I would."
Nick's excitement instantly stalled. He scrambled, voice trembling. "John—Doctor John—everything that happened before, it was all my fault. Blame me however you like, punish me however you want. But please… give me a chance."
He clenched his fists. "I'll pay you whatever you ask. Name any price. Even if it's half the Yeats family fortune, I'll give it to you!"
But John shook his head.
"Do I look like someone who needs money?"
Nick was stunned—and then it hit him.
Of course. This man was a legendary doctor, the so-called Master of Clouds. He could create god-level skincare formulas with ease. Why would someone like him care about money?
Even if he handed over the entire Yeats fortune, John might not even blink.
Nick stood there, helpless.
But suddenly, a thought struck him.
"John… for Queenie's sake, please. I'm her father. Just once—please, give me this chance."
John didn't respond immediately.
But this time, he fell silent, deep in thought.
There was hope.
Nick saw it. His heart surged.
Without waiting, he grabbed his phone and called Marcia.
"Honey! Get to New York immediately! Doctor John—he said he can cure me!"
On the other end of the line, in the Yeats estate in Rochester, Marcia's phone slipped from her hands and clattered to the floor.
Her eyes welled up. Her body trembled.
He could be cured?
After all these years… could she finally stop living in lonely silence?
She fumbled to call the driver, voice cracking with emotion.
"Hurry—take me to New York right now! It's urgent!"