Julian's car came to a stop in front of the Eagle Wings estate. The moment he stopped the car, he noticed two guards standing on either side of the massive entrance gate. Both men were dressed in black, their expressions hard and emotionless. The weapons hanging at their waists immediately caught Julian's attention.
He had already expected this place to be different from an ordinary residence. But seeing the armed guards standing openly at the entrance still made one thing clear. This was not simply a wealthy family's home.
As Julian's car approached the gate, the two guards stepped forward and stopped in the middle of the road. Julian slowly brought the car to a stop. One of the guards approached the driver's side and Julian lowered the window. The guard leaned slightly toward the car and looked inside, carefully checking the interior before asking,
"Who are you?"
Julian remained calm.
"I'm Julian. I'm here to see Ethan."
The moment he mentioned his name, the guard's expression changed slightly. The two guards exchanged a quick glance. Julian noticed it immediately and his brows furrowed faintly.
The guards seemed to know his name. Or at least, they had expected to hear it.
"Please wait a moment."
One of the guards immediately took out his phone and made a call. While the guard was speaking on the phone, Julian remained inside his car and quietly observed the surroundings. The estate was enormous.
From the outside, it looked like a grand mansion belonging to an extremely wealthy family. Tall trees surrounded the property, and the large iron gates were designed to provide complete privacy. However, the security around the place was far too strict for an ordinary family residence. There were armed guards. Security cameras placed at different angles. Several men positioned near the entrance.
And every single one of them seemed to be paying attention to their surroundings. Julian's expression remained unchanged. But his mind quietly registered everything he saw. He had come here as a doctor and nothing more. After a few minutes, the guard finally ended the call and returned to the car.
"You may enter, Doctor."
The massive iron gates slowly began to open. Julian nodded once.
"Thank you."
He raised the window and drove inside. The moment the car passed through the gate, Julian felt the atmosphere change. The long driveway was surrounded by thick trees, hiding the mansion from the outside world. The road was wide and well-maintained, leading toward the enormous mansion in the distance.
Julian drove slowly until he reached the parking area. After stopping the car, he turned off the engine and stepped out. The only thing he carried was a medical bag. He was dressed in a simple white long-sleeved shirt and dark trousers. His appearance was neat and composed, and despite the unfamiliar surroundings, there was not even the slightest trace of fear on his face.
A woman's voice suddenly came from nearby.
"Doctor Julian?"
Julian turned his head. A young woman dressed in black was walking toward him from near the parking area. Her expression was calm and cold. However, there was a certain confidence in every movement she made. She did not look like an ordinary housekeeper. She was probably one of the female fighters within the organization. Or perhaps someone responsible for administration and internal affairs. Julian studied her for only a moment before giving a slight nod.
"Yes."
The woman stopped in front of him.
"My name is Alice. I'm Mr. Roger's assistant. Mr. Roger is the master of this estate."
Julian remained silent for a moment. Then he gave a polite smile.
"It's nice to meet you."
He lifted the medical bag slightly.
"My younger brother called and asked for help. As his older brother, I was worried about him, so I came."
Alice seemed to understand. A small smile appeared on her lips.
"I understand. Please follow me."
"Yes."
Alice turned around without saying anything else and began walking toward the mansion. Julian followed behind her. As soon as they entered the mansion, Julian's eyes swept across the interior. The inside was even more impressive than the outside. The ceilings were incredibly high. The walls were decorated with a combination of black and gold, giving the entire mansion a luxurious yet intimidating atmosphere.
Several old paintings hung on the walls. Judging from their appearance alone, they were probably extremely valuable. Everything was expensive and elegant. And yet, beneath all that luxury, Julian could sense something else.
Something hidden. Something that seemed to be waiting quietly beneath the surface. The housekeepers moved silently throughout the mansion. Some of them glanced at Julian as he passed. As if they were trying to understand who he was. He continued walking without looking at anyone for too long.
This place was one of the main bases of the Eagle Wings. And this was the first time Julian had ever entered a place connected to the underground world. He had heard about the organization before. He knew that Ethan was involved in something dangerous and he knew that Ethan had secrets. But until today, Julian had never personally stepped into Ethan's world.
Now, he was walking through the center of it. Alice stopped near the staircase. She pointed toward the upper floor.
"Ethan is upstairs."
Julian nodded. The two of them climbed the stairs. As they reached the upper floor, they walked down a long corridor before finally stopping in front of a room at the far end. A guard was standing outside the door. When he saw Alice and Julian approaching, he immediately opened the door. Julian stepped inside. Ethan was lying on the bed.
His thigh was tightly wrapped in white bandages. However, the lower part of the bandage was stained with blood. One of his arms was also covered in a bandage that had turned dark with blood.
The smell of blood and medicine lingered in the air. The moment he heard the door open, Ethan turned his head and his eyes met Julian's. For a brief moment, neither of them spoke. Then Ethan's lips curved into a faint, mocking smile.
"So… you really came."
Julian walked into the room. He placed the medical bag on the table beside the bed. Then he pulled out the chair and sat down. He stared at Ethan without smiling.
"If I didn't come and you continued like this, you'd either die or become disabled."
Ethan's face immediately twisted.
"I'm not that easy to kill."
"Yeah."
Julian gave a faint, humorless smile.
"Did you tell Mom?"
Ethan remained silent. Julian continued,
"What happened to you? Why are you injured this badly? Actually, never mind. That's your business. My job is to treat you and warn you not to do something like this again."
Ethan gave a mocking laugh. Then he tilted his head slightly and looked at Julian.
"Julian… just do what you came here to do. After that, leave."
Julian said nothing. Ethan continued,
"And don't let anything else slip out of your mouth to Mom."
Julian's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I already told you to tell her the truth."
Ethan looked away.
"I told her I went on a trip."
Julian stared at him.
"You expect me to lie for you?"
Ethan looked back at him.
"I expect you to keep your mouth shut."
Julian let out a quiet sigh.
"I'm not going to ask you what happened."
Ethan seemed slightly surprised.
Julian continued,
"Not because I don't want to know."
His voice became colder.
"But because I already know that if you wanted to tell me, you would have."
Ethan remained silent. Julian looked toward the blood-soaked bandages.
"But that doesn't mean I'm going to let you bleed to death just because you're too stubborn to ask for help."
Ethan looked away again. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Despite their argument over Rosalie, despite the anger between them, the bond between the two brothers had not completely disappeared. They had grown up together. Julian had watched over Ethan since they were children.
And even now, when Ethan had done something Julian could never forgive, Julian still could not simply abandon him while he was seriously injured. Julian finally stood up. He opened his medical bag and took out a pair of gloves. Then he looked toward the housekeeper standing nearby.
"I need hot water and several clean towels."
The housekeeper immediately nodded and left. Julian glanced around the room.
"Also bring whatever sterile supplies are available."
One of the men standing near the foot of the bed stepped forward.
"I'm the medical officer of the organization. I can assist you."
Julian looked at him.
"Good."
The man came closer. Julian pointed toward Ethan's injured leg.
"For now, we need to remove the bullet from his thigh."
The medical officer nodded.
"I understand."
Julian looked at Ethan.
"Can you assist me?"
The man immediately nodded.
"Yes, Doctor."
Julian put on his gloves.
"Then we'll begin."
Ethan watched him calmly. Julian looked down at the injury.
"The bullet needs to come out."
"You sound very calm."
"I'm a doctor and you're also my brother. That's why I'm annoyed."
Ethan gave a faint smile. Julian ignored him.
"If the bullet hasn't damaged the bone, you're lucky. But if it has…"
His expression became serious.
"Then this is going to be much more complicated."
Ethan's faint smile disappeared. Julian carefully began removing the blood-soaked bandage. The moment the wound was exposed, the atmosphere in the room became heavier.