After finishing breakfast, Felix hesitated but decided to call Xena. His mind kept drifting back to last night and the madness with Averill—at least, at the time, he had genuinely thought it was Xena.Fortunately, the call connected, and Xena's cold voice immediately came through, "What is it?"Felix felt incredibly awkward, even though nothing had actually happened between them. "Xena, about last night—"Xena quickly cut him off, "I'm not dwelling on it. No need to explain yourself. Besides, there's nothing between us, so your private life is your own business."As expected, Felix thought women always seemed to get upset over the same kind of things. He said, "Alright. I'll drop it. I just hope this doesn't affect your mindset during the investigation."There was a long pause before Xena responded, saying, "Felix, thank you for getting headquarters to release me. That meant a lot to me."As for the investigation, I'm not worried. My assistance to Uncle Perry was completely legal

Half an hour later, Felix, Jack, and Vanessa arrived at Nancy's apartment, where she was busy in the kitchen, wearing an apron. "Make yourselves comfortable," she called out. "Just two more dishes to go. Nessa, could you help entertain them?"The apartment was not large, around 900 square feet. Nancy had bought it with a mortgage and help from her parents for the down payment. According to Vanessa, Nancy was fiercely independent and wanted her own place, leaving future marriage considerations for later.As a university professor, Nancy's income was decent enough to handle the mortgage payments. Her modest dress and lifestyle showed she was neither extremely frugal nor wasteful with money."Wow! Cici, your place is so neat and clean," Jack complimented. "Unlike our mess of an apartment."Vanessa immediately pinched his ear. "Oh? Complaining about me? We agreed when we got together that you're in charge of housework or we hire a housekeeper. Having second thoughts now?"Felix coul

"Mom! I know someone incredibly skilled who can definitely cure Uncle Gary!" Nancy's enthusiastic announcement drew everyone's attention, and her mother's face lit up with hope."Really? Contact them right away!" her mother, Samantha Niles, exclaimed excitedly.Nancy pulled Felix forward and introduced him. "Mom, this is Felix Zeller, my good friend."Samantha gave a polite greeting, though she internally questioned why Nancy was introducing a friend at such a critical time. "Hello, Felix. It's nice to meet you," she said before turning to Nancy. "Well, Cici. Hurry up and make the call!"After a brief pause, Nancy declared seriously, "Felix is the master healer I was talking about."The announcement caused an uproar among the relatives gathered in the hospital waiting room."Don't be ridiculous, Cici! He's far too young to be a master healer," Samantha protested."Exactly, Nancy! At his age, being a resident physician would be impressive enough," one of her aunts chimed in."Wh

"Just friends? Regular friends don't visit each other's homes or care this much! Do you think I'm an idiot? Watch your back, pretty boy," Drake snarled.Drake watched Felix walk away. He clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with cold fury. He clearly had not taken Felix's warning to heart, or if he had even listened at all....At sunset, in a coffee shop in Yartford, Aimee sat waiting for someone. After about 20 minutes, a young man walked in and took the seat across from her. He asked, "Aimee, it's been months. What made you reach out?"Aimee smiled and pulled out a sealed plastic bag containing a single strand of hair that Yvonne had given her. "Leroy, if I remember correctly, you mentioned being a distant relative of the Greene family, right?" Leroy Kidman nodded slightly. "Why would I lie about that? But if you're hoping to ask any favors from the Greene family through me, it's impossible. "To be blunt, I don't have that kind of pull, and we're not that close."They ha

"Mr. Summers Senior, if a man degrades himself to the point of sacrificing his own body for love, he doesn't deserve to live! Our bodies are gifts from our parents, and unless forced, self-mutilation is disrespectful to those who gave us life and raised us," Felix declared firmly. "If you believe I'm a coward, so be it. I won't perform such a ridiculous act just to change your mind," he added before turning and walking out.As the bitter realization sank in, he saw no point in staying. He had thought Curtis was finally ready to accept him, but instead, it was just an elaborate trap to humiliate him.After Felix had been gone for a while, Xena shifted her gaze from the axe to Curtis, her eyes filled with anger. "Grandpa, this was absolutely ridiculous!"Curtis simply pulled the axe from the table and headed back upstairs, saying, "I have my reasons. Stay out of it."...Later that evening, Felix sat at a local barbecue joint, drinking beer and eating. He was there purely out of