"Didn''t you run?" Harold''s voice was as cold as ice. "Was I just seeing things earlier?"


    "I really didn''t..." William started to say, but Harold''s attention was caught by a piece of paper in William''s hand.


    Harold quickly grabbed it and saw it was a death certificate for someone else, who had died of tuberculosis. Instantly, Harold''s mind shed back to the previous night when the doctor handed him Gordon''s death notice. The cause of death was exactly the same. Could this really just be a coincidence?


    "You better exin yourself clearly!" Harold demanded, his voice low and tense. He knew something was off.


    William nced around to ensure they were alone, then gestured for Harold to keep quiet. "Shh! Don''t shout! If Mr. Gordon finds out you''ve figured this out, I''m in deep trouble!"


    "What do you mean? Are you saying my brother..."


    "Shh! Shh! I told you to hush! Stop talking!" William frantically motioned for silence.


    Harold finally let go of William. "You better give me a clear exnation, or else..."


    "Come with me first," William said, pulling Harold into an empty hospital room next door.


    "Your brother, he doesn''t have tuberculosis..."


    "No tuberculosis? Then why was he coughing all the time?"


    "He''s frail, yes, but it''s just anemia!" William exined. "He''s a deep thinker, and he was severely depressed before. To put it simply, a lot of it was self-induced..."


    At this, Harold shot William a frosty look.


    Realizing his mistake, William


    quickly corrected himself, "What I mean is, he was severely depressed


    and didn''t want to live. But he needed to outsmart The Silent Shadows, so he couldn''t stop thinking. He often took medication to suppress his symptoms, making him appear more frail than he


    actually was. But most ofit was an act by Gordon to confuse his enemies, making both The Silent Shadows and outsiders believe his health was failing and he wouldn''t live long."


    "So you''re saying that years ago, my brother already started..."


    "Your brother is incredibly smart, never ying a simple game. He''s done all this for today."


    "And yesterday, in the operating room..."


    "Just theatrics," William said, checking outside again before continuing. Your brother spentst night in the operating room as part of his n. He found out about the incense The Silent Shadows used to manipte minds and had his team modify it. Last night was just a test of its effects..."


    Before William could finish, Harold interrupted angrily, "So my brother''s alive, and he''s been ying us?"


    "Keep it down! If anyone finds out,


    I''m as good as done!" William quickly covered Harold''s mouth. "Your brother has his reasons for doing this. You have to understand. as long as Gordon''s around, you can''t take the helm of the Aldridge family. He''s exhausted and wants a break. He knows you have your ambitions and believes you can lead the Aldridge family to greater heights. But the other branches of the Aldridge family... you know there are too many smart folks there. As long as Gordon is alive, who would let you take that position?"