Chapter 3 A Touch of Healing

Anna looked up.

At the top of the grand staircase sat a man in a wheelchair.

William was breathtakingly handsome, with sharp, aristocratic features. But his blue eyes blazed with cold hostility.

"You must be the sacrifice from the Rice family," William said, his voice dripping with disdain. He maneuvered his wheelchair forward. "Did they tell you that my last three fiancées ran away screaming?"

"They told me you were a cripple," Anna replied calmly, smoothing her dress. "They didn't mention you used dogs to greet guests."

William's eyes narrowed. He wasn't used to defiance. "You have spirit. Let's see how long it lasts."

Suddenly, William grimaced. His hand flew to his temple. His face twisted in agony, and veins bulged on his forehead.

"Mr. Sterling!" A butler rushed forward.

"Get... out..." William groaned through gritted teeth. The pain in his head was blinding, like a thousand knives. This was the curse that had plagued him since the accident.

His body seized up. He slumped forward in the wheelchair, unconscious.

"Mr. Sterling!" The butler screamed. "Call Dr. Thompson! Hurry!"

Chaos erupted. Servants ran in every direction.

An elderly woman, Irene Sterling, rushed down the hall with William's uncle, Alexander, and aunt, Victoria.

"William! Oh god, not again!" Irene cried, clutching her cane.

Anna watched for a second. She saw the purple tint on William's lips. He wasn't just in pain; his neural pathways were shutting down. He would be brain-dead in five minutes.

She didn't hesitate.

Anna rushed up the stairs, pushing past the panicked servants. She knelt beside the wheelchair, pulled a set of silver acupuncture needles from her bag, and ripped open William's shirt collar.

"What are you doing?!" Alexander shouted. "Get away from him, you crazy woman!"

"He's going into shock," Anna said coldly, inserting a needle into William's neck with surgical precision. "If you want him to live, shut up."

"You—how dare you!" Alexander lunged to grab her. "Security! Throw her out!"

"Stop!"

The command came from the doorway. An old man with white hair ran in, carrying a medical bag. It was Richard Thompson, the most famous neurologist in the country.

Alexander pointed at Anna. "Dr. Thompson! This woman is stabbing William with needles! She's trying to kill him!"

Richard looked at the needle in William's neck. His eyes went wide.

"Wait," Richard whispered. He rushed closer, examining the placement.

He looked at Anna with shock and awe. "Young lady, stop? No, don't stop! Continue! If you stop now, the blood flow will reverse!"

Alexander froze. "What?"

"She is saving his life!" Richard yelled. "This technique... it's the Lost Nine Needles. I thought it was a myth."

The room fell into a stunned silence. Everyone watched as Anna's hands moved like lightning. One needle. Two. Five.

Sweat beaded on her forehead.

Finally, with the ninth needle placed on William's temple, William gasped.

His eyes flew open.

He took a deep, ragged breath. The blinding pain was gone. For the first time in five years, his head was clear.

He looked up, his vision clearing. The first thing he saw was a woman's face, close to his, her eyes focused and intense.

"You..." William's voice was hoarse.

"Don't move," Anna ordered, placing her stethoscope on his chest. "I just pulled you back from hell. Don't jump back in."

Richard stared at Anna in awe. "Incredible. Absolutely incredible. Who is your master?"

"I taught myself," Anna lied smoothly, standing up. She looked at the stunned Sterling family members.

Irene was trembling with tears in her eyes. "He's awake... he's actually awake." She walked over and grabbed Anna's hand. "You... you are a miracle."

Alexander and Victoria stood in the back, their faces pale. They exchanged a look of fear. This girl wasn't just a decoration. She was dangerous.

William stared at Anna. He felt a strange warmth spreading through his body—something he hadn't felt in years.

He grabbed her wrist. His grip was strong.

"Who are you?" William asked, his dark eyes locking onto hers.

Anna looked down at him, unphased. "I'm your wife. And you owe me a life."