Chapter 656: Running Out of Time

Hayley’s POV:

“The situation isn’t looking good,” Claudio said. The conditions here are too limited. I need to conduct a professional examination and arrange for surgery immediately.”

“Will he wake up after the surgery?” I pressed.

“No guarantees. His wolf has completely stopped responding.”

Claudio continued, “But I’ll do my best to try. That being said, if you just want him to regain consciousness for a short while, there is a way.”

“Do it,” I instructed without hesitation. Since he wasn’t confident in fully reviving Dominic, we might as well try to get some useful information from him before the surgery.

Claudio glanced at me and the others standing guard nearby, hesitating momentarily before responding. I gave him a subtle look, and only then did he pull out his canvas bag. From the most concealed compartment, he retrieved a small vial of liquid. Breaking the seal, he pried open Dominic’s mouth and poured every last drop of the solution inside.

The entire room fell into a heavy silence. Nearly a minute passed. Then, in an astonishingly short time, Dominic transitioned from a vegetative state to slowly opening his eyes. Moments later, his gaze sharpened, and his energy returned—he looked no different from a perfectly healthy person.

“Dominic,” I stepped forward immediately, explaining, “I was the one who revived you. You can trust me.”

“Tell me, who did this to you? And who is giving orders in your place?” I waited calmly for his response.

For a long moment, Dominic remained silent. Then, his expression darkened with frustration, and he shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“My last memory…” He paused as if searching his mind. “I was handling an order related to the disappearance of physicist Tom Lewis and his wife, Sonia John. They went missing 12 years ago.”

The moment he finished speaking, his eyelids fluttered rapidly. Then, just like a machine running out of power, his body shut down entirely. His eyes closed.

“Dominic!” I gripped his cold hands in a panic, but no matter how I called his name, he didn’t respond.

I turned to Claudio, my voice laced with urgency. “What’s going on?”

“This is as much as I can do for now,” Claudio said apologetically. He explained, “That drug only provides a temporary boost. It works the same way stimulants do for athletes. His wolf might be completely dead. In his current condition, recalling and clearly explaining a full event is already an incredible feat of willpower.”

I let out a frustrated sigh, raking a hand through my hair. At that moment, Frederick suddenly spoke up, testing Claudio with a casual question. “I wonder where did you learn medicine?”

“Self-taught,” Claudio answered smoothly, meeting my gaze without a trace of hesitation. “If you’re interested, Mr. Langston, I wouldn’t mind teaching you a thing or two.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Frederick’s tone was as icy as ever. Then, out of nowhere, he asked, “Since you’re such an accomplished physician, I assume you’ve heard of Claudio?”

My heart clenched. Was he starting to suspect something?