The Return Of The Mighty Man

"Alvaro, leave the clothes. You don't have to do the laundry anymore. It's your birthday today. I have cooked a delicious feast for you. Let's have it together," Donna Douglas urged with a smile.

Alvaro Clifford was washing the clothes in the bathroom. A startled gasp escaped his lips, for he couldn't believe his ears.

He turned and saw Donna smiling at him. She was a charming woman in her forties. "Mom..." he trailed off in a tremulous voice. "Are you serious?"

Ever since Alvaro became Donna's son-in-law, he had been living with her family, performing household chores as servants did.

He served everyone and attended to his mother-in-law's needs, only to get abused by the entire family.

His wife, Carmela Douglas, had always been indifferent toward him. She didn't even let him lay a finger on her in the past five years. Although they shared the same bedroom, she would make him sleep on the floor.

Five long, daunting years had passed in the blink of an eye. Alvaro succumbed to their torture and eventually became numb.

He had thought of divorcing Carmela and fighting back. But he endured everything only for Carmela's grandfather, Emilio Douglas, who raised him. If not for him, Alvaro wouldn't be alive now.

He didn't know how else to repay his kindness.

Emilio had saved his life. Alvaro felt the injustice he felt was nothing compared to what Carmela's grandfather did for him.

Being accustomed to all the torture, he was shocked to hear Donna's kind words.

"You are my son-in-law; Carmela's husband. We are family." Donna's smile widened.

Alvaro grew emotional. "Okay. You wait for me at the table. I will come as soon as I finish."

"Okay, don't be late."

He quickly finished washing his clothes.

When Alvaro entered the living room, his mother-in-law, wife, and sister-in-law greeted him with a smile. They were already waiting at the table for him.

The delicious aroma of the mouthwatering dishes wafted in the air. Alvaro's eyes widened when he saw the enormous birthday cake and the bottles of red wine on the dining table.

His sister-in-law, Aaliyah Douglas, walked over and held his arm. "Why are you standing there? Come here and take a seat."

More than her kind words, the intimacy in her voice surprised him even more.

Carmela gently inserted a few candles into the cake and smiled at him. "Honey, make a wish and blow the candles."

Alvaro nodded unblinkingly. He couldn't fathom what had gotten into them. Carmela was gentle and kind to him for the first time in five years.

She had always been cold to Alvaro. She seldom looked him in the eye or smiled at him. His mere presence disgusted her. Besides, he cooked for the entire family but was never allowed to eat with them. However, everything seemed to have changed overnight.

Alvaro smiled to himself as he blew out the candles and made a wish.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..."

The three women unanimously clapped their hands as they sang the birthday song.

Happiness and warmth filled the air.

"I hope this continues forever."

Alvaro felt a myriad of emotions when he saw the three women beaming at him. He wondered if all this was just a dream.

It looked like his hard days had finally come to an end. After five years of struggle and hard work, his wife and her family finally accepted him.

"Alvaro, come and eat. I've cooked all your favorite food."

"Let me pour you a glass of wine, honey."

"Happy birthday, Alvaro."

Alvaro happily hogged down the food. It was the best meal he had eaten in his lifetime.

The three women gave him a toast, served him food, and chatted with him like they were always fond of him. Alvaro was drowned in happiness that he didn't realize he was getting drunk. Eventually, he couldn't stay awake anymore. His eyes shut on their accord.

The next morning

The bright sunlight flooded through the window.

Alvaro woke up to the deafening screams of a girl.

He jerked up in shock and sat up. He rubbed his eyes and found himself lying on an unfamiliar bed.

Finally, his gaze fell on Aaliyah, who was looking at him with reproachful eyes, shaking with terror.

Just then, the bedroom door flew open.

"Alvaro! You jerk! How could you?"

Alvaro recoiled in shock.

Donna and Carmela angrily stormed into the room.

Alvaro opened his mouth to explain.

However, Donna slapped him in the face.

"Shut up! I don't want to listen to your stupid explanation. We celebrated your birthday out of sheer kindness, but you're a filthy monster. Look, we won't call the police considering our relation. But I can't stand the sight of you. Get out, and don't ever show your sorry face to me again!"

Alvaro's shoulders slumped. He knew they wouldn't believe him regardless of what he was to say.

Besides, what he did was blasphemous, even if it was just a drunken mistake.

He had no choice but to bear the consequences.

"I'm sorry, Aaliyah. I'm so sorry..."

Alvaro repeatedly apologized. However, Aaliyah continued to sob and refused to look at him. He had no choice but to put on his clothes and leave with a heavy heart.

"Wait a minute. Take this crap with you!"

Carmela took out her wedding ring and threw it on the floor.

Alvaro's face darkened.

The ring was a gift he got on his twentieth birthday from a mysterious man.

He received it via express delivery without the sender's name or address. The package only contained the ring along with a small note that read: "Happy birthday, King."

The strange gift surprised Alvaro. He thought someone had sent it to the wrong address, so he went to the courier company with the ring. However, the staff checked the records and said they neither received the package nor did any of their employees deliver it.

Alvaro tried every way to track down the sender but couldn't. Therefore, he kept the ring. After marrying Carmela, he gave it to her as a wedding ring because it was the most beautiful ring he had seen.

Later, Carmela took the ring to a jewelry store to find its worth. She learned it was a piece of scrap metal worth nothing and never wore it again.

Alvaro bent and picked up the ring. Then, he looked at the house for one last time, sighed, and left.

*

When Alvaro walked out of the house, he suddenly remembered he had forgotten to take his clothes. Just as he returned to the house, the burst of laughter from inside caught his attention.

"Wow! I can't believe it. We finally drove that loser away! It was amazing."

"Yeah. That moron thought we celebrated his birthday out of kindness and didn't realize we drugged him. He won't set foot into this house again."

"Yeah, thank God! He doesn't think he's good enough for me, does he? I wouldn't have married him if Grandpa didn't force me."

"It's okay, Carmela. We aren't going to see him again. Let's pop open a bottle of champagne and celebrate it."

Alvaro stopped dead in his tracks when he heard that.

The blood on his face drained. He clenched his fists, ignoring his nails sinking into his palm. He was seething with rage.

Suddenly, everything seemed to make sense.

The birthday party was a conspiracy.

The three women had conspired to get rid of him.

Alvaro felt stupid for falling for their trick. They had cooked a storm and celebrated his birthday only to kick him out of the house.

It was despicable.

Alvaro shook his head bitterly. He felt confronting those vicious people was pointless.

It wouldn't do him any good.

Therefore, he decided to leave.

The Douglas family had always treated him as a servant. Alvaro worked wholeheartedly without complaining once. He ignored all the humiliation just for Emilio.

But he couldn't stand it anymore.

Alvaro understood the entire family resented him. There was no point in staying there any longer.

He was exhausted.

A gust of cold wind whipped him.

Alvaro wrapped the coat around him and took a deep breath.

This winter was colder than the previous year.

A car darted toward Alvaro at lightning speed.

His eyes widened in horror.

Before he could react, the car knocked over him.

A piercing scream echoed across the silent road.

Blood splashed on the ring, and a strange, mysterious light flashed through the ring.

At the Douglas family's residence

After celebrating Alvaro's departure, the three women called Emilio. They decided to exaggerate the issue to make him hate Alvaro. After all, they had pictures to prove their statement.

The phone rang, and Emilio immediately answered the call.

He was about to have some rest when he received a call from his granddaughter. His face turned livid when he heard the accusation.

"You... Are you telling the truth?"

"Yes, Grandpa. I was shocked as you are. I never thought Alvaro would do such a despicable thing. I mean, he looked like a decent guy. We are scared of him. I hope you won't possibly keep him after everything..."

"Enough! I know Alvaro very well. He would never do such a thing! You must have added something to his drink," Emilio cut her off angrily.

Carmela flinched back in fear when she heard his loud, resonant voice. "What are you saying, Grandpa? How could we..."

"Shut up! No matter what happens, Alvaro is family. You have always picked on him and never regarded him as a family member from the day I brought him home. I have talked to you several times about it. But you never listened to me once. Enough is enough! Maybe leaving is the best choice for him..."

Emilio was both furious and dejected. Finally, he hung up the phone and slumped on the sofa, rubbing his temples. "What do I tell her if she comes to me and asks about him?"

"What happened, Carmela? What did Grandpa say?" Donna looked at her expectantly.

Carmela rolled her eyes and repeated what Emilio told her.

Donna snorted with disdain. "I don't understand why your Grandpa is always partial toward him. Alvaro is an orphan. He would have starved to death if we didn't bring him home. I understand that. But he is a grown man now. He should have self-respect and start supporting himself instead of depending on us for everything."

"It doesn't matter," Carmela snapped coldly. "I have enough evidence. I will divorce him for sure."

Aaliyah walked up to her sister and snickered. "Carmela, should I ask Jayden to arrange for some men to teach Alvaro a lesson? They will warn him and make sure he stays away from our family."

Jayden Frazier was Aaliyah's boyfriend. He was an arrogant man from a rich family. He knew several hooligans and bullied Alvaro all the time.

After a moment's hesitation, Carmela bit her lower lip and nodded. "All right. That sounds good but don't do anything drastic. Otherwise, he will find another excuse to annoy us."

"Don't worry. I've got this." Aaliyah smiled confidently.

*

Meantime, in the old Douglas family's residence.

Emilio lay on the bed after talking to his granddaughter. He couldn't fall asleep and ended up tossing and turning on the bed. An occasional sigh escaped his lips as worry and fear wracked his nerves.

Twenty-five years ago, the Douglas family was just an ordinary clan in a small village.

A cold night changed Emilio's life. It was raining heavily, and the sky roared with a peal of thunder.

Emilio was in his mid-forties. He got up at night to use the restroom, and that was when he beheld the magnificent sight. His body trembled.

Emilio saw a beautiful woman stepping on a giant golden bird with a baby in her arms. He squinted through the showers to see if he was hallucinating or not.

The woman's long red hair billowed in the wind. She looked ethereal -- like a goddess from heaven had descended to the earth.

Emilo was startled. For a moment, he thought it was a strange dream. However, the loud cries of the baby in the woman's arms made him realize everything was transpiring right before his eyes.

He had seen the golden bird in a book before. It resembled the legendary Phoenix.

The red-haired woman flew toward Emilio's house. Her speed and agility were uncanny.

The roars of the thunder grew louder as it rained heavily. But there wasn't even a drop of rain on her.

Emilio slumped to the ground, trembling with fright.

Then, the incredible woman handed the baby in her arms to Emilio. She gave the Douglas family a fortune and asked him to raise the baby.

If not for the woman, the Douglas family wouldn't have flourished and become wealthy and powerful.

Alvaro was the baby who changed their lives, but everyone treated him like a servant.

Before leaving, the woman reminded Emilio to treat Alvaro as his own grandson and that she would return to take him back at the right time.

However, Carmela had driven Alvaro out of the house, accusing him of a filthy act.

Emilio didn't know what to do if the woman came back and asked him for Alvaro. What would he tell her?

Emilio shuddered. He was scared and helpless.

*

Alvaro had a bizarre dream that night.

A beautiful, red-haired woman knelt beside him and planted a soft kiss on the back of his hand. Tears streamed down her beautiful face. Her eyes gleamed with guilt.

"I'm sorry, my king. You have been through a lot all these years. But don't worry. You will slowly regain your powers and become undefeatable."

The woman's voice resounded in his ears.

Before Alvaro could ask anything, plenty of knowledge and information flooded his mind.

Alvaro could sense the information was about ancient martial art forms, legendary medical skills that vanished thousands of years ago, and powerful spells.

"Ah!"

Alvaro woke up screaming.

He looked around and found himself lying on an enormous, fluffy bed. The furnishings looked opulent and more expensive than what the Douglas family owned.

"Oh my God! It's a miracle! You are awake! Finally!"

A loud shriek startled Alvaro.

He turned around in confusion and saw a woman in her early twenties.

She looked beautiful and graceful. Her eyes widened in surprise when she examined Alvaro's face.

"Who are you? Why am I here?" Alvaro asked, still looking around the place.

The woman smiled at him. "What? Don't you remember anything? A car hit you and sped off. I was present during the accident. You were badly injured, so I brought you here. Oh, this is my home, by the way. "

Alvaro was dumbfounded.

He wracked his brain, and the memory of that morning flooded his mind. The woman was right.

Alvaro remembered walking out of Douglas family's house, feeling betrayed. He was devastated. Just as he wondered what to do, a car rushed from nowhere and hit him.

Alvaro got out of bed and smiled gratefully. "Thank you for saving my life."

"You're welcome." The woman waved her hands. "After all, you woke up yourself. To be honest, I thought you wouldn't survive."

"What? Why?" Alvaro frowned.

The woman explained everything to him.

The car had hit Alvaro with full force. He flew and fell on the ground a couple of feet away with a loud thud. His injuries were severe, and his breathing had almost stopped.

Considering there was a famous doctor in her home and sufficient medical supplies, she quickly took Alvaro to the car and drove him home.

Unfortunately, the doctor said saving Alvaro was impossible because he had lost a lot of blood. He was in critical condition.

Surprisingly, Alvaro woke up in thirty minutes.

He suddenly remembered the strange dream he had when he was unconscious.

He couldn't help but wonder if he had woken up because of the dream.

"Thank you again." He nodded earnestly.

The woman smiled at him. Just as she opened her mouth to say something, a maid darted to the room and shouted anxiously, "Miss Brown, Mr. Brown's condition has worsened. The doctor says there is no hope. Mr. Brown said he wanted to see you for one last time."

"What?"

The woman, named Bella Brown, had a look of shock on her face. She quickly rushed out of the room.

Only then did Alvaro realize the doctor was here to treat someone in her family.

It sounded like the patient's condition was critical.

After a moment's hesitation, Alvaro quickly followed her out.

He soon found the bedroom at the far end of the corridor and saw a middle-aged man lying on the bed with his eyes closed. Sweat trickled down his forehead, and his face scrunched in pain.

A middle-aged doctor stood beside him.

"Dr. Archer, how is my father?" Bella asked anxiously.

Magnus Archer lowered his head guiltily. "I'm sorry. Mr. Brown is suffering from a peculiar illness. I've tried every means, but..."

"What... What are you saying? I don't believe it!"

The blood on Bella's face drained.

She threw herself into her father's arms and began sobbing uncontrollably. "Dad, wake up. Dad... Please..."

However, her father, Fernando Brown, didn't respond to her pleas. The doctor was right. The illness had no cure.

"I'm sorry." Magnus sadly shook his head, gesturing there was no hope.

Bella hugged her father tighter as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"No, no! There is a cure," Alvaro said as he walked into the room.

Bella's breath caught in her throat. She and Magnus turned and looked at Alvaro.

"Hey... You..."

Magnus cast a quizzical look that quickly changed to surprise. "Aren't you the guy who met with a car accident a while ago? When did you wake up? How?"

"Yeah. It's me." Alvaro nodded and turned to look at Bella. "Don't give up. Mr. Brown's condition is curable."

Magnus' face darkened. "I have decades of experience as a doctor. Although I want to save Mr. Brown, I know there is no cure for his illness."

After saying that, he looked at Bella for affirmation.

Bella wiped her tears and looked at Alvaro. "I don't have the time to listen to you joking around. Now that you are awake and perfectly fine, please leave."

"I'm serious!" Alvaro said anxiously. "I can save Mr. Brown. Trust me. Give me a chance; I'll cure him."

Bella frowned and cast a quizzical look at him. "Are you a doctor?"

"No." Alvaro shook his head.

"Do you have any medical skills?" Bella asked, cocking her head.

"I don't." Alvaro still shook his head.

Bella's jaw tightened.

Her face reddened with rage.

She couldn't believe Alvaro was offering help when he wasn't a medical professional.

"Stop wasting our time!" Magnus sneered at him.

"Get out!" Bella growled, pointing at the door. "I'm not in the mood to listen to your nonsense!"

Alvaro didn't know how to explain or convince them.

After all, he didn't possess any medical skills.

However, Alvaro saw a cloud of black mist lingering around the patient's forehead as soon as he stepped into the room.

He immediately had an inkling that destroying the black mist would bring him back to life.

The black mist seemed to grow with every passing minute and had covered his entire face now. Alvaro knew the mist would eventually cover his entire body, and the patient would die if he didn't receive prompt treatment.

Alvaro grew anxious. He didn't have the time to explain. Saving the patient's life was more important than convincing the others. With that in mind, he rushed to the bedside.

The other two people present recoiled in shock.

"You jerk! What the hell are you doing?"

"Somebody, stop him!"

Two burly bodyguards rushed into the room. However, Alvaro was already near the patient. Before anyone could act, he slapped the patient's forehead.

The black mist disappeared when Alvaro slapped Fernando's forehead.

He breathed a sigh of relief. His guess was right. His idea had worked.

But Bella grew furious; her pretty face turned scarlet. She was about to have a mental breakdown.

Her father's unfortunate state had already shattered her, and now Alvaro slapped his forehead, which was disrespectful. She felt he was a lunatic.

"Take him away!" Bella snapped.

The two bodyguards bolted inside and caught Alvaro's arms from either side.

Bella slapped him across his face.

"Why? Why did you insult my father even after his death?" she demanded through gritted teeth.

Alvaro clamped his throbbing cheek.

But he was not angry because Bella's outrage was reasonable. No one would watch a stranger slap their lifeless father.

"Mr. Brown is not dead," said Alvaro.

Bella frowned and turned around to look at her father. He was still lying motionlessly on the bed.

His eyes were closed, and his face was paler than before. He bore no signs of life.

"You are going to jail!" Bella spat viciously.

She regretted saving Alvaro's life, for he insulted his father.

She helped him out of kindness and didn't expect a stranger would disrespect her father for that.

Magnus looked at Alvaro with disdain. "I may not be the best doctor in the world, but I have enough experience to know there is no cure for Mr. Brown's illness. As sad as it is, this is the reality. You cannot bring a dead man to life."

Alvaro didn't bother justifying himself.

He looked like a criminal before Magnus and Bella. They didn't know he was quiet because he had no explanation to offer.

Alvaro felt something had changed within him since the car accident and the weird dream he had. But he couldn't tell what it was.

Soon, the blaring of police sirens followed by the clattering of shoes caught their attention.

Two police officers walked into the room. "Hello, Miss Brown. Did you call the police?"

"I did. Please arrest this man!" She pointed at Alvaro while the bodyguards continued to pin him down. "He pretended to be a doctor and disrespected my father's corpse."

The two police officers exchanged glances in astonishment.

They conveyed their condolences to Bella, handcuffed Alvaro, and dragged him out of the house.

Alvaro glanced at Fernando for one last time before leaving. The man was still lying on the bed. He didn't budge. The back mist had disappeared. He couldn't fathom why Fernando hadn't woken up yet.

If the man didn't return to life, Alvaro would be locked up in jail.

Alvaro sighed in dejection.

But he didn't regret his actions.

It would be heartless to dismiss the chance to save a person's life just because he didn't know if it would work.

A few years ago, Alvaro saw an old man fall on the road and went to help him. But the old man lied that Alvaro tripped him. Ultimately, he not only had to give the old man and his family money but also starved all day because Carmela refused to give him food for what he had done.

Although the experience taught him a crucial lesson, he was still kind and sympathetic. Alvaro didn't stop himself from helping people in need.

In the Brown family's residence

A wave of grief consumed Bella. She slumped to the floor and looked at her father. Fresh tears cascaded down her cheeks. "I guess this is goodbye," she choked with sobs.

Magnus' heart broke to watch Bella cry.

But he couldn't do anything.

As a doctor, he tried his best to save Fernando's life. However, nothing seemed to help.

No one had heard of Fernando's peculiar illness. Bella wouldn't have been able to save her father even if she resorted to the most successful doctor in the world.

Just then, the people of the funeral home came to take Fernando's corpse for the final rites.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Miss Brown," Magnus whispered softly.

Bella got breathless from sobs. "Can you please leave us alone? I need to talk to my father and stay with him for a while."

Magnus nodded in understanding and left the room with the people of the funeral room.

Just then, a loud cough startled everyone.

The leaving group stopped dead in their tracks.

Fernando, who was declared dead, coughed.

Bella was equally stunned.

Her eyes widened before her face broke into a delightful smile. "Dad, you... Are you awake? Do you hear me?"

Fernando's eyes slowly fluttered open. Bella grabbed his hand to support him, and he slowly sat up.

Fernando looked at everyone staring at him and frowned in confusion. "Bella, where am I? What happened?"

Bella cried with joy. She pulled her father into a tight embrace. "Dad, don't you remember anything?"

Fernando wracked his brain and finally remembered he had a sudden illness. He had passed out when Bella left to call Magnus.

It all made sense now. He wondered if Magnus had cured him.

Fernando quickly got up from the bed and grabbed Magnus' hand. "Dr. Archer, thank you for saving my life. Thank you so much. You are indeed the best doctor in the city. You have extraordinary medical skills!"

"Err... I..."

Magnus' face flushed with embarrassment. "You don't have to thank me, Mr. Brown. I didn't cure your illness."

"What?" Fernando recoiled in shock.

"Well, Dad..." Bella told her father about Alvaro and his strange treatment.

Fernando froze when he heard that. His eyes widened as something occurred to him. "So the police have arrested the young man who saved my life?"

Bella felt guilty. She immediately called the police, asked them to release Alvaro, and bring him back.

Alvaro returned after a few minutes.

He was confused at first. However, he saw Fernando and understood everything.

His guess was right, after all.

He wondered if Fernando was alive because he eliminated the black mist.

Alvaro clenched his fists to suppress his excitement.

But he still didn't know what the black mist was.

Alvaro seemed to have acquired immense knowledge after the bizarre dream.

Bella walked to him, grabbed his hand, and led him to Fernando. "Dad, he is the one who saved you," she said, beaming.

Alvaro's face turned crimson.

Although he was married to Carmela for five years, he hadn't touched even her hand.

But he was now close to Bella; their arms brushed as she held his hand tightly.

Her palm was soft.

Moreover, Bella was prettier than Carmela.

He couldn't help but wish he had married Bella instead of Carmela.

Alvaro's stomach flipped when he realized what he had been thinking. Why would the daughter of the Brown family marry a mediocre man like him? It was a stupid thought.

Fernando pursed his lips and looked at Alvaro, sizing him up.

He felt Alvaro looked like an ordinary man. He was neither tall nor looked sophisticated.

However, Fernando never judged a book by its cover. Besides, Alvaro had saved his life. He would be grateful to him all his life. "Thank you, young man. You saved my life." He bowed respectfully.

Alvaro was flattered. "You're welcome, Mr. Brown. I didn't know I could save you."

"You didn't know?" Fernando frowned.

"Mr. Brown, this young man is not a doctor," Magnus gently reminded him. "He has no medical knowledge."

"Then, how did he cure me?" Fernando asked in surprise.

"Perhaps it was just sheer luck and coincidence. After all, this young man didn't know he could save you." Magnus smiled.

Although Magnus was shocked to see Fernando was back to life after Alvaro slapped him on the forehead, he was still unconvinced.

How could someone with no medical knowledge save a person's life by slapping their forehead? On the other hand, Magnus couldn't find a cure even though he was an experienced doctor.

If he wasn't close to the Brown family and knew them well, he would have assumed Fernando and Alvaro were tricking him.

Therefore, after hearing Alvaro's words, Magnus was convinced it was just a coincidence. It was nothing but dumb luck.

"Dad, it doesn't matter whether it's a coincidence or not. Alvaro saved your life. We have to repay his kindness," Bella suggested earnestly.

Fernando nodded and looked at Alvaro. "What do you want, young man? Don't hesitate to spill."

"No, no. I don't need anything," Alvaro hurriedly answered. "Miss Brown saved my life. We have mutually helped each other. So it's all good."

Fernando looked at his daughter. Bella told him about the accident and how Alvaro had cheated death.

Fernando nodded, smiling.

"Oh, I see. Don't worry. Us Browns are not mean. You saved my life. Ask me anything. Don't be shy. Anything you want."

"That's unnecessary. I'm glad you're conscious and back to health now. But..." Alvaro wanted to say something but decided against it.

"But what?" Bella asked.

"Err... I don't think Mr. Brown's illness is fully cured. He may need follow-up treatment," Alvaro suggested.

Bella and her father were shocked to hear that.

Magnus was annoyed. He felt Alvaro was pretending to seem professional when he had no medical knowledge.

The follow-up treatment seemed like an excuse to remain in touch with the Brown family. Magnus felt Alvaro would eventually milk money from them. He was disgusted.

Magnus walked up to Fernando and whispered something in his ear.

Fernando's eyes widened, and his face turned taut. He nodded in understanding and turned to look at Alvaro. "Don't worry about my illness, young man. I'm asking you this for the last time. Are you sure you don't want anything?"

Alvaro shook his head.

"Okay. Bella, please see him off." Fernando waved his hand.

A frown lined Bella's forehead. Although she had no idea what Magnus told her father, she sensed it was something bad about Alvaro. "Dad, considering you haven't fully recovered, why don't you give Alvaro a chance?" she protested.

"Dr. Archer has already contacted the best doctor in Wildevale for me. A layman needn't handle my follow-up treatment. You see him off," Fernando said coldly.

Alvaro's heart sank.

After saving Fernando's life, he still considered Alvaro untrustworthy.

Actually, Alvaro had heard what Magnus told Fernando.

Although Alvaro was clueless about his exceptional hearing skills, he could hear their conversation.

Magnus said Alvaro was a layman and a liar and that he saved Fernando because of dumb luck.

He also said Alvaro was using the follow-up treatment as a pretext to establish a relationship with the Brown family.

Alvaro never thought Magnus would be so narrow-minded.

Meanwhile, he was disappointed in Fernando for doubting him when he saved his life.

However, this wasn't new to Alvaro.

He was used to unfair treatment.

He bid goodbye to them and left.

Bella hesitated for a moment and followed him out.

She sensed Alvaro wasn't as simple as he looked.

Outside the Brown family's villa

"I'm Bella Brown. Thank you very much for everything. If not for you, my father wouldn't..."

Alvaro shook his head and stopped her. "You don't have to thank me. You saved my life. I merely repaid your favor."

"No, I owe you a big one. By the way, can you give me your phone number?" Bella smiled.

Alvaro's brows furrowed.

He wondered why Bella asked for his number when the Browns assumed he was a liar.

After a moment's thought, Alvaro exchanged numbers with Bella and bid her goodbye.

Bella offered to drive him back, but he refused.

After all, he didn't have a home now. He had nowhere to go.

He couldn't ask Bella to drop him at the Douglas family's residence.

Alvaro sighed and walked to the empty street. The place was eerily calm.

The knowledge he had acquired after the dream was etched in his mind.

He closed his eyes and felt the night breeze against his skin. A smile stretched across his lips.

The Douglas family had kicked him out of the house.

The Brown family regarded him as a fraud who was after them for money.

However, Alvaro was neither upset nor disappointed.

If the fighting techniques and supernatural powers he acquired proved useful, Alvaro could conquer the world if he practiced them to the perfection.

He smiled to himself and decided to find a place to test it.

Just then, several men surrounded him.

They looked at him like a pack of animals waiting to hunt their prey.

"Are you Alvaro Clifford?" one of the men asked in a stern voice.

Alvaro looked at them in confusion.

He couldn't fathom what was going on. He had neither offended or hurt anyone in his life.

Just as Alvaro was about to deny it, another man shouted, "I've seen his photo. It's him!"

The men immediately took out their batons and pounced on Alvaro.