Serena knew lan's assets were vast, but she was still shocked to discover he owned such a massive laboratory. "This is my brother's?"

Just then, the door to a conference room opened, and her brother emerged with a foreign man who had the distinct air of an academic.

"Doctor, this is my sister," lan said to Smith.

Serena's last check-up had been a simple blood draw at a hospital, so she didn't recognize Dr. Smith.

"Miss Goodwin," Smith said with a gentle smile. "We're going to run a comprehensive series of tests. I'll need your full cooperation."

Serena's eyes widened in alarm. She turned to her brother. "Ian, why are you making me get a check-up all of a sudden? I'm perfectly healthy."

She had been feeling dizzy and tired, sure, but she chalked that up to her late nights. She was young; any issues she had were bound to be minor.

lan stepped in front of her, studying her face. He noticed the tiny, unexplained red spots under her eyes-the same kind their mother had developed. It was an early symptom.

"Stop messing around and get the tests done," he said, his voice low and cold.

Under his intense, commanding gaze, Serena's usual defiance crumbled. "Okay," she mumbled, reluctantly following Smith's team into the testing area.

lan returned to the conference room to wait, his face a stoic mask. But the tight line of his jaw and the rhythmic tapping of his fingers on the table betrayed his inner turmoil. Serena finished her tests and flopped onto a sofa, mindlessly scrolling through her phone. Ian watched her in silence.

Half an hour later, Smith returned with the preliminary reports, his expression grave. He looked at lan and gave a slight, somber nod.

lan's heart sank. The last shred of hope vanished. He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them his composure was back place le walked over to Serena. "Turn off your phone. We need to talk."

Serena blinked, obeying him. The serious look on his face sparked a terrible

premonition. Had they actually found something wrong with her?

"Bro, don't scare me. What's going on?" she asked, rising to her feet, panic creeping into her voice. She had been feeling off for a while-fess interested in parties, less appetite for her favorite foods Her energy levels were so low that she'd lost interest in almost everything. Now that she thought about it, she had been feeling this way for two or three months.

"Serena," lan began, his voice deep and solemn, "I have something very important to tell you."

His expression terrified her, and the panic intensified. "What is it? It was just a check-up! Don't do this to me!"

lan handed her the report. "This wasn't Foutine check-up. Our family carries a rare, hereditary blood disease. Mom was diagnosed with it ten years ago. And now you're showing early symptoms."

Serena stared at him, her eyes wide with disbelief, as if she couldn't comprehend his words. "What disease? Mom is sick? How come I never knew?"

Dr. Smith stepped forward. "Your mother was diagnosed ten years ago. She has been managing it with stem cell infusions, and her condition has been stable."

Serena looked from the doctor back to her brother, aghast. "How could you keep something this huge from us? Does Mom even know?"

lan nodded grimly. "And now, what's important is you, Serena. Your test results are abnormal."