The Hourglass in His Veins

Dr. Zita Kazlauskas is the most promising neuro-sympathetic surgeon in the city-state of Kavalas, a prodigy of the prestigious Lyceum of Marrow. Recruited by the ambitious Volkov Syndicate, she is given a single, clandestine task: infiltrate the household of their chief rival, the enigmatic magnate Damian Lazarev, and exploit the mysterious degenerative ailment that plagues him, ensuring his corporate empire crumbles from within. Posing as the only physician capable of managing his condition, Zita enters Damian’s gilded prison, a high-tech manor where every move is monitored. Her cold, calculating approach is met by Damian's equally sharp intellect and unexpected vulnerability. As they clash in a battle of wits and wills, the lines between doctor and patient, spy and target, begin to irrevocably blur. But a dark truth lurks within Damian's affliction, a truth no one told Zita about: the illness is not just debilitating, it’s a countdown. With an unknown clock ticking towards a fatal conclusion, can she complete her mission before she loses the man she was sent to destroy?