Chapter 1148

"Really?" Theia asked cautiously, staring at her through a blur of tears.

"Absolutely," Juniper nodded vigorously. "I have a grandfather who loves me to death, and I recently found my siblings. Oh, and..." Her smile widened into something incredibly soft and genuine. "I have a boyfriend. He treats me incredibly well."

Well enough that he was willing to throw his life away for her.

"A boyfriend?" The tears abruptly stopped. Theia's eyes widened in sheer, motherly horror. Wasn't her baby only nineteen? How did she already have a boyfriend? The child she had almost died to bring into this world had been swept off her feet by some random guy? Who was he? Was he a bad influence? The thought of her precious daughter getting played by a toxic man made her want to flip the table.

"Hey, don't panic," Juniper laughed, catching her hand. "Mom, let me properly introduce myself. My name is Juniper Payne."

Theia swallowed back a sob, her eyes stinging again. What kind of mother and daughter had to formally introduce themselves?

"Hello," Theia squeezed her hand back, forcing a watery, tremulous smile. "I'm Theia, your mother."

She quickly reined in her emotions, her mind sharpening. "Juniper... are you the Dr. Nocturne they mentioned, or the boss of the Subterra Vanguard?"

"Hmm?" Juniper tilted her head, thinking it over for a second. "I'm actually both."

Theia froze, her jaw practically hitting the floor.

She was a miracle doctor *and* a

mafia boss? How was that even possible? Did Corvus actually succeed in modifying her genes when she was a baby? No, that was impossible. She had personally sabotaged the data to reverse the effects. How else could her nineteen-year-old daughter hold titles that struck terror into the

global underworld?

Seeing her mother's shocked expression, Juniper opened her mouth to explain that she actually had about half a dozen other terrifying aliases. But considering her mom looked like she was about to short-circuit from just those two, she decided to bite her tongue.

*Forget it. We have plenty of time for me to list off my resume later. It's way too complicated to explain in five minutes anyway.*

"I know Celine is locked up next door," Juniper said, shifting into her commanding persona. "Don't worry, I'm getting all of you out of here."

"No!" Theia violently shook her head,

pushing Juniper's hand away in a sudden panic. "You're the exact person Corvus has been hunting! Why would you walk right into his trap? Get out of here right now. Go back to your siblings. Celine has endured so much torture and she never gave you up-don't let her

suffering be for nothing!"

"I am saving you," Juniper refused to back down, her tone dropping an octave. "Mom, I'm getting you out of here."

Theia stared at her, genuinely taken aback by the overwhelming, predatory authority radiating from the young girl. Right. Her daughter was Specter—a ruthless warlord of the underworld.

"Mom, do you believe in me?" Juniper asked, the faint smile returning to her lips, though her voice carried the weight of an absolute promise. "Trust me, Mom."

Theia found herself entirely subdued by the sheer power in her daughter's eyes. She gave a stiff nod. "I trust you."

"Good." Juniper nodded. "Now, this is exactly what you're going to do."