Chapter 1180

Inside the recovery room.

Silas had finally regained consciousness. Between the intensive medical care and the specialized serum Juniper had developed for him, his recovery was rapid, and his complexion had vastly improved.

He was currently sitting up against the headboard, managing some light broth.

Knock, knock-

Jimmie knocked on the door and walked in, with Shanley closely following.

At the sound of the door, both Silas and Theia looked up.

"Mr. Blackwood. Dr. Sommers."

Shanley was dressed in a pristine, dark navy dress shirt, flawlessly tailored, with his hair meticulously styled. He stood impeccably straight, his bone structure sharp and striking. He radiated an indescribable magnetic pull.

Gentle? Perhaps, but laced with an effortless, undeniable sense of elite power.

He truly looked like a man who commanded the world.

Theia smiled, deeply satisfied. Her daughter definitely knew how to pick them.

"You're Shanley?" Silas spoke, his voice gentle despite his exhaustion. "Jimmie told us everything you went through to save us, and how badly you were hurt in the process. Thank you, son."

"You don't need to thank me," Shanley replied, taking a seat with a quiet, grounded respect. "She's my girlfriend. Protecting her family is my responsibility."

At the mention of their daughter, whose fate remained unknown, a heavy shadow fell over both Silas and Theia.

That foolish, beautiful girl. They had already lived full lives; they were more than ready to face the end. Why did she have to trade her brilliant future for their tired bones?

"Please, don't worry. I will make sure she comes home safely," Shanley said, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed back the sharp ache in his chest. His voice was low and fiercely absolute. "And she won't let anything break her." She was too smart. Nobody in this world had the power to take her life.

"Corvus operates in the shadows. He's incredibly paranoid and highly unpredictable," Theia said gently, offering whatever insight she could. "Now that the Wraithfall Mountain compound has been compromised, he will never go back there. Taking her means he intends to continue his clinical trials. Genetic modification requires an incredibly advanced, highly controlled environment. He won't be hiding anywhere obvious."

"She's a genius," Silas added, his voice raspy. "She'll find a way to get a message out, or she'll tear the place down from the inside."

He glanced at the fading bruises on Shanley's forehead, his heart aching with genuine guilt. "Your body has been through hell. Please, don't

destroyourself out of a ne

Theta and I both want her to come home to a boyfriend who is actually in one piece."

Boyfriend?

Hearing the deliberate use of the word, Shanley felt an electric jolt hit his heart. He

looked at the older couple in sheer disbelief.

Did Silas just formally acknowledge their relationship?

"Her brothers and sisters told me

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how incredibly well you treat her," Theia said, a soft, maternal smile warming her face. "They said she relieson you even more than she relies on them. She knows exactly how much you love her. Thank you, Shanley."

Shanley's lips parted, but no words came out.

Thanks didn't matter. None of this mattered. The only thing he wanted in the entire

world was for his girl to walk through the door safely.

...

Shanley stepped out of the room.

Jimmie immediately followed, frowning. "Where are you going now?"

"Back to Cloudscape Community," Shanley replied, his head bowed, his voice a hollow rasp. "I need you to keep the Sigma Network base locked down."

"I'm glad you're finally thinking straight."Jimmie let out a breath of relief, clapping, a hand on his

shoulder. Go get some actual sleep. The second we hear anything, you'll be the first to know."

showder ໑໑ get some acupéep

Meanwhile.

Juniper drifted through a hazy, exhausted sleep. When she finally opened her eyes

again, Corvus was standing directly over her.

Behind him stood two doctors in crisp white lab coats.

"Draw her blood," Corvus ordered, his voice clinically cold. "I want to see exactly

what makes this ultimate test subject so genetically superior."

"Yes, sir."

As the doctors reached for her, Juniper's gaze turned lethally cold. "Get your filthy hands off me."