Chapter 1218

Theia stared at the glaring text on her screen, her knuckles turning white.

Corvus had first contacted her yesterday.

She had debated telling the kids, but she knew exactly what kind of monster Corvus was. If they cornered him, he would absolute destroy the cure out of spite.

And a Corvus Thorne with absolutely nothing left to lose was a terrifying thing.

After a long, agonizing silence, she typed out a reply: *I agree.*

The next day.

After pulling several all-nighters in the lab, Juniper finally slept in. She had just finished washing her face when her phone rang. Shanley answered it for her, putting it on speaker. It was Ebony Fox. "Juniper, is Mom with you?" Ebony Fox's voice was tight with panic.

"No." Juniper froze, setting down her glass of milk. "What happened?"

"After dinner last night, Mom said the wine gave her a headache and she wanted to go to bed. She told us not to bother her," Ebony Fox explained rapidly. "I just went to check on her. The room is empty. The bed hasn't even been slept in."

"Got it." Juniper's brow furrowed sharply. She ended the call and looked at Shanley. "My mom went to Corvus."

Shanley stood perfectly still, genuine shock crossing his features.

Within an hour, the seven siblings were gathered in the meeting room.

Every eye was fixed on Juniper, whose face was pale and rigid.

"This is the note she left," Jimmie said, sliding a piece of paper toward Juniper. "She says Dad sacrificed so much for her over the years, and now it's her turn to do something for him."

"She also said Corvus won't hurt her, so we shouldn't worry. Once she secures the antidote, she'll find a way to contact us or escape."

Juniper stared at the paper in silence.

"The S-Network team reviewed the security footage. She definitely left the base, Shanley said as he pushed open the door, his expression grim. "But she

mavel

deliberately avoided all the

cameras."

"That absolute bastard. What the hell does he want?" Melvin slammed his fist against the table, his face flushed with rage.

"What did she mean when she said Corvus wouldn't hurt her?" Celine asked, her hands protectively resting over her pregnant belly.

"Because Corvus is obsessed with her," Juniper answered hoarsely, her voice dripping with disgust.

"What?" The others stared at her in shock. "Wasn't Corvus adopted by Grandpa? He's technically her brother. How could he..."

"Like I said, he's a monster." Juniper crumpled the letter, her expression cold and hard. "We can't let Dad find out about this. He just started recovering; the shock could kill him."

"We can't hide it from him forever," Jimmie warned.

"I'll find her before we have to," Juniper said, standing up to leave. Shanley immediately followed.

In a dimly lit, dilapidated room on the outskirts of the city.

The air was thick with the stench of rot and decay.

"Where is the antidote?" Theia stood in the doorway, staring coldly at the haggard, desperate man inside.

"I didn't think you'd actually show." Corvus slowly stood up, a twisted, jealous smile stretching across his face what exactly makes that, half-dead corpse Silas Blackwood So special? Why do you keep throwing your life away for him?"

"Because I love him. Because he is Silas Blackwood," Theia replied. Dressed in a simple elegant gown her hair held up by an ornate hairsin; she looked breathtakingly composed. "And I will risk my life for him as many times as it takes." Cóntent