Chapter 990

"The boss wants to lock it down legally?! Holy hell." Flint breathed in awe. "No wonder he's so desperate to find his future in-laws. He wants to marry her the absolute second she hits the legal age."

"Exactly." Felton nodded. "Our boss has to survive a gauntlet to get married."

First, he has to win the approval of all six of her fiercely protective older siblings, and then her parents.

And they didn't even know for sure if her parents were still alive.

If they weren't, or if they could never be found...

This wedding was going to be an absolute nightmare to pull off.

...

Three days later.

Juniper stepped out into the living room, clad in a flawlessly tailored disguise.

"Ms. Payne, you look incredibly dashing," Dana praised lavishly. "If I were a few decades younger, my heart would be racing."

"Be careful."

Shanley murmured, adjusting her collar. His handsome face was dark as a thundercloud.

"I know."

Juniper nodded, turning to Luella on the sofa. "Let's go."

For this house call.

Sanctum Holdings had been so paranoid about Subterra Vanguard pulling a double-

cross that they practically demanded Luella accompany her as collateral.

Watching them walk toward the door, Shanley's eyes narrowed dangerously.

Luella liked men, didn't she?

Which meant Juniper's incredibly sharp disguise was probably exactly her type!

He really needed to find the time to set Luella up with a 'boyfriend'.

...

Sanctum Holdings sent a heavily armed convoy directly to the gates of the Subterra Vanguard compound to pick them up.

Three blacked-out SUVs.

Aside from the center vehicle, the front and rear cars were packed with elite mercenaries.

It looked less like an escort and more like a prisoner transport.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Juniper's eyes turned instantly glacial as a guard approached with a thick black blindfold, preparing to slip it over her head.

"Apologies, Dr. Nocturne," the guard said, his expression rigid but his tone appropriately deferential. "Our destination is highly classified. We cannot risk the location being compromised. Please cooperate."

Juniper pressed her lips into a thin, furious line. Just as she was about to snap, Luella's voice cut in.

"Five hundred million, Juniper."

"I'll put it on myself."

Juniper spat coldly, unclenching her fists.

"Of course."

The guard hastily handed over the blindfold, practically scrambling backward in terror.

This legendary doctor was terrifyingly aggressive.

The journey was grueling.

It involved a two-hour flight, followed

by hours of bone-jarring mountaine

and finally a transfer to a

Somat content belongs in

Sŵnovel

By the time they finally reached the destination, it felt like an eternity had passed.

Upon stepping out of the vehicle.

Both Juniper and Luella were

subjected to an invasive, full-body

security sweep to ensure they

carried absolutely no

communication devices before they

were permitted entry.

*Beep-*

The massive vault-like blast doors hissed open, the mechanical grind echoing

through the damp air.

This clearly wasn't a normal facility.

It felt like a military-grade underground bunker.

After passing through an endless gauntlet of security checkpoints, Juniper's

patience completely evaporated.

"Do you want your damn patient cured or not?!"

She had been blindfolded for a whole day!

A second later.

A raspy, chilling voice echoed down the hall. "Remove Dr. Nocturne's blindfold."

The fabric was pulled away.

The harsh, fluorescent lighting made Juniper instinctively wince.

As her eyes slowly adjusted.

Juniper lifted her gaze, locking onto the man standing a few paces away.

He was wearing a sterile surgical mask, but it wasn't enough to hide the jagged scar cutting through his eyebrow.

If her intuition was right.

This was either a top-tier executive of Sanctum Holdings, or Corvus Thorne himself.

"I never expected the legendary Dr. Nocturne to be so young."

Corvus stepped forward. Recovering from his initial shock, he extended a hand. "I am the head of Sanctum Holdings."

Looking at the outstretched hand, Juniper remained entirely unfazed. "Where is the patient?" she demanded icily.

A true prodigy.

Arrogant, but she had the skills to back it up.

"In the ward."

Corvus smoothly retracted his hand, offering a hollow, plastic smile. "Right this way."

Led by a team of researchers in white coats.

Juniper was escorted down a long,

sterile corridor until they stopped outside a

he dimly lit room reeking of

chemical preservatives.

From where she stood in the doorway.

She had a clear, unobstructed view of the lifeless man strapped to the medical bed.

The harsh, clinical lights washed over his face, making him look completely dead to the world.