Chapter 999

Silas nods.

"Okay," Theia agrees instantly. "I need to think this through. We can't afford a single mistake."

If that monster Corvus finds out Dr. Nocturne is their daughter, they're all dead.

...

Two hours later, Corvus's men enter the room to separate them.

"Have you thought it over?" Corvus asks, looking down at Theia with a sickeningly sweet smile. "Will you be the silent saviors of the world? Or will you be parents and see your daughter?"

"Don't hurt her." Theia tilts her head up. Her eyes are bloodshot, her face completely drained of color.

Corvus looks genuinely pained by her distress. He steps closer, his voice softening even more. "You should have just agreed from the start."

"Tell you what. I'll formally invite Celine here so you can reunite," Corvus offers, unconvinced that she is surrendering so easily. His sister's willpower is forged from iron, and she has more tricks up her sleeve than there are stars in the sky. He has to stay vigilant.

"Corvus—" Theia snaps, her voice cracking in raw desperation. "She's pregnant. Show some humanity!"

"Humanity?" Corvus sneers, the scar near his eyebrow twisting hideously. "Whether I have any depends entirely on your performance."

"Of course," Theia laughs bitterly. She regrets the words the moment they leave her mouth. Why is she trying to appeal to the humanity of a beast? If Corvus had a shred of humanity, her first six children wouldn't have been born into a living nightmare.

"You'd better keep your word and not touch her," Theia warns coldly. "Because if you do, I can finish this gene modification project, but I can also destroy it."

Corvus stares at her, the gentle facade vanishing entirely.

"Also..." Theia presses her lips together, forcing herself to sound calm and calculated. "This project is incredibly complex. The doctor you brought in is brilliant. If she joins the research, our chances of success would increase dramatically."

"My thoughts exactly," Corvus smiles, visibly pleased.

Theia stays silent, holding back a dark, triumphant sneer.

After a grueling journey, Juniper and Luella finally arrive in the bustling downtown district. It takes them a fam bit of effort to finally shake off the Sanctum Holdings operatives tailing them.

"With skills like that, they actually tried to tail us?" Luella scoffs. "A golden retriever has a better sense of direction."

Juniper tosses her wig into a nearby trash can and tugs at the collar of her utility jacket.

"Not feeling well?" Luella asks, leaning in. "You've looked pale ever since we left Wraithfall Mountain."

"Probably just the poor ventilation in that bunker... and seeing that man in such awful shape."

It's strange. She doesn't have a hero complex, but for some reason, she feels a deep pity for that man. She wants to save him.

"Luella," Juniper says, hands in her pockets, her tone perfectly casual. "If we pretend to negotiate a

Partnership between Subterra

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Vanguard and Sanctum, but secretly break that couple out... do you think we can pull it off?"

"Partnership?" Luella is stunned. "That's not a partnership. You're trying to kill three birds with one stone."

Fake the alliance, rescue the hostages, and then launch an inside-out assault to obliterate Corvus and drain his accounts.

"He's a monster. Taking him down is doing the world a favor," Juniper says seriously.

"Badass." Luella flashes her a thumbs-up, thoroughly impressed.

...

Since they've landed in a city close to Liberty Island, Juniper decides to drop by and check on her sister.

Hearing that her little sister has arrived, Celine happily runs to the front gate. But instead of seeing Juniper and Shanley, shes greeted by a blonde guy with multiple piercings, dressed like a rebellious street punk.

And worse this punk has his arm wrapped casually around Juniper's waist.

Celine's jaw drops.

*What is going on? Did Shanley get dumped? Or is my sister cheating on him with a boy toy?*