Paige Summers smiled and nodded in agreement.

’She really admired Claire Chapman’s mind and his silver tongue. With him around, things are so much easier!’

The group chatted boisterously for a while before dispersing. Lucy Lee, quick and efficient, helped Paige Summers clear the messy table before pulling Jensen Archer away with her.

Claire Chapman and Levi Young had a few drinks and went back to their rooms to rest.

Paige was also getting ready to take a shower.

Just then, there was a sudden knock on the door.

She thought it was Levi Young, but when she opened the door, she saw it was Nadia.

After returning from that mission outside the city, Nadia had started visiting her almost every day. Although Paige was very busy, the two still managed to chat occasionally, and their relationship had grown closer.

However, Paige was often out, so Nadia’s frequent visits would sometimes be for nothing. Instead, she ended up meeting Levi Young. Both were interested in medical research and quickly hit it off, chatting away enthusiastically. On two occasions, Nadia was so engrossed in her conversation that she didn’t even notice when Paige returned.

Paige didn’t mind this at all; in fact, she was happy to see it happen.

’Her imagination even ran wild, thinking, These two are the ones who are truly compatible. It would be great if they got together! That cold, aloof guy can go to hell!’

She had a really bad impression of Evan Pierce. It wasn’t just because of his rotten temper, his low IQ and EQ, or his ingratitude. It was because one time when he came over with Nadia, Paige had actually sensed malice from him! Although it was faint, it had planted a seed of evil in her heart, one that could blossom any day.

If it weren’t for how much Nadia cared about the guy, and not wanting to cause a scene, Paige would never have pretended it didn’t happen. Getting back at him would have been letting him off easy!

"Sis... Sister Paige!"

Nadia’s slurred whisper pulled Paige back to reality.

She looked at Nadia’s wrinkled clothes, messy hair, puffy eyes, and flushed cheeks, then sniffed the air. Frowning, she pulled the girl inside. "You’ve been drinking?!"

Nadia leaned against her. "Mhm. Jus... just a little..." As she spoke, she gestured with her hand and nearly face-planted on the ground.

Paige rolled her eyes and half-dragged, half-carried her to the sofa.

Before Paige could say a word, Nadia threw herself into her arms and started sobbing.

"Ian... he... he’s gone..."

’Good riddance!’ Paige cleared her throat. "What exactly happened?"

"It’s all my fault! I dragged him down! He said... he said he couldn’t take it anymore!"

"Huh?" Paige was completely baffled.

Nadia burst into tears, and the sound of her crying softened Paige’s heart.

She stopped asking questions and just stroked Nadia’s head to comfort her. Inwardly, she couldn’t help but fret. ’This girl is only a year younger than me, right? How come it feels like I’ve found another Evie! Is there something wrong with me? Am I just a natural magnet for kids?!’

After what felt like an eternity of crying, Paige felt a damp patch spreading across her shirt and pants. Nadia finally started to quiet down. Paige thought she had cried herself to sleep and was about to get up to lay her down properly and grab a blanket.

But then Nadia suddenly spoke in a low voice, as if talking in her sleep. "I don’t like this life of always hiding, always being chased... but what can I do? The research Mom left behind is so important, of course people are after it. But even if I didn’t hide it, those people would never let me go! I don’t want to die... I promised Mom I would carry on her legacy and finish the true Antidote. I’m already halfway there, I can’t give up! I just need a little more time. When I figure it all out, I’ll release it anonymously. Then anyone will be able to produce the Antidote. Let’s see how those people use it to satisfy their selfish desires then! And not just that, I’m also going to create a medicine to kill all the Mutant Beasts and mutant plants! I’ll make it so they can never reproduce again!"

These words, and especially the final bold declaration, left Paige so stunned she couldn’t move.

She never would have imagined that the secret she’d always wanted to know would be revealed under these circumstances, and that its contents would even exceed her wildest guesses!

She couldn’t help but look with a complex expression at the girl curled up in a ball on her lap.

’She reeks of alcohol. She must be drunk.’

’In vino veritas?’

’If that’s true, she’s probably going to regret this to death tomorrow...’

’No, no, what I should be thinking about is how this girl is even more incredible than I imagined. If being "halfway there" was enough to save someone as injured as Evan Pierce, then if she completely succeeds, wouldn’t that mean people no longer have to fear being infected by the Zombie Virus?!’

’And that thing about stopping them from reproducing...’

Just as she was thinking this, Nadia mumbled indistinctly again, "If they can’t reproduce, they won’t live for much longer... Mom, I’ve already made progress. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely get revenge for you!"

’She’s made progress! Progress!’

Hearing this, Paige felt the blood rush to her head, and her breathing quickened.

For a moment, she wanted to haul Nadia up and demand a clear explanation!

’Is it really true?! Making those mutant animals and plants unable to reproduce!’

But as her hands landed on the girl’s shoulders, she heard the sound of soft snores...

That night, Paige was a mess of anxiety, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

’After hearing something like that, who could possibly sleep!’

Stopping the mutant animals and plants from reproducing would mean that for every one killed, there would be one less! With humanity’s capabilities, as long as everyone worked together, it surely wouldn’t take long to eliminate them all!

Without these things blocking them from leaving the cities, humanity could develop freely!

No longer would they have to be confined to their cities, no longer would they have to constantly fear for their lives. She absolutely believed that people could quickly emerge from the shadows and usher in a new era!

However, all of this was predicated on two things: that what Nadia said was true, and that she truly had the ability to do it.

Regarding the latter, Paige was strangely more confident.

Perhaps it was because of the shock she’d felt when Nadia gave Evan Pierce that injection when he was injured. She subconsciously felt that the girl had a talent for this!

But as for the former...

Sitting up in bed, she propped her head on her hand and thought for a long while. She decided she would ask Nadia in person tomorrow!

’If the apocalypse can end...’

She felt as if she had just glimpsed a ray of hope.