In the silent room, Nadia’s somber voice spoke again. "She always wanted to thoroughly research these viruses and create an Antidote. My father was bitten by a Zombie Beast, then he mutated, and was eventually killed."

"Driven by the desire to fulfill her last wish, I escaped that forest alone. But I was too badly injured and passed out before I got very far. When I woke up, I saw Evan Pierce. Evan is my neighbor; we were childhood friends, and he’s always been very good to me. The night we left, he heard a commotion and thought my house was being robbed... He saw us leaving and felt something was wrong, so he followed. Who would have thought that would be the start of a three-year journey? If it weren’t for him these past three years, I probably wouldn’t have been able to hold on for so long, let alone develop a second Antidote based on that journal..."

"It’s been three years, and those people have never given up looking for us. There were even a few times when Evan Pierce was nearly killed by them! I don’t want to keep living in the dark. I want to find out who killed my mother and what they’re really looking for! So, we came back!"

"That... is everything."

After Nadia finished speaking, she let out a long breath. She sat there in a daze, seemingly still lost in her own thoughts, unable to break free.

But while Nadia had stopped talking, Paige Summers couldn’t stop thinking.

She had suspected the truth wasn’t simple, but she never expected it to be this convoluted.

’They haven’t given up for three years...’

She slowly looked up. "Besides your mother, does anyone else know you’re an expert in this field of research?"

"Huh?" Nadia seemed surprised by the question but thought it over carefully. "There was my mom’s good friend, Uncle Julian Quillan. He was her colleague. I wanted to find him first when I came back to see what he knew, but I could never get a chance to meet him. He moved and changed his phone number, so I have no way of contacting him."

Paige Summers silently made a mental note of the name.

Just then, an idea flashed through Nadia’s mind. "Are you saying... those people are after me not because they’re looking for something, but because they want me to research the Antidote?"

She began to consider the possibility. It was true—they never showed Evan Pierce any mercy, but they had never tried to kill her... She had always assumed they were keeping her alive for interrogation, thinking there really was the "something" they kept mentioning. But it was also possible that what they actually wanted was her!

’No, no, I still can’t be sure!’

Paige Summers saw her hesitation. "It’s just one possibility. Also, you’ve encountered them many times, right? Don’t you have any idea who’s behind them?"

This time, Nadia shook her head without hesitation.

"They all wore very ordinary combat uniforms. Most were Natural Ability Users, and their weapons were just common knives or daggers..." She propped her head in her hands, her brow deeply furrowed. "It’s strange. I just realized I can’t recall what any of them looked like. Not even from that night three years ago. I can remember their every move, but I can’t remember their faces."

’Can’t remember?’

’Could it be mental interference?’

Paige Summers rubbed her forehead and sighed inwardly. The clues were pitifully few.

However, one thing was certain. The person they were up against had a huge interest in the Antidote and had a thorough grasp of the movements of both Nadia and her mother. Their status couldn’t be low. Moreover, they were definitely connected to The Government! They might even be a high-ranking official!

’So what should I do?’

Deep down, she wanted to protect Nadia. If given time, Nadia might just be able to create Antidotes for all types of the virus. Also... "How is that experiment of yours to stop the reproduction of mutated plants and animals going?"

Lost in thought, Nadia heard the question and answered subconsciously, "That’s still in the research phase. I’ve made some headway, but..."

Her words stopped abruptly, annoyance flashing in her eyes. ’How could I run my mouth like that!’ But facing Paige Summers, she felt herself easily sinking into a warm, comforting aura that made her unconsciously lower her guard. She drooped her head, defeated. ’Oh well. She already knows anyway. A little more won’t make a difference.’

Paige Summers paid no mind to Nadia’s inner turmoil, her own thoughts elsewhere. ’Looks like she’s really making progress. If this experiment succeeds, humanity might not be far from escaping the apocalypse.’

’I should help her.’

But at the same time, she knew all too well that she probably didn’t have the power to do so.

Her opponent was too powerful and too mysterious.

One wrong move, and not only would she fail to help Nadia, she could very well end up with not even her bones left to be found.

Unable to make a decision, she stood up and said, "You should go back for now. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone about this."

Nadia’s expression was conflicted. She was silent for a long time before she slowly nodded and walked out.

Paige Summers knew that no matter how firmly she said it, or how sincere she was, those words alone wouldn’t be enough to put Nadia at ease.

But that was her burden now.

Having chosen to reveal everything instead of keeping silent, she needed to have the courage to face the consequences.

Whether they were good or bad.

The room was finally empty, save for her. Paige Summers sank wearily back onto the sofa. Taking in so much information at once was giving her a massive headache. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

’What in the world should I do?’

Just as she was wrestling with her thoughts, in Sector One, at The Reid Estate, Wendy Lowell received a phone call that made her ecstatic.

"Mother, I’ve made the arrangements. You can go pick her up anytime. As we discussed, if she’s going to live with the Reid Family, she must change her surname."

"I understand. I’ll convince her. Reed, thank you!"

"You’re welcome."

After hanging up, Wendy Lowell joyfully grabbed her bag, rushed out the door, got into her car, and gave the driver an address.

If Paige Summers had heard it, she would have realized the address was incredibly familiar!

Because it was the very place she was living right now!