Chapter 344
In Lunova, the wedding between the Zuckerberg and Meyers families was all setโnow they were waiting for the big day.
Joannaโs baby bump had become increasingly noticeable, and her pregnancy was now unmistakable. Daniel felt a surge of happiness every time he looked at her.
Giovanna teased, โYouโre getting more and more hopeless.โ
โThe Hughes family is loaded. I can take it easy,โ Daniel replied nonchalantly.
โAmyโs back,โ Giovanna said.
Daniel jerked upright, surprised. โWhen?โ
โYesterday,โ Giovanna shrugged. โWhat, Joanna didnโt tell you?โ
โNoโฆ What does that have to do with her?โ His expression grew darker. โIs Joanna meddling again?โ Daniel wondered.
Giovanna said, โShe was a tremendous help this time. I assumed she would have already informed you.โ Daniel let out a sigh of relief and reached for his phone to call Amelia.
โNo need to call her; Iโm here today to explain what happened.โ Giovanna then detailed how Joanna had leaked the secret and how the Mystic Sect had been compromised.
Daniel was initially happy, but then he grew quiet. While he was pleased that they succeeded, it hurt that he wasnโt involved. โI stepped back for Edith, but not being able to assist Ameliaโฆโ Daniel thought bitterly.
โTheyโre coming to the wedding, so why the long face?โ teased Giovanna, her tone dripping with mockery.
โIโm sorry for Amyโฆโ Daniel sighed again. โIf Mom were watching from above, sheโd probably be disappointed in me. I chose Edith over Amelia,โ Daniel thought.
Seeing how troubled he was, Giovanna finally stopped teasing him and offered some comfort. โAmy has her husband to look after her now. Itโs your responsibility to care for your wife.โ
Yet Daniel couldnโt shake off his sadness. โIf the Zuckerberg family welcomes a new member soon, she will be so excited,โ Giovanna said.
That finally made Daniel perk up a bit. โReally?โ
โShe sees you both as her own. Of course, she wants you to be happy,โ Giovanna replied.
โWhat are you two talking about?โ Edith asked as she walked in with a tray of freshly squeezed juice. She first handed Daniel his glass, then gave one to Giovanna. It was clear from this order who she favored most.
Giovanna smiled. โAmy is coming back.โ
โAmy?โ Edithโs face lit up. โWhen?โ
โFor your wedding,โ Giovanna replied.
โOh, so itโs still a whileโฆโ Edithโs face fell. โItโs been ages since I last saw her.โ
Giovanna said, โSheโs got her hands fullโjuggling her husband, kids, and mother-in-law. Someday, thatโll be you, too.โ
โWellโฆโ Edith hesitated. She shuddered at the thought of Joanna.
Daniel shot Giovanna a look. โStop scaring her.โ
โGeez, youโre protective,โ Giovanna said as she got up. โAnyway, I just came to deliver the good news. See you at the wedding!โ
Edith glared at Daniel, annoyed. โWhy are you being so harsh to her?โ
โI wasnโtโฆโ Daniel protested.
โYou chased her off,โ Edith snapped.
Daniel was at his witโs end, speechlessโhe was trying to protect her.
โGiovannaโs your cousin and my friend. Donโt be like that to her next time,โ Edith huffed, hands on her hips.
Daniel sighed. โGot it, Honey.โ
โAmeliaโs coming back. Make sure her room is ready, and get the nannyโs room set up too,โ Edith ordered, and the butler immediately went to carry out her instructions.
Daniel didnโt have to worry about a thing when it came to running the household. Just a week until the wedding, and heโd finally get to see Amelia and Kimsey again.
โMr. Zuckerberg, someone from the Flying Tiger Sect is here to see you,โ the butler said, rushing in.
Daniel blinked in surprise. โThe Flying Tiger Sect?โ
Half an hour later, Daniel met Morgan and an older man who bore a resemblance to him. Although his hair and beard were gray, he possessed a commanding presence, reminiscent of a seasoned military leader. One glance at him inspired a profound sense of respect.
โDr. Mitchell, who is this?โ Daniel asked.
โIโm also Mitchell. Iโm Landonโs mentor,โ the older man said, stroking his beard as he sized Daniel up.
Daniel quickly greeted him. โHello, Mr. Mitchell!โ
โMr. Zuckerberg, do you know where Joanna is right now?โ Larry asked.
Daniel hesitated for a moment before replying, โHonestly, I havenโt kept up with her lately, so I donโt know where she is. Mr. Mitchell, is she in trouble again?โ
โNo,โ Larry shook his head. โIโm sure youโve heard about what happened with the Mystic Sect, so Iโll be honest with you. Some of the individuals we sent back have demonstrated unusual abilities, and I need to investigate this further.โ
โUnusual abilities?โ Danielโs heart skipped a beat. โMr. Mitchell, sorry, but I donโt get what youโre saying.โ
โMonroeโs got superpowers, and heโs been secretly scouting for others like him all over the world,โ Larry explained.
โSome of those people have superpowers?โ Daniel asked, his voice trembling.
โThatโs right,โ Larry confirmed.
Daniel took a sip of water to steady his nerves before asking, โWhat kind of powers are we talking about?โ
โSome can read ten lines at a glance with perfect memory, and others can manipulate peopleโs mindsโฆ Theyโre all pretty incredible,โ Larry said.
โHow do they stack up against Monroe?โ Daniel asked.
โTheyโre about as powerful, but they lack his cunning,โ Larry replied.
Daniel let out a sigh of relief. โAs long as theyโre not as smart as Monroe, thatโs something.โ
โMr. Zuckerberg, could you help us reach out to Joanna and have her drop by the Flying Tiger Sect?โ Larry asked.
Daniel hesitated, unsure of what to say. He had promised to let Joanna go, and bringing her back to Lunova only to face interrogation by the Flying Tiger Sect would have gone against that promise.
Morgan and Larry exchanged glances, and Morgan said, โAmong the stuff we brought back, thereโs something she might want to see.โ
โWhat is it?โ Daniel asked.
โA clone specimen,โ Morgan replied.
Daniel was horrified. โAre there a bunch of cloned Porters out there?โ he thought, reeling. Just the thought of ten identical Porters standing in front of him was enough to make Danielโs head spin.
Morgan stuck him with a needle, and Daniel let out a yelp of pain. โRelax, Mr. Zuckerberg, youโre not dreaming or hearing things,โ Morgan said with a grin.
โWho are those clone samples?โ Daniel asked, his voice trembling.
โMany clones existโsome failed and retained, while others are still in the experimental phase. Monroe mentioned that the most successful clone was created using your fatherโs cells, and it is currently with Joanna. We hope she can bring the clone back for further investigation.โ
Daniel was torn. All Joanna ever wanted was Porterโs loveโeven if it were just an illusion, sheโd still cling to it. If they took away the cloned Porter, sheโd probably break down.
After weighing his options, he shook his head at Larry. โSorry, I canโt find her either.โ
โLooks like Landon will have to tough it out a bit longer. We canโt let him quit just yet,โ Larry sighed.
Daniel blinked in surprise. โLandon wants to resign?โ
โThatโs right,โ Larry replied. โBut with everything going on, the group still needs him.โ
Daniel fell silent. โLandon must be doing all this for Amyโjust wants to quit the Flying Tiger Sect and finally live like a regular guy,โ Daniel thought, feeling a pang of sympathy. โBut now, the organization refuses to approve his resignation. What am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to turn Joanna in?โ Daniel agonized.