Rhea knew what had befallen her father but remained unconcerned. Though Cameron knew her ruthlessness, he hadn't anticipated this callous disregard for her parents. "Aren't you worried about him?" he asked, frowning.

Rhea sneered. "I can barely save myself. Besides, he's too foolish for this cutthroat world. He should thank me for keeping his business afloat for so long."

Her words shocked Cameron and Alexander. Rhea, noticing their reaction, sat upright. "I may sound harsh, but I'm telling the truth. If you feel sorry for my father, why not simply let him go? Would my pleading make a difference?"

"He's only in trouble because of you," Cameron murmured.

Rhea laughed. "What a joke! Without me, he'd have been arrested years ago. He's made countless stupid decisions. It was only a matter of time before he landed in jail. Blame the timing. If we'd acted sooner, perhaps he could enjoy a comfortable retirement thanks to me." She shook her head and sighed. "I don't regret what I did. I only regret that things didn't move fast enough."

Cameron understood. "By 'acting sooner,' you mean releasing your tainted vaccines and harming countless people, don't you?" He clenched his fists, the outrage from the investigation report still burning.

Rhea retorted, "Aren't there too many useless people in the world? Keeping them alive wastes resources. We should prioritize valuable resources for those who merit them, shouldn't we?"

Cameron stared, incredulous. "What in God's name did you learn abroad? What did that organization do to you?"

"What did they do?" Rhea slowly rose, a smile playing on her lips. "They recognized my talent, saw I was unlike you. They provided unparalleled opportunities, exposing me to cutting-edge medicine and technology. They opened a whole new world! Thanks to them, I realized I didn't need to live in anyone's shadow, my parents' neglect notwithstanding. I could alter the fate of countless people if I chose."

"They gave me confidence and opportunity. I simply failed to fully utilize them...though I hardly consider myself a failure yet." She sat down, the conversation seemingly concluded.

As Cameron sighed and turned, Alexander asked, "The virus you acquired is about to take effect, isn't it?"

Rhea's composure faltered. Though silent, Alexander knew the answer. "We've rejected your offer. I won't use you to bargain for Lily."

"Why?!" Rhea exclaimed. "Don't you care about her anymore?! Men are heartless! You can always find another wife, but once my experiment succeeds, you'll regret this folly!"

Unmoved by her scorn, Alexander met her gaze. "Your experiment won't work. And I won't do it because...you're simply not worthy."