Chapter 135

When Leia tiptoed down the stairs, she quietly slipped out of her room. Peeking around the corner, she saw Noelle clinging to Damon.

“That shameless baat,” Leia thought, her frustration rising. Couldn’t Damon tell her to get off? Yet she just kept hanging on like a leech. Leia shook her head, unable to believe anyone could...

What stung Leia even more was Damon’s behavior. He had been out all day, and now she realized it was to buy supplements for Noelle. “How ridiculous,” Leia found herself thinking. “Noelle had just caught a cold—probably faked to gain sympathy—and yet Damon went out of his way to buy her medicine."

“Even when I was sick, Damon never showed me this much concern. What makes Noelle so special? Why does she deserve Damon running all over town for her? She doesn’t!” Leia thought, bitterness bubbling up inside her.

Leia felt a deep sense of betrayal, as though the whole world had turned against her. Even Damon, who had always doted on her, was now choosing...

"What’s left for me in the Anderson family! I can’t just sit back and let this happen. Noelle has stolen everything from me… and I’m going to take it all back,” she thought, a fierce determination hardening in her chest.

Unable to bear the “heartwarming” scene downstairs any longer, Leia stormed back to her room.

Reaching her limit, she...

Eli, spotting the shadowy figure upstairs, smirked coldly. “Too cowardly to show yourself, hiding in the corner... Leia, you’ve reached your limit,” he thought, his gaze filled with knowing.

After spending some time with the family downstairs, Noelle returned to her room. Bored, she picked up her phone and called Nicolas to share the great news about Damon’s change in attitude.

The call connected quickly.

“Hey,” came Nicolas’s smooth, elegant voice.

Noelle immediately lit up, eager to share her excitement. “Nick, I’ve got great news! Damon went out and bought me supplements today! He’s really worried about my injury. I think he’s starting to warm up to me!”

“Oh?” Nicolas chuckled softly. “Well, it’s about time he showed some decency.”

In Nicolas’s eyes, Damon’s actions were just the bare minimum. After all, Noelle had gotten hurt protecting him. If Damon hadn’t shown any concern, he’d be heartless.

The happy Noelle giggled, lying on her bed, her legs kicking in the air. She held the phone close, smiling as she continued. “Now I’ve got Damon and Eli on my side. I just need to win over Adnel, Bennett, and Clearlier. Charles has been coming home more often lately. I want to get closer to him, but he’s cold and quiet. I can’t figure him out. Nick, what should I do?”

Noelle had started turning to Nicolas for everything. To her, he was like a magical problem-solver. No matter what trouble she faced, Nicolas always had the answer. He was her personal genie—always there to help.

Nicolas laughed softly at her dilemma. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ve looked into Charlie. He’s reserved and rational, but he’s not heartless. Your personality is actually perfect for someone like him.”

“Really?” Noelle sounded skeptical.

“Absolutely,” Nicolas reassured her. “Most people would back off when faced with someone as icy as Charlie, but you’re different. Even if he seems distant or dismissive, you probably wouldn’t even notice. So, the key to winning him over is persistence.”

“Persistence?” Noelle repeated.

“Yes,” Nicolas explained. “Keep at it. Wear him down until he has no choice but to accept you. Eventually, you’ll leave a lasting impression on him. Plus, you’re the creator of The Shadows! Even if he hasn’t said much, the fact that he’s been coming home more often suggests he’s already intrigued by you.”

“Really?” Noelle’s eyes sparkled.

2:30 PM

She had been unsure about how to approach Charlie, but after Nicolas’s advice, she felt confident she could win him over soon.

“Of course,” Nicolas said with a chuckle. “Would I lie to you?”

Noelle giggled, rolling around on her bed. “Nick, thank you! With your advice, I feel like I can do anything!”

“Sweetheart, do we even need to say thank you between us?” Nicolas’s voice was warm and teasing, filled with affection.

Noelle couldn’t stop smiling. Just talking to Nicolas made her heart race. She had never felt this way about anyone before. Her emotions were soaring, her blood pumping, and she felt a thrill she had never experienced.

Meanwhile, in a lab, a massive monitor displayed a line that began to fluctuate erratically.

The technician observing it immediately reported, “The subject is experiencing intense emotional fluctuations. All physiological readings are above normal levels.”

In a conference room, several men in white coats gathered around a table, examining the latest data.

One of them remarked, “This is an unexpected development. Before the bonds of family were fully established, the bond of love has already formed.”

Another asked, “Since the subject has formed an emotional bond, should we proceed with the test?”

The “test” they referred to was the severing of emotional ties. Their goal was to create a “perfect human”—one without weaknesses or flaws. Throughout history, emotions had always been a destabilizing force, capable of undermining even the most secure situations.

Therefore, the most critical attribute of their “perfect human” wasn’t intelligence or physical prowess, but the ability to remain emotionless and detached in the face of any emotional influence.

Human emotions could be broadly categorized into three types: familial love, romantic love, and friendship. These were the most potent emotional bonds, and only by severing them could their “perfect human” remain invincible.

“It’s too soon,” another voice interjected. “Only the bond of love has formed. Testing now could disrupt the subject’s subsequent actions. Let’s wait until all three bonds are established before conducting the test. We still have six months.”

At the mention of time, one of the men frowned. “Time might not be as plentiful as we think.”

“What do you mean?” the others asked.

He placed a document on the table. It featured a strikingly beautiful, androgynous man around 25 years old, with mesmerizing emerald-green eyes that exuded an eerie, almost supernatural aura.

Despite his breathtaking beauty, there was something unsettling about him.

“Who is this?” the others asked, puzzled.

The man explained, “This individual was part of the same experiment as the subject. He’s the child of a high-ranking official and was returned after passing all the tests.”

“So what?”

“We’ve just received word that he’s been appointed as the new commander of our regional lab. Just before taking up his position, he made one request…”