Chapter 236

For the first time, the ever innocent and wide-eyed Elsie wore an expression of hesitation. She held on to Noelle’s sleeve, her gaze filled with something far deeper than her usual dazed curiosity—uncertainty, conflict, and a strange intensity that refused to fade.

“What’s wrong, Elsie?” Noelle asked, puzzled.

Elsie opened her mouth and tried to say something, but the words that came out were incomprehensible. Noelle frowned, scratching her head. “Elsie, I can’t understand what you’re saying.”

She turned to Adriel for help, but he shook his head slightly. Truth be told, most of the time he was just guessing at what Elsie meant from context. Her usual “ya-ya” babble wasn’t exactly translatable.

“Elsie!” Adriel knelt a little, trying to meet her gaze. “What is it?”

Elsie opened her mouth again, trying harder this time, but her words still came out warped, like her brain was tripping over its own wiring.

From the driver’s seat came a voice. “Mr. Anderson, this isn’t a good place to stop. Should we go?”

“Elsie, we’ll talk later,” Noelle said gently, prying Elsie’s small hands from her sleeve. “I need to go meet my friend right now. I’ll come back to you later, okay?”

And with that, she darted away down the sidewalk, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Elsie instinctively reached out as if to chase her, but Noelle was already gone.

Adriel watched her. “Did you want to go with her?”

Elsie shook her head. It wasn’t that she wanted to follow Noelle—it was that voice on the phone, the one that called Noelle. It sounded… familiar. Unsettlingly familiar.

And then her mind shattered.

Like someone had flipped a switch, vivid images began to flood her brain. Cold blue eyes—eyes just like hers—stared back at her from within her memory. Detached, merciless, devoid of warmth.

Elsie’s body tensed. Her hands shot up to grip her head.

“Elsie? What’s wrong?” Adriel asked, alarmed.

She cried out suddenly, folding in on herself like she was trying to hold her head together. Adriel rushed to support her, panic etched into his usually calm expression.

“Elsie!” he called again, but she only trembled harder.

The images were flashing faster now—fragmented, jarring, unfamiliar and yet intimate. Her entire being felt like it was splitting apart.

“Elsie!!”

Adriel saw her thrashing, her teeth clenched against the pain. He quickly scooped her into his arms, slammed the car door shut, and barked, “Drive. Go to the hospital, now!”

“Yes, sir!” The driver hit the gas.

In the backseat, Adriel held her tightly, trying to soothe her. “It’s alright. We’re almost there. You’re going to be fine, Elsie…”

But as he spoke, Elsie shook harder. She gritted her teeth and suddenly forced out a strangled whisper, “No… don’t go.”

Adriel froze. Had she just… spoken?

“What?” he asked, eyes wide.

And then, clearly—barely, but undeniably—Elsie murmured, “Don’t go. Hospital. No… hospital…”

Adriel’s eyes shrank in disbelief.

Elsie was speaking.

Chapter 236

Meanwhile, Noelle arrived at the spot Stanley told her about and climbed into his car.

Stanley looked like he’d been brooding for hours, his elbow propped on the window, cheek in hand. As soon as he saw her, he scowled. “What took you so long!”

Noelle scowled right back. “You told me to come alone, so I came alone. Now you’re mad I wasn’t fast enough!”

He huffed. “You could’ve taken a cab.”

“Peak hour. Couldn’t get one.”

“Then I should’ve picked you up.”

“And then we’d both be stuck in traffic, like right now.”

Stanley had no comeback for that. He grumbled something under his breath.

Noelle smirked. “Speechless? Admit it—you were wrong. Apologize.”

“What for?” he said, rolling his eyes.

“You misunderstood me and snapped at me.”

“That was me snapping?” Stanley asked.

She crossed her arms.

“Alright, alright,” Stanley muttered, waving a hand. “I was wrong, okay! You win. Don’t get all dramatic.”

“Hmph. As you should,” Noelle sniffed, satisfied.

Stanley clicked his tongue. “Nicolas has spoiled you rotten, hasn’t he? You act like some pampered princess now. Where’s the tough 55-class transformer I knew!”

“Jealous much?” Noelle smirked, then reached for the backseat. “So, where are my autographs?”

She turned, about to grab the case, when Stanley tugged her back.

“Wait. I need to ask you something first.”

“What?”

He frowned, hesitating. “Who’s that girl always with you? Do you know where she’s from?”

“You mean Elsie!” Noelle’s face lit up. “She’s a transformer too! And guess what—she’s from the Serpaton-Moerta Alliance Lab. Do you know her?”

Stanley’s jaw tensed. “So you do know she’s from that lab.”

Noelle nodded. “I saw the earpiece on her car, then asked Brandon to confirm it. That’s how I found out.”

“Brandon knows too?” Stanley looked like someone just told him gravity wasn’t real. He blinked, hard.

Noelle tilted her head. “Wait—how did you know about Elsie! And… do you know her?”

“I saw you get in the car with her earlier,” he said, rubbing his nose. “And yes, I know her. She’s one of Serpaton’s 55-class transformers.”

Noelle’s eyes widened. “Elsie is 55-class too?”

She remembered Stanley saying there were five ranks for transformers—55 being the highest.

“She’s not just ‘strong’,” Stanley said grimly. “She’s dangerous. Way more than your average aggressive transformer. She’s a killing machine. Cold. Ruthless. No humanity left in her.”

Noelle’s smile faltered.

“Why would Brandon let someone like that near you!” Stanley continued, clearly agitated.

Noelle blinked, struggling to reconcile Stanley’s words with the sweet girl who just gifted her jewelry and snuggled close like a teddy bear.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

Chapter 236

“Positive. Back at the lab, she was infamous. People died just for getting close to her.”

Noelle opened her mouth to argue… but then she remembered last night…

The moment Elsie had pinned her down, poised to strike.

A chill crept down her spine.

Maybe Stanley wasn’t exaggerating after all.