Chapter 239

When Ebie firmly insisted that Bennett wasn’t a good person, Adriel paused. To be fair, even he wasn’t entirely sure what Bennett was thinking most of the time.

Bennett was just too smart–and a scientist, no less. And everyone knows, most brilliant researchers are a little unhinged in ways ordinary people can’t comprehend.

And then there was Noelle. Since coming back, Adriel had heard plenty about her–how fast she learned, how talented she was. She was only nineteen, yet already far ahead of her peers.

It wasn’t entirely out of the question that Bennett had taken an interest in her for research purposes.

But then again, Noelle was family. She was their sister. Even if Bennett was a little crazy, he wouldn’t actually treat his own sister like some test subject, right?

Adriel decided he’d talk to Bennett about it later–just to get a read on his intentions.

Meanwhile, Bennett had brought Noelle to one of his larger research labs–a more advanced and secure division of the main facility.

As soon as they stepped inside and she caught sight of the white lab coats and gleaming medical instruments, a wave of unease hit her. The place triggered all sorts of flashbacks to her own time at Atoraka–Nowedon Laboratory–none of which were pleasant.

“You okay?” Bennett noticed the color drain from her face. He stepped closer, gently placed a hand on her shoulder, and gave her a reassuring smile. “Relax, Noelle. I’m here, aren’t I? Nothing’s gonna happen to you with me around.”

She pushed his hand off her shoulder and muttered, “Alright, what do you want this time?”

Bennett chuckled softly, about to answer when another man approached–a sharp-eyed young researcher in a pristine lab coat. His name tag read Dr. Liam Robertson.

His eyes flicked over Noelle with mild disdain before he turned to Bennett and said, “And who’s this? You know this facility isn’t open for casual visitors.”

Bennett smiled politely. “Dr. Robertson, this is my sister, Noelle.”

Noelle forced a small, polite nod. “Nice to meet you.”

“Your sister, huh?” Liam arched a brow. “Even so, this isn’t a sightseeing spot. I get that you’re the department’s golden boy, but bringing in outsiders! Really?”

Noelle immediately bristled. This guy was clearly the kind who could suck the warmth out of a room in seconds.

“She’s not just visiting,” Bennett replied evenly. “She’s here as a volunteer for the memory resonance trials.”

Liam blinked. “Her?”

He gave Noelle a full once-over–disbelief written all over his face. She looked way too soft for the kind of brutal trials they conducted here.

“You sure about that?” Liam sneered. “Even trained soldiers struggle with this test. I give her… what, three seconds before she calls it quits?”

The experiment in question involved stimulating the brain with high-frequency waves to attempt memory resonance, a process that aimed to capture, store, and potentially replicate memories. It was cutting-edge work–and absolutely brutal on the test subjects.

Even elite soldiers rarely lasted more than five minutes. Civilians? Hardly a minute.

And in Liam’s eyes, Noelle looked like she’d be lucky to last ten seconds.

Noelle, of course, hated being underestimated. Sure, she was annoyed Bennett had roped her into this again, but now that this Liam guy was being such a jerk, her competitive streak kicked in.

“How would you know if I don’t try?” she shot back. “Maybe I’ll surprise you.”

Liam paused, then burst out laughing. “Sure, sure, let’s see what you’ve got. Surprise me."

He walked away still chuckling, clearly not taking her seriously.

Noelle fumed. “What a jerk. Just wait. I’m gonna blow his smug face off.”

Bennett, watching her with amusement, smiled. He had been trying to figure out how to get her to go along with the experiment willingly. Turns out, all he needed was to have someone insult her.

Maybe she really is missing a few screws, he thought with a quiet laugh.

“Of course not,” he replied quickly. “You’re amazing, remember? I have full confidence you’ll wow everyone.”

Noelle huffed again but smirked. “Good. This will be easy.”

She had once lasted over forty minutes during neural stimulation tests at Atoraka–Nowedon. This? Child’s play.

Soon, she changed into sterile gear and was escorted to the testing chamber.

Before entering, she grabbed Bennett and narrowed her eyes. “You didn’t tell anyone what I really am, did you?”

“Of course not,” Bennett said, winking. “Our little secret.”

Satisfied, Noelle nodded and went in.

Bennett headed into the observation room where several researchers had gathered. Liam was there, of course, arms crossed and face smug.

Bennett just smiled, unfazed.

Liam hated that smile. To him, Bennett was a fraud–an overhyped genius whose real talent was luck and good PR.

Now he was parading his sister around like she was some kind of proof of genetic greatness. Liam couldn’t wait to see them fail.

The countdown began.

“Beginning test in 3… 2…”