Chapter 279
Although Noelle had grown somewhat wary of Brandon Lairly, he brought her happiness. Back then, during those endless days of experiments, she made it through.
Remembering these difficult yet warm moments, Noelle decided to invite Houston to her birthday. Because the terminal on her neck clave was linked directly to Brandon, she didn’t need to call him, simply sipping the switch was enough to open a line of communication.
“Hello! Brandon! Are you there?” she called softly into the neck clave.
There was no response.
Noelle frowned. That’s strange. Is he busy?
Just as she was about to try again later, Brandon’s voice finally came through. “Noelle? You were looking for me?”
“Yeah! I tried calling a minute ago and you didn’t answer. Were you busy?” she asked curiously.
“I was,” Brandon replied simply, his calm gaze fixed on the massive glass tank in front of him.
Inside the tank, a girl floated silently in a viscous green liquid, her body curled into a fetal position. She wore a leathing mask, eyes tightly shut, as if in deep sleep. The most shocking part–she looked exactly like Noelle.
In this laboratory, human cloning was just another communion technique. The girl–a perfect biological replica.
But Noelle had no idea.
There was a pause on the other end, followed by a soft chuckle. “I thought you wouldn’t invite me.”
“Huh? Why would you think that?” Noelle asked, confused.
"Well," Brandon said, with a hint of self-mockery, "I've been putting you through all those exhausting experiments lately. You probably think I’m awful. And you’ve been more distant with me than before."
His voice was quiet, tinged with a bit of sadness and disappointment. Anyone who didn’t know better might think he had been the one suffering.
To be honest, Noelle had developed some fear and resentment toward Brandon because of the recent experiments. He no longer felt like the kind companion from her childhood.
But Noelle wasn’t one to hold grudges. She was the type who bounced back quickly, forgetting pain once it passed. And now that the experiments were over, she’d already returned to her usual sunny self.
Sensing Brandon’s downcast mood, she earnestly replied, “Even if you were a little scary lately, you’re still my friend. I haven’t forgotten the days we spent together in the lab. I could never hate you over something like this.”
“Really?” Brandon asked, his voice lighter. “You truly don’t hate me?”
“Nope. Not at all.”
For the first time in a while, Brandon smiled–genuinely. Noelle was such a fool sometimes. But maybe that was exactly what made her so lovable. Her warmth and optimism were so rare in their cold, calculated world. That’s why he liked her so much.
“I understand,” Brandon said. “I’ll be there for your birthday.”
“Great!” Noelle beamed. “Okay, I won’t bother you anymore. Get back to what you were doing.”
“Alright.”
“Bye Brandon!”
Chapter 279
As the call ended, Brandon’s gaze returned to the girl inside the glass chamber. His emerald eyes flickered with a storm of thoughts as he whispered to the unconscious clone. “If I can help it, I hope I never have to use you.”
With Noelle’s birthday just around the corner, she spent most of her days at the Anderson estate. Nicolas had been swamped with work lately, returning home only past midnight. Since he couldn’t be by her side during the day, he told her to stay with her family, where she’d be more comfortable.
But on the eve of her birthday, a shocking revelation took the world by storm.
A renowned international human rights organization dropped an explosive report, exposing the existence of three covert human experimentation laboratories. These labs were accused of heinous acts–violating ethics, desecrating life itself.
According to the report, the labs had been purchasing orphans from shelters and trafficking rings to conduct experiments–modifying their bodies into bio-weapons. Most of the children couldn’t withstand the procedures and died as a result, labeled as “failures.”
The global community, already concerned with declining birth rates and aging populations, was outraged. Children were society’s most protected demographic–and now, it was revealed they had been used as disposable tools.
The story triggered international uproar. Protests erupted around the globe, with millions demanding the labs be shut down and their locations revealed, so the public could see justice done.
“How could anyone do something so vile?” Kimberly gasped in horror, watching the breaking news in the Anderson family’s living room. Even just reading about it made her skin crawl.
Eli echoed her anger. “Those damn labs shouldn’t exist. Now that the human rights organization has gone public, the UN has to get involved.”
Vincent, however, wasn’t so sure. “It won’t be that easy. Running a lab like that costs a fortune. For them to stay hidden this long, they must have powerful backers–big financial groups. If those step in, taking them down won’t be simple.”
Eli clenched his fists. “So what if they have money? If they weren’t afraid of public backlash, they’d have gone public a long time ago. Clearly, they do fear exposure. Once people rise up, even the wealthiest won’t be safe.”
Vincent fell silent. He couldn’t deny that point.
For now, to most, it was just a scandal on the news–distant and dramatic.
But Damon, who had begun to piece things together, stared silently at Noelle as she came downstairs.
Those labs… Could Noelle have been part of one of them?
Noelle hadn’t seen the news yet. She caught Damon’s intense gaze and tilted her head. “Why are you staring at me like that?”
Damon opened his mouth, but the words caught in his throat. His eyes flickered with emotions–complicated, uncertain, and deeply conflicted.