Chapter 1458

Rhea smiled at him, a dazzling smile that belied the gun in her hand. The contrast between her current demeanor and her recent viciousness sent shivers down everyone's spines.

"Have you changed your mind?" she asked softly, the smile vanishing instantly. "Too late!"

She straightened, looking down condescendingly. "Lock him up! We'll wait for the boss!" she ordered coldly.

Professor Thompson, standing quietly nearby, initially didn't realize she was addressing him. He only reacted when her sharp gaze found him. "Me? Oh, okay..." he mumbled, stepping forward with a frown to restrain Austin. Despite Austin's injuries, his size made the task difficult.

"I'm not talking to you!" Rhea snapped, clapping her hands twice. A group of tall figures in white lab coats and masks materialized, their expressions stoic. They swiftly apprehended Austin, dragging him down the corridor.

"Hold up!" Rhea called, intercepting them. She patted him down, locating his phone before signaling for his removal. Turning to Professor Thompson, she added, "I hope you remember we're on the same team. Be wise. Even if science consumes you, don't forget your family abroad."

Seeing his tremor at the mention of family, she smiled with satisfaction, puckering her red lips to blow on the gun's muzzle before casually walking away.

Austin was dragged to the basement's second floor, thrown into a cell, and locked behind a metal door with a resounding clang. He lay on the cold, damp ground, the tingling in his calf fading into numbness. Yet, his mind was sharper than ever.

The appearance of the figures in white coats had confirmed his escape attempt's futility. With Rhea's gun, fleeing the building was impossible. The hidden dangers within the dark corners of the facility—his naiveté was appalling. How could he risk so much? Even after years in the laboratory, he'd been unaware of the basement's second floor, a hidden dungeon. Now, with his phone confiscated, all hope of contacting the outside world was lost.

Would anyone even notice his absence? No. He was a lone wolf, barely acknowledging colleagues, often skipping work due to the experiment's demands. His disappearance would arouse no suspicion. A week without food or water would be fatal. He would surely die.

His thoughts raced. He wondered about Rhea, the "boss," their true target, and the experiment's purpose. Dizziness set in, his eyes drooping. His head struck the wall with a dull thud, momentarily jolting him awake. He rubbed his head, realizing the hallucinations stemmed from blood loss.

No! He couldn't die here, a meaningless death. Even if death was inevitable, he needed to understand what was happening, who they were. With this resolve, he leaned against the wall, forcing himself upright to survey his surroundings.