Lily left the office and reached the downstairs lobby when Mike caught up. He hurried over, calling, "Lily! Lily! Did you mean what you said?"

Lily stopped and turned. "Which part?"

"Well..." He hesitated, unsure how to phrase it.

"That I don't fucking care?" Lily supplied, seeing his hesitation.

Mike offered an embarrassed smile.

"Of course not," she readily denied. "How could anyone not care about their beloved family and friends? However, I meant that as a parent, I can't always protect my children, despite my best efforts."

She looked saddened, gazing at the ceiling. Mike disagreed. "You might think so, but I'm going to rescue Nick, even if I have to sacrifice myself!"

"I still have to try, even if I can't. Even if I die!"

"Then what?" Lily asked flatly.

Her question bewildered him. "What do you mean?"

"Will you be able to protect him forever if you sacrifice your life?" she asked.

Mike was stumped. He couldn't guarantee that.

'We face various problems in our lives. Even if I give up my life, can I guarantee my son's safety forever? I don't think so.'

After a silence, he admitted, "Nonetheless, I must protect him as long as I'm around!" He'd feel useless and defeated otherwise.

Lily nodded thoughtfully, offering no mockery. "I believe you will."

'As parents, we will risk our lives and everything to ensure our children's safety, but even then, will we succeed for certain?'

"I'm willing to do that for my children as well," she added. "But rationally, many things happen against our wishes. It's noble to sacrifice our lives, but it could also be meaningless."

"I don't get it," Mike confessed.

Lily patted his shoulder, smiling. "It's not that I don't care about my children, but I can't let that man use them to threaten me. Perhaps they'll only be safer if I stopped caring."

Mike was baffled.

"Just leave it at that," Lily said, changing the subject. "Oh, yes, I observed him just now, but I don't think he was hiding anything on his person—he keeps changing clothes. Do you think the list could be inside the safe?"

They had seen Rhea take a document from the safe; Lily had spotted something else inside. Though she hadn't gotten a good look, she suspected it was important.

Mike immediately shook his head. "No. They only bought the safe after moving here. They didn't bring it from the old research institute. Where was it before, if they keep it in the safe now?"