Before this, the organization had urged Lily to accelerate the experiment's progress, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. Now, their pressure seemed to have lessened. Still, she remained unaware of Alexander's situation or the events at the research base.
'What will Mike and Rhea do now that the organization has taken me away? Has Edward already left?'
Mike returned to the research base immediately after learning about Alexander's predicament. Rick, who had abducted Lily, had caught Mike completely off guard, sending him into a tailspin. He only remembered that the "boss" remained locked in the secret room. Mike had planned to find a way to move the boss, but now it seemed no one cared.
However, this presented a fortuitous opportunity. He wanted to see if this ruthless man, already discarded by the organization, would still display his usual arrogance, fear, or anger. Mike also hoped to glean information about Nick's whereabouts.
Upon arriving, he found the secret room door ajar. Someone had removed the "boss" and placed him in a chair, his head tilted to the side, seemingly unconscious. Rhea sat opposite, her legs crossed, a knowing smile playing on her lips as she regarded Mike. "You still said it wasn't you," she remarked.
"Rhea?!" Mike was stunned. He no longer bothered to deny it. He sneered, "What's the matter? Are you going to save him?"
"Save him?" she echoed.
Mike glanced at the man in the chair. Small and almost swallowed by the seat, this individual had manipulated them for so long, silencing them with fear. Now, he looked insignificant, small enough to be kicked like a ball; utterly powerless without the organization's backing.
Rhea smiled. "Mike Corden, whether he is saved—or not—depends entirely on you."
"What do you mean?" Mike frowned, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. He knew Rhea's nature: cunning, treacherous, ruthless, and cold. Her mind was a labyrinth, and he could easily fall prey to her machinations.
"Don't be afraid," Rhea said, swiveling her chair and tilting her head to look at the man. With a playful smile, she added, "Mike, haven't you realized? He, you, and I—we're all the organization's castaways. They only want Lily; no one else."
"So?" he asked cautiously.
"So, let's cooperate!" She turned to Mike, her expression serious.
"Cooperate? What kind of cooperation?" Mike sneered. "Why should I trust you? Why should you trust me? Even if we cooperate, what resources do we have to fight the organization? Do you think we can prevail by joining forces?"
"Why not?" Rhea stood, her voice rising. "People take risks for themselves! I've poured my heart and soul into this experiment, and the results are mine. No one can take that away!" Her eyes blazed with resentment, her knuckles white as she gripped the chair's armrests.