Chapter 269: The Truth
The Epean professor painfully collapsed onto the ground, but instead of showing anger, he laughed and said in broken Corvainan, “Hahaha! I’ve already burned all the data on subject 008!”
After finishing, he let out a maniacal laugh before continuing. “No one in this world can save her! You’ll witness a living person’s skin gradually decay, their bones rot, and their blood spurt from every orifice… What a beautiful piece of art it would be! If it were to be put up for body donation—”
Before he could finish, the masked man gave the Epean professor another harsh kick. A gush of fresh blood spilled from his mouth, and yet, it seemed as if he couldn’t feel the pain. The cruel smile lingered on his face, never fading.
“You want to know where the experimental data is?” He pointed to his own head. “Even though I burned them all, every single piece of data was etched deeply into my mind! If you want to get the data, you’d have to crack open my skull. But would you dare attempt that?”
Observing the Epean professor’s half-mad, half-sane state, the masked man completely lost his patience.
“Let’s use him for the experiment on the latest blood pill we developed. He loves experimenting on people, so there’s no need to go easy on him. Let him experience firsthand the experimental methods he used on others!”
Angela nodded. “Don’t worry, Leo. Just leave him to me! I’ll find a way to make him talk! It doesn’t matter if he’s feigning madness. He’ll be begging for mercy in tears after he consumes my blood pill!”
After they left the underground basement, the masked man gravely asked, “Angela, how much time does Raylee have left? Just tell me the truth. I won’t blame you; I know you’ve all done your best.”
Angela sighed. “Ms. Somers seemed to be in good shape, but that was just the superficial effect of the drug. It isn’t real. Her internal organs and pulse are, in essence, no different from those of a person in the late stages of cancer. Ms. Somers is gravely ill, and if that Epean bastard doesn’t reveal the experimental data, we won’t be able to develop a targeted drug in time. Ms. Somers has, at most, less than six months left.”
“Six months?” the masked man asked, his voice brimming with despair. He couldn’t accept the reality. For a moment, he felt as if all his strength had been drained, leaving him unable to even stand steadily.
Angela supported him, soothingly saying, “Leo, we couldn’t find that Epean bastard before, hence we were unable to see hope. But now that we’ve found him, I believe Ms. Somers has a high chance of survival. You need to stay strong and have faith in our team.”
The masked man nodded, murmuring, “Ray-Ray, I’m trying to find a way to save you here. You must hang in there!”
During those days, he spared no expense, arranging for the medical team to extend Raylee’s life. However, she had been treated like a lab mouse in District Nine Prison and was subjected to countless experiments. The number of unidentified drugs she had consumed was countless, and her body was already riddled with track marks. Behind every experiment was a corresponding detailed record of experimental data, and that Epean professor was the mentor who led all of Raylee’s experiments. After his research group was disbanded, his whereabouts became unknown. The masked man had exhausted all means to finally unearth him. He thought that by locating this despicable scoundrel, he could secure the detailed experimental data from Raylee and save her life. However, the Epean professor kept his lips sealed tight.
After a moment of hesitation, Angela asked the masked man, “Leo, Ms. Somers doesn’t have much time left. Aren’t you planning on telling her the truth?”
“The truth?” The masked man shook his head and sighed. “If the truth would cause her pain, I’d rather she remained unaware of it for her entire life. All that matters to me is that she’s alive.”
Meanwhile, after ending her call with the masked man at the jewelry store, Raylee held the jewelry the store manager had packaged for her and prepared to leave. Throughout her journey, she was burdened with worries. She harbored suspicions towards the masked man and was filled with doubts about the woman who called out to him. This left her distracted. In a careless moment, she knocked over the decorative tree at the entrance. The fruits, leaves, and decorations had all fallen. The store manager hurried to summon the cleaner to tidy up. Raylee remained silent, quietly crouching down to restore the decorative tree and clean the soiled ground.
At that time, Margaret, Casimir, and Waverly came into the shop to pick out engagement rings. The Sutherland family held a position of considerable importance in Jexburgh, and Casimir was a well-known and talented young man. The patrons of the jewelry store were all either rich or powerful and hailing from high society. They each took turns to acknowledge the trio’s presence with a greeting.
“I heard you initiated numerous large-scale projects after taking over the board of directors, Mr. Sutherland. The stock prices have been soaring ever since. You sure are an accomplished young man!”
“The lady next to you must be the future lady of the Sutherland family, right? She’s certainly a vision of good fortune and a real lucky charm for her husband! No wonder Sutherland Group is thriving!”
“A handsome groom and a beautiful bride… They are such a perfect match! She’s certainly set for a life of bliss in the future!”
Hearing the compliments, all three wore delighted smiles. This was especially true for Waverly, whose vanity was greatly satisfied after hearing so many compliments.