Chapter 397
At the TIC Research Institute, Calista strode in with the confidence of someone who owned the ce.
She slipped into her pristineb coat, snapped on a pair of gloves, and began to prepare her array of
scientific instruments meticulously.
As her colleagues filtered into work, they could not help but cast puzzled nces her way. Unfazed by
their stares, Calista selected a few essential tools and turned to the bewildered researchers. "Unless
there''s a pink slip with my name on it that I''ve yet to receive, my presence here shoulde as no
surprise," she quipped with an authority thatmanded the room.
The researchers collected themselves. "No, of course not, Dr. ke."
"Good, then let''s get to work," Calista said, her eyes flickering with impatience. "Have these items
delivered to my officeter. I don''t want to be disturbed while conducting my research."
She handed a list to her assistant, Holden, whose eyes widened in confusion upon reading it. These
items had nothing to do with their current projects.
"Problem?" Calista arched an eyebrow.
Quick to recover, Holden shook his head. "No. It''s just that we''ve never used some of these before, and
they could be dangerous if mishandled."
A scoff escaped Calista. "ying it safe hasn''t exactly helped us meet Mr. Percy''s expectations, has it?
If we don''t innovate, what use will we be to him, or do you fancy yourself a better scientist than I?"
Holden mped his mouth shut and hurried off to gather the requested items.
Calista retreated to her privateb, a space she had earned as the institute''s director. Here, under the
radar of her subordinates, she could delve into the confidential task assigned by the enigmatic Scott.
As soon as the door clicked shut, beads of cold sweat dotted her forehead. The pressure of developing
a virus under the watchful eyes of so many was immense. Still, she had always maintained an air of
untouchable authority, which now served her well in keeping prying eyes at bay.
Pouring over the documents Scott had entrusted her with, Calista''s gaze hardened. The document was
highly confidential, and the task was extremely risky. She was ying a dangerous game, but it was
the only way to regain her freedom from Scott''s maniptions and regain the attention of the elusive
Percival.
With determination and resolve in her eyes, Calista yelled inwardly, “Vivienne, the day this virus sees
the light of day is the day of your death!”
Meanwhile, Scott removed his headphones with a satisfied smile. He had been keeping a close watch
on Calista, confident in her ambition and desperation to prove her worth. He did not fear her betrayal in
the slightest; she was already an outcast, and Percival did not even care if she could enter theb.
Plus, Calista was extremely arrogant about her medical skills. Only the legendary Specter Healer or
someone like Brody, who once saved her life, could possibly sway her now.
Scott left for a covert meeting with a contact named Quincy, whose real name was Barnaby.
Barnaby, bandaged and waiting respectfully, anticipated an encounter with the mysterious Mr. B.
This was the first time she met Mr. B, although she had no idea if this man in front of her was the real
Mr. B.
Scott nodded and sat down. Under the mask, his eyes were filled with intimidation and inspection as he
kept silent.
Barnaby understood that Mr. B was waiting for her to speak.
Thus, she said, “Mr. B, sorry. They managed to save Dorian and Cordelia, but there was nothing I could
do.
Scott held his forehead with one hand and continued to stare at Barnaby without saying a word.
Barnaby continued, “It all happened too quickly, and I had no choice but to give them up, but... I got the
potion.”
Finally, Scott reacted for the first time. With surprise, he said, “You got the potion?”
“Yes.” Barnaby passed the potion to Scott, saying, “I got this from searching Cordelia’s body. She had
modified it and hid it in her bracelet. I don’t know if this is the real portion, so please take a look.”
Scott hastily grabbed the potion and walked to theb next door.
After testing it, he confirmed it was the real potion! With this, he fully trusted Quincy.
He left theb with relief and instructed Barnaby, “Don’t show up for now, and take your time to recover
from your injuries. If anythinges up, I’ll contact you the same way as before.”
He had chosen to meet Quincy to determine if she betrayed the organization as Rowan and Ismene
did.
He had already nned to slit her throat on the spot if something was not right.
Fortunately, Quincy was a smart girl.
Barnaby watched Mr. B leave, then immediately told her brother, Caspian, about what had happened.
This news very soon reached Percival.
As soon as Percival got the message, he was certain that the Mr. B Barnaby mentioned was indeed
Scott. After that day, he instructed Barnaby to find a way to get close to Mr. B, and he never contacted
her again. However, given how cautious he was, Mr. B would never so casually appear. Thus, Percival
knew this was not the time to capture Scott.
Scott had received the potion, and Percival was going to use this to his advantage to find the true Mr.
B. He would let Barnaby obtain insider information about the GTO and draw out the true mastermind
behind the organization.
Vivienne, receiving an update from Draven about Scott''s whereabouts, instructed patience. The time
was not right to strike. They needed to wait for Barnaby''s next move, to exploit Scott''s trust, and to bait
the trap that would reveal the puppeteer behind the GTO''s curtain.
As Vivienne put away her phone and looked out across the destendscape from her car, she could
not help but frown at the location they had chosen for a child poisoned and on the brink of death—a
dpidated building that even the homeless would shun. It was a stark reminder of their cruel and
merciless world, a ce where life hung in the bnce, and the stakes were higher than ever.
Percival gently held Vivienne''s hand, carefully kicking aside the pebbles and debris that littered their
path.
Following the convoluted map drawn by Barnaby, they eventually reached the top floor of the
abandoned high-rise, navigating through a maze of corridors.
Upon opening the door, they were taken aback to find a small room, surprisingly well-equipped with
medical apparatus.
In the center, on a hospital bed,y a girl, her body riddled with tubes.
Vivienne and Percival''s expressions shifted instantly.
Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!
Anna!
How could it be her?
Had Leopold not secured her a spot at the prestigious Elite University?
Vivienne''s gaze sharpened as she approached to assess Anna''s injuries.
The girl was deep in aa, struggling to breathe, her skin marred by sores, her heartbeat faint and
faltering.
Vivienne swiftly sealed vital acupressure points on Anna''s body, initiating the detoxification of the
poison coursing through her veins.
After some urgent medical attention, Vivienne and Percival transported Anna to Percival''s private clinic.
"She''ll need to be under observation for a while longer; the poisoning is severe and has damaged her
internal organs."
Vivienne stepped out of the operating room while Anna was transferred to the intensive care unit for
continued monitoring.