Ch. 2151..2160
Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2151-Mike licked his dry lips before saying, “I stole two bottles of the viruses when I was at the lab.”
Austin and Alexander exchanged shocked glances. One of them asked, “What kind of viruses?”
“Stuff they developed at the lab. I have no idea what they are, but I thought they might come in handy one day, probably for an exchange or something. Anyway, I just took them,” Mike spoke casually.
“I didn’t tell you guys before for selfish reasons. As I said, I thought they might come in handy. I feel we can use them now.”
Alexander disliked Mike’s plan and frowned, asking, “What are you planning to do?”
“I want to use the virus on myself.” After a pause, Mike looked up with an unwavering gaze.
“Have you lost your fucking mind? You don’t even know what it would do to you!” Alexander exclaimed.
‘What the hell is he thinking? How can he even consider such a thing?’ he thought.
“I don’t, but he might,” Mike pointed his chin at Austin and said, “I’m okay as long as I don’t die. What matters most is that I can fool the organization.”
Alexander caught on. “You plan to trick them by claiming you can replace Lily as the vessel?”
Mike did not answer, and the other two took it as a yes.
“It won’t work,” Alexander said decisively.
“Why not? I’ll figure out how to save Lily once I’m there. We can’t let them do whatever they want,” Mike said earnestly.
Alexander shook his head. “Do you think they’re that gullible? Fred may not know about medicine, but he’ll most likely detain you because he doesn’t know if he can trust you.”
“Well, if he does, I can figure out how to save Lily.”
Alexander smiled helplessly. “Do you think Lily hasn’t tried? Do you think she’s not as capable as you, or has she chosen to stay there?”
“I…” Mike was stumped.
“Just give up the idea. It won’t work, all right?” Alexander said bluntly.
“It might, you know,” Mike shook his head and persisted, “How would we know if we don’t try it? There’s no better way.”
“Furthermore, they developed the viruses I stole. They might believe me!”
Austin chuckled. “First of all, you can’t even fool them since you failed to convince me and Alex.”
“But…”
“No more buts, okay? Don’t you want to rescue your son? You’ll most likely die if you go there.” Alexander knew Mike cared about Nick the most.
Mike was stumped and looked distressed. “That’s why I said I’d need your help. I want you two to rescue and care for Nicky if I die.”
‘I suspect my chances of saving my son are slim since Nicky is probably dead by now. I’ll have nothing to live for if I lose my son. Still, if Nicky is still alive…’
Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2152-Mike would have some peace if Alexander cared for Nick.
“Hey!” Alexander pushed Mike’s hand off his shoulder and said, “Take care of Nick yourself, got it? Just stay positive and stop worrying. Austin’s been through a lot, but he’s doing fine, right?”
Austin was surprised. He did not expect Alexander to cue him to say something. The former shrugged and smiled awkwardly, saying, “Life goes on. Besides, it’s not the end of the world yet.
“We might still have a chance to do something,” Austin paused momentarily and added, “Can you guess why they haven’t started the experiment’s last phase?”
Mike blinked. “Why?”
Alexander pondered for a moment. “It’s not the time yet.”
“That’s right! I think so, too! They have Lily, and they’ve abandoned the lab. Why don’t they start the last phase now? It must have something to do with timing. Then what are they waiting for?” Austin rubbed his chin.
Mike recalled what he knew, “They wanted Lily to recover from her delivery. They’re probably waiting for her body to reach an optimal state.”
“No, I don’t think that’s entirely it.” Austin shook his head. “Indeed, childbirth takes a toll on a woman’s health, and full recovery takes a long time. They wouldn’t have needed to detain her so early if they needed to wait this long for the final phase.
“There are many other ways to do it if they only intend to keep her close. Also, with today’s medical technology, they might not need her to recover fully and continue the experiment.”
“So, what do you think they’re waiting for?” Alexander looked at Austin.
‘Austin is no longer his old self after experiencing so many hardships. His medical skills seemed to have improved significantly,’ Alexander thought.
“I don’t know, either,” Austin answered. He only knew about the laboratory, the experiments, and the viruses. However, he never came into direct contact with those in the organization or knew who they were.
“Perhaps they’re waiting for a specific opportunity.” Austin frowned and thoughtfully turned to Mike. “Anyway, I doubt they’d want you even if you turn yourself into a vessel.”
“Why not?” Mike was puzzled.
‘Didn’t we move past that plan?’
“Duh!” Austin shook his head and looked at Mike. “Since they want Lily’s body to be the vessel, and Rhea wishes to replace her, it’s obvious the organization needs a female body instead of a male one, right?”
He added at the end, “You don’t think they’ll just accept any vessel, do you?”
Mike was stumped, thinking, ‘He makes a lot of sense.’
“I think the most important thing now is to know where they’re keeping Lily.”
Regardless of the rescue plan, they could save her after they knew where she was.
Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2153 -Lily did not get to spend much time with the queen because Fred returned. He no longer showed respect to the queen and strode into the outhouse. After glancing around, he turned and headed toward the bedroom.
“Fred?” The queen noticed him ignoring her and shouted, “Stop right there!”
However, Fred continued to ignore her and pushed the bedroom door open.
“Fred…”
“Just as I thought,” Fred sneered. He saw Lily sitting on a chair and went to pull her up. However, he caught himself and drew his hand back. “Do you think you can escape by hiding here?”
“Escape? Why would I do that?” Lily raised her brow.
“You better be telling the truth! There’s no escape for you, got it?” Fred spoke coldly. “Follow me!”
“Why should I?” Lily asked, still looking as indifferent as before.
“Don’t you want your children anymore? Don’t you care about their lives?” Fred threatened.
Lily shook her head. “Well, don’t you care about your life? Don’t forget that you’ve taken—"
“Your poison?” Fred chuckled, “I don’t give a shit! I know it’s not poison. You expect me to believe you could make one under my very nose? Please!”
“Well, I tried to warn you.” Lily sighed. “You’re running out of time anyway.”
“Save your concern for your babies.”
Suddenly, the babies’ cries came from outside.
Lily lowered her gaze but could not stop her eyelids from twitching. Despite her pretense, she still cared about her children.
Fred thought he had seen through her and laughed, “So? Are you coming with me, or do you plan to keep hiding here?”
“What difference does it make if I go with you or not? You can’t relocate me to Yudonia, can you?” Lily put on a sad look and tried to probe without him noticing.
Fred smiled. “Are you sure about that?”
Immediately after, he dropped his smile and looked stern instead. The sling around his arm reminded him to keep his distance from the dangerous woman before him.
“Let’s go!” Fred turned around and headed off. “If you don’t come out in 30 seconds, I’ll ensure you won’t hear their cries again.”
After threatening Lily, he looked at the angry queen and sneered. “Your Majesty, I’m only doing all this for your own good. You’re getting old and prone to mistakes, so leave everything to me.
“You’ll know I’ve always been loyal to you when the experiment succeeds.”
The queen looked askance at him. “You show your loyalty by imprisoning me and turning others against me?”
“Don’t put it that way, Your Majesty. I’m only doing this to ensure the Hylanders don’t fool you. You know how cunning they are. Those around you are doing this for your sake, too. Just remember that we’re your subjects, not the Hylanders.”
Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2154-“You’re quite a talker, aren’t you?” the queen spoke coldly.
“I’m many other things as well.” Fred looked over his shoulder and smirked, seeing Lily emerge from the room. He then left without looking back.
As Lily followed him, the queen could not help but call out to her, “Lily!”
“Your Majesty, I know you’re not foolish. Take some time to think about what I said.” Lily looked at her intensely and left.
Lily did not see her babies outside the doorway. Instead, a guard held a miniature recording device with the babies’ cries coming from it. She asked, “Where are my babies?”
“Oh, you still care about them? I was thinking of feeding them to the dogs.” Fred revealed an annoying smile.
Lily felt like pouncing on him and ripping his face apart. “You’ll be sorry if you dare lay a finger on them!”
“Your life is in my hands, remember? Who the fuck are you to threaten me?” Fred snorted. “Take her away!”
Although he told the guards to imprison her elsewhere, he was still worried.
‘The embassy’s no longer safe. Although the Hyderland officers promised not to come again soon, I don’t believe them. Someone in the embassy must’ve leaked the information. That’s why they’re so sure Lily’s here.
“They might’ve found her if the queen didn’t relocate Lily. Lily’s husband must’ve received the government’s help to pull off that sanitation stunt.’
He asked coldly, “What about that guy?”
A guard answered, “We locked him up and interrogated him, but he refused to yield.”
“You guys aren’t trying hard enough,” Fred said, “Take me there.”
...
The dark underground chamber looked eerie with just two dim lamps. The smell of blood and rust made one feel nauseous. The iron door creaked open as Fred headed down with a handkerchief over his nose. “It smells horrible here!”
“Sorry, Your Grace. The conditions here aren’t great,” the guard said, trying to appease him.
“Get out of my way!” Fred waved him off. He could not use his cane since his arm was still in a sling. Instead, he needed an attendant’s help.
“Look who we have here.” He walked over to the man bound by iron chains, his tone dripping with sarcasm and anger. “How dare you betray me?!”
A guard shone a flashlight on the prisoner’s face as Fred spoke.
Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2155 -The man winced at the intense light and groaned in agony. He looked dirty and disgusting, with bloodstains and wounds all over.
Fred clicked his tongue and waved his handkerchief. He mocked, “How could they do this to you? You’re a doctor, after all. They shouldn’t have been so harsh on you, right?”
The prisoner was the doctor who examined Lily. He had refused to leave with his family and returned as Alexander’s spy. Unfortunately, he got caught and confined in the underground chamber.
He looked horrible after enduring two days of torture.
Fred sat on a stool a guard had brought over. “So, what did they offer you to turn you against me?”
He crossed his legs and continued to hold the handkerchief over his nose. He felt better being able to sit down.
The doctor knew the organization would kill him either way. He neither looked at Fred nor replied.
“Talk!” Fred glanced at a guard, who then lashed the doctor. The crisp sounds of the whip striking his flesh were terrifying.
The doctor grunted but refused to groan out loud.
“Tough guy, huh?” Fred sneered before sighing. “Why are you acting this way? I’m not a cruel man, so just humor me. Why do you want to betray me? Is it because I didn’t treat you well enough?”
Seemingly passed out, the doctor remained quiet as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Fred dropped his menacing smile and glared at the doctor. “I know your wife and kid have fled. Is that why you dared to defy me? Do you feel like a hero now?!”
The doctor’s head remained low as if he could no longer hear Fred.
Fred continued, “Too bad you’re too naive! Do you think your wife and kid are safe just because you sent them away? Do you honestly think I can’t find them? Don’t forget who I am!”
The doctor finally moved his head a little.
“You don’t believe me?” Fred chuckled, then sighed, “Fine, it’s okay if you don’t because I don’t need you to. Once you see their bodies, you’ll know I’m telling the truth! Do you choose to believe a lowly Hyderland businessman over me, a duke? What a joke!”
Fred got up, seemingly about to leave.
“W-Wait…” The doctor spoke weakly, and Fred heard him and turned around.
“Please…I beg you. Leave my family alone. T-They’re…innocent,” the doctor murmured.
Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2156-Fred chuckled. “Innocent? The world is full of innocent people. Do I have to show everyone mercy? Besides, you should know why I refuse to leave them alone.”
The doctor was at a loss.
“Tell me, what did he offer you besides rescuing your family?” Fred walked away and stood slightly further away from the doctor. “Why did you return after he saved your family? Was it to become Alexander Russell’s spy? What did he promise you?”
He was genuinely curious.
Fred got turned down when he tried to hire the doctor with a hefty sum. The doctor only yielded when Fred took his family hostage. Therefore, Fred wondered what Alexander had offered the doctor.
“Men like you will never understand!” The doctor exclaimed hoarsely.
“Men like me? Do you think you’re noble? Do you think Alexander and his men are good people? Why would they want you to return here as their spy if they were? Do they care about your life?”
Fred stared at him. “What did they tell you? Did they mention their plan? Tell me, and I’ll leave you and your family alone.”
The doctor fell silent again.
“Motherfucker!” Fred lost his patience and grabbed a knife from the table beside him. “You’ve performed many successful surgeries with your hands. I’m sure you treasure them the most, right?”
The doctor grew scared when he realized what Fred intended to do. The former instinctively tried to hide his hands behind him but could not because of the chains. Immediately after, he felt the cold knife pressing against his skin.
“I wonder what would happen if you lost your hands. Hahaha!” Fred’s laughter was eerie and terrifying, much like an executioner's.
“No, please!” the doctor pleaded, trembling in fear.
‘I might as well die if I lost my hands!’
“If you’d like to keep your hands and protect your family, answer my question,” Fred said.
“What…do you want me to say?” The doctor caught his breath and murmured, “They only want to rescue someone, just as I wanted to rescue my family. That’s it!”
“That’s it? You’re saying the Hyderland government has no secret plans against us? Could a mere businessman manage to do so much by himself?” Fred did not believe it.
He also discovered that Alexander had close ties with Cameron and several departments.
‘Someone named Dr. Blanc has frequently met with Alexander. Although Dr. Blanc supposedly worked as a supervisor at a hospital, he rarely went there and would often go missing.’
Fred suspected Dr. Blanc of working for a secret department in Hyderland. However, the former failed to uncover any information.
“I-I don’t know.” The doctor shook his head. Soon, the knife cut into his flesh, and he screamed in pain. He could only keep repeating that he did not know anything.
“Fuck!” Fred lost his patience and tossed the knife to a guard. “Since he knows nothing, there’s no point keeping him alive.”
Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2157 -Austin didn’t leave that day and stayed at Alexander’s place.
When Alexander went downstairs, he spotted someone sitting in a rocking chair on the patio facing the yard. He grabbed two beer cans and went to hand Austin one. “Want one?”
Austin smiled and took the beer. With a pop, he pulled the tab and took a swig. “I used to think you were just a shitty businessman who cares only about money, but now I feel that—”
“I’m not?” Alexander asked.
“Now I feel you’re a savvy businessman who might not care much about money.” Austin laughed at his own half-joke.
Alexander chuckled along and sipped his beer. However, he could not help but frown. He looked at Austin and asked, “So there’s nothing you can do about the stuff inside Rhea?”
He did not ask this question when Mike was around. After all, Mike was emotionally unstable, and Alexander did not want to agitate him.
“The simplest approach is to know the formula.” Austin looked at the moon. “The other way is to analyze its pharmacological properties, which will take some time. I read some of the experimental notes at the lab. The stuff they used wasn’t rare, but they dared to try anything.”
The organization did not care about human lives, so it was natural for them to be that way.
“So the eventual results would often be unexpected.” Austin paused and played with the can. “It’s not impossible, but I need time.”
Time was the most precious thing in the world, but that was what they lacked.
“How much time do you need?” Alexander asked.
Austin turned to look at him but said nothing because he did not know either. For example, the infection on the estate lasted for many days. When they were about to give up, they found a cure. So, no one could predict how long it would take.
“How are things with the X Department?” Alexander changed the subject, “Their workload isn’t that pressing, right? That’s why you’re able to stay here.”
“Yup!” Austin chuckled, knocked his beer can against Alexander’s, and gulped it down.
Feeling refreshed by the cold beer, he burped. “Our department took over and reorganized the vaccine development center’s management. You no longer need to worry about it.”
“So soon?” Alexander was surprised. He knew X Department handled the situation in the center but did not expect them to complete their mission so quickly.
“Well, they’re efficient.” Austin nodded and smiled. “It was easy to take over since it was in disarray. Besides, Edward knew about the situation inside and offered great help to us.”
Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2158-“However, there were still minor disturbances,” Austin said with a grin, gesturing with his fingers.
Curious, Alexander raised his brow.
“The person responsible for the center caused quite a ruckus and should’ve been detained by now.” Austin scratched his head. After all, he was part of the technical team and would not deal with such a matter.
“The person responsible…” Alexander seemed to realize who he was talking about.
...
It was quiet in the holding cell, and the atmosphere was tense. Fabian sat on the stiff bed with both knees close to his chest. He still could not understand how he ended up like this.
‘What did I do wrong? How come I ended up here before I could even make a killing from the vaccine development center?’
Initially, he tried to kick up a fuss. However, he quieted down when he realized they might detain him and were even harsh toward him. The place was too cold and horrible for him. He had never suffered like this in his entire life.
He then heard voices outside and wondered if he was hallucinating.
Since getting locked up here, he kept hearing people talking and crashing against the walls. He thought he would go crazy if he continued to stay there. However, the door soon opened, and he heard footsteps approaching.
Fabian heard them stopping nearby and hesitated before looking up. His eyes lit up when he saw the visitor. He rubbed his eyes to ensure he was not hallucinating.
Immediately after, Fabian leaped off the bed and threw himself into the steel bars, shouting, “Ron! Y-You have to help me!”
He tried to grab Cameron’s clothes through the bars but could not reach him.
“Ron, they arrested me for no reason. I’m cold and scared shitless. You have to get me out of here as soon as possible! What the hell is going on? Why are they saying the vaccine development center is dishonest?
“Didn’t we follow the rules and regulations? They must’ve made a mistake,” Fabian spoke desperately, “Do they know who I am to you?! How dare they arrest me? They’ve shown you no respect, Ron! Ron, say something!”
When Fabian saw Cameron silently gazing at him, he realized something was wrong. The former looked at Cameron in disbelief, asking, “Are you behind all this? You’re not here to save me, are you?”
His voice grew fainter as the glow in his eyes dimmed. He did not want to believe it but knew Cameron was not there to help him.
“You’re right. I’m not,” Cameron said indifferently.
Fabian was utterly disappointed.
Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2159 -“Then why are you here? To laugh in my face?” Fabian let go of the bars and slid to the floor, looking depressed. “I don’t know what I’ve done wrong.”
Cameron felt conflicted. He loved his wife and tolerated Fabian because of her. Despite Fabian’s wrongdoings, Cameron tried his best to help him whenever possible.
Still, Cameron had never misused his influence to help Fabian because he knew it could lead to his and Fabian’s downfall. However, Fabian’s fate was not up to Cameron this time.
Fabian got what he wanted because Cameron was under Rhea’s control then. Later, Rhea secretly conducted illegal experiments at the base while Fabian attempted to rake in bribes and kickbacks through the project.
Fabian was not fit to do business because he had no vision and was not cool-headed enough. Cameron knew Alexander could easily bankrupt Fabian’s company if he wanted to.
However, since Alexander did not wish to monopolize the market, he let it pass when Fabian stole the contract from his company.
“You shouldn't have gotten the project, to begin with," Cameron said blandly, "Currently, your involvement is limited to financial misconduct, which isn't overly severe. We'll determine the extent of your responsibility for the experiments in the research center later.”
Cameron sighed sadly.
Fabian was confused. “What the hell are you talking about?! You gave me the project, and I executed all the paperwork lawfully. What are you trying to hold me accountable for?”
He turned to look at Cameron and frowned. After some thought, Fabian finally caught on, asking, “Alexander Russell must’ve sought your help, didn’t he?! Are you doing this because he bribed you?
“Ron, I’m your brother-in-law! You promised my sister you’d take care of me. Is this how you do it?” he growled as if Cameron was the one who had committed a crime.
Cameron retorted, “Leave your sister out of this and grow up! Do you honestly think I would misuse my power for personal gains?”
Fabian was stumped. He knew what kind of person Cameron was. After all, if Cameron had misused his power and taken bribes, Fabian would not have gotten arrested. Cameron had never given any special treatment to Fabian, let alone others.
However, Fabian could not overcome the fact that his brother-in-law had treated Alexander so well. He took a breath and said through gritted teeth, “Then what’s with the base? What are you holding me accountable for? Enlighten me, please!”
Fabian moved his ear closer and pointed at it as he spoke. He did not know what was happening and was confident he did nothing wrong.
Cameron shook his head and looked at Fabian intensely. “If you want to know, you should ask Rhea.”
“Rhea?” Fabian froze in before a thought came to him. “You know she’s dead, yet you tell me to ask her about it?! Are you saying you’re going to fucking kill me?”
Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2160-“Hey, my sister married you when you were a nobody, remember? How could you forget about your promise to her after becoming successful? If you kill me, I’ll fucking haunt you!” Fabian was furious, thinking that was what Cameron meant.
“She’s not dead.”
Fabian was stunned. He blinked stupidly, thinking he had misheard it. “What? What did you say?”
“Rhea’s still alive,” Cameron continued after a pause, “Maria should know about it too.”
“How’s that possible?” Fabian did not believe him. “She died in an explosion, and the police provided proof. There was also the autopsy report. Everyone saw Maria break down when we buried Rhea. What bullshit are you spewing?!”
Fabian thought Cameron was lying.
‘How would I not know if Rhea is still alive?’
However, Cameron’s gaze was firm despite his indifference. “It doesn’t matter whether or not you believe it. I’m just telling you she’s alive and has done many unimaginable things. You ended up here because of her!”
Fabian widened his eyes, overwhelmed by Cameron’s words. The former dropped to his knees in confusion. “R-Rhea’s alive? But how?”
He did not know if he should be happy or angry. Fabian knew he should be happy his daughter was alive but wondered what Cameron meant by saying she was why he ended up here.
“I…don’t understand,” Fabian frowned and spoke hesitantly, “What did she do?”
After several seconds of silence, Cameron said, “Horrible things.”
...
Fabian’s once splendid house was now a mess with belongings all over the floor. The servants had already left the place.
Maria paced around and kept muttering, “Why’s this happening? W-Why?!”
Her hair was messy, and she had no makeup on. At that moment, she heard a car entering the area. She snapped out of her daze and looked outside.