Chapter 286
“Noelle…
Nicolas stared at her, stunned.
Even Brandon’s expression darkened as he spat, “You actually…”
The knife in Noelle’s hand hadn’t pierced Nicolas–but her own palm.
The blade went clean through, skewering her hand entirely. Blood spilled down in thick drops, trailing along the metal and splashing to the ground.
Noelle stumbled backward from the pain, her body trembling, sweat beading on her brow. But in that agony, she found a sliver of clarity. Gritting her teeth, she looked straight at Brandon, shaking her head.
“No,” she said hoarsely. “I won’t kill Nicolas.”
Brandon’s face turned grim
Cone was the calm, composed demeanor–replaced by a stormy darkness, Even after tightening the grip of the neural conditioning, she was still resisting.
Could it be? That the mental imprint–the lab’s psychological branding–was actually being overpowered… by love?
Ridiculous. His eyes narrowed, and he issued the command again, this time louder, sharper. “Noelle. I command you kill Nicolas Now.”
The impulse surged again–fierce and suffocating. Her instincts itched to obey. But Noelle shook her head violently, retreating step by
step.
“No. I won’t
Brandon’s focus narrowed entirely on her.
That was the opening Nicolas needed.
He fired.
The shot rang out, sharp and sudden. But it didn’t hit
Brandon turned his head slightly, and the bullet merely grazed his cheek–leaving behind a red trail across his face. He raised a hand, wiped the blood away, and looked at Nicolas with a mock smile,
“Cheap shot. Pretty cowardly.
Nicolas wasn’t surprised it didn’t work. Still, it stung to know even with the element of surprise, all he managed was a scratch.
No human could move like that.
But Nicolas didn’t flinch. He held Brandon’s gaze and smiled coolly. “When facing a monster, I think a little head start is fair.”
Brandon’s expression twisted. He couldn’t stand that even now, Nicolas still looked composed,
It’s because of him, Brandon thought. “Because of this man, Noelle is in pain. If he didn’t exist, everything would be different.
Brandon’s voice dropped. “I’ve made up my mind.”
His steps echoed across the ground as he slowly walked toward Nicolas, killing intent burning in his eyes.
“Noelle won’t fish the job, then I’ll do it myself.”
Nicolas expression tightened as he heard the voice.
He could tell that Brandon genuinely intended to kill him. Despite the dire situation, Nicolas forced himself to stay calm. letting out a mocking laugh as he taunted. “Didn’t you want Noelle to personally sever her emotional ties? So why are you taking matters into your own hands now! Looks like you don’t have much faith in her, huh?“.
You don’t need to try and provoke me,” Brandon replied, his pace unchanged. He shrugged with a smile, then continued. “Noelle has
Chapter 286
been so deeply swayed by you. It’s only right that I eliminate you, this threat, on her behalf. It’s only reasonable,
don’t
you think?
“Isn’t that just admitting your lack of confidence?” Nicolas sneered. “The concept of her!
r killing me versus you doing it can they really be the same? You’re no longer sure she’ll kill me, are you? You were so confident before. It’s laughable.
“Say whatever you want, Brandon’s eyes narrowed with rising murderous today.”
With that, Brandon lunged toward Nicolas.
intent. “No matter what you say, you’re going to die here
Nicolas instinctively moved to dodge, but he was acutely aware of Damon’s precarious condition. If he let go, Damon would likely start bleeding again, and there might be no coming back from it.
What should he do? Run or stay? While Nicolas struggled with this dilemma, Noelle suddenly rushed forward, shoving Brandon aside
“Stop!” she shouted
Brandon, taken completely off guard, nearly lost his balance. His face darkened with fury as he turned to face the small figure standing in front of Nicolas, “Noelle.”
Noelle stood in front of Nicolas, her eyes full of hostility as she faced Brandon
“Are
you out of your mind? Do you have any idea what you’re doing?” Brandon’s smile vanished, replaced by a cold, threatening expression.
Noelle, still struggling to free herself from the mental shackles placed by the laboratory, panted heavily. But she clung to her remaining bit of sanity and made a firm decision to protect Nicolas
“I can’t let you hurt Nicolas,” she forced herself to say, each word an immense struggle.
Brandon laughed again, his tone cruel. “So, you’re going to defy the lab’s orders for this man, huh? Is that what you’re saying, Noelle?”
Noelle’s instinct was to obey.
She had grown up in the laboratory, where following orders was drilled into her from an early age. She had always complied without question. But Nicolas had told her that it was okay not to follow those orders.
However, whenever she tried to resist, a stronger mental force urged her to comply, to follow the lab’s instructions. Was this what they meant by a “mental stamp” on her thoughts?
Had the lab done this to ensure her obedience?
Not following orders felt like her mind would tear apart. Noelle was resilient, but she hated pain–especially the kind of headaches that reminded her of the torturous brain experiments from her past. If she had known that disobeying would hurt this much, she probably wouldn’t have resisted.
But now she had people to protect, and no matter how much it hurt, she couldn’t follow an order that would harm them.
She was Noelle, the highly capable “transformer” who always completed her missions flawlessly. She had the power to do anything she set her mind to. How could she let a single command, a single sentence, make her do something she never wanted to do?
Besides, she had promised Nicolas she wouldn’t let anyone hurt them because of some so–called orders. She couldn’t break that promise.
After an intense internal struggle, Noelle shook her head fiercely, then faced Brandon directly. With firm resolve, she said, each word deliberate and unyielding. “I’d rather not follow the so–called mission than hurt Nicolas, And that includes you, Brandon Jones.”
From the moment she met Brandon, she had always addressed him simply as “Brandon.” But this time, she used his full name, as symbolize the clear line between them from now on. They were no longer friends.
Brandon’s eyes flickered as he realized the significance of her words.
He pursed his lips, silent for a moment, as his expression grew more ambiguous, seemingly contemplating something.
if to
After a long pause, he let out another soft laugh. He looked at Noelle, his smile tinged with something darker, and asked, “Noelle, are you really planning to cut ties with me completely!”
“Yes, Noelle answered resolutely.
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If she didn’t sever ties with Brandon, she wouldn’t be able to protect everyone.
What mission? What task? They could all go to hell
Brandon felt the fuality in her words. He realized that even the so–called “mental stamp couldn’t fully break her will. In the end, she had chosen what mattered to her–family and love.
He sighed, an almost bored sound. “Ah… this is getting boring
His words sent a chill down Noelle’s spine, and an ominous feeling settled in her gut
A look of disappointment passed over Brandon’s face as he spoke, his voice tinged with regret. “Noelle, I had high hopes for you. I never expected you to disappoint me like this. You’re really going to defy me for that man
Noelle could only stare at Brandon, unable to respond.
Brandon lazily rolled his neck, cracking his knuckles. His emerald eyes reflected Noelle’s image as if the were the only thing in the world, and he smiled at her, his tone final. “Since you’ve chosen him, I’ll have to kill both of you right here.”
AD
