Chapter 279
Although Noelle had grown somewhat wary of Brandon Lairly, a
who brought her happiness. Baik then, during those endlesslays of expe
she made it through
Remembering these difficult yet wat moments, Noelle des added to invite Houston to her birthda
Because the terminal on her nes klave was linked directly to Brandon, she didn’t need to call him sipping the switch wacenough to open a line of communication
“Hello! Brandon! Are you there?” she called softly into the neckla
There was noÓ JUYWCL
Noelle trowned. That’s strange. Is he busy?
Just as she was absent to try again later, Brandon’s voice hnally. ve through. “”“Noelle? You were looking for me?”
“Yeah! I tried calling a minute ago and you didn’t answer. Were you busy?” she asked curiously,
“I was,” Brandon replied simply, his calm gaze fixed on the massive glass tank in front of hi
Inside the tank, a girl floated silently in a viscous green liquid, her body curled into a fetal position. She wore a leathing mask, eyes tightly shut, as if in deep sleep. The most shocking part–she looked exactly like Noelle.
In this laboratory, human cloning was just another comunion tecludique. The girl
-a perfect biological replica
But Noelle had no idea.
There was a pause on the other end, followed by a soft chuckle. “I thought you wouldn’t invite met
“Huh? Why would you think that?” Noelle asked, confused.
ern grown from Noelle’s current cells
“Well, Brandon said, with a hint of self–mockery, Tve been putting you through all those exhausting experiments lately. You probably think I’m awful. And you’ve been more distant with me than before.”
His voice was quiet, tinged with a bit of sadness and disappointment. Anyone who didn’t know better might think he had been the one
suffering
To be honest, Noelle had developril some fear and resentment toward Beaudon because of the recent experiments, like the kind companion from her childhood.
no longer felt
But Noelle wasn’t one to hold grudges. She was the type who bounced bark quickly, forgetting pain once it passed. And now that the experiments were over, she’d already returned to her usual sumy sell.
Sensing Brandon’s downcast mood, she earnestly replied, “Even if you were a little scary lately, you’re still my friend. I haven’t forgotten the days we spent together in the lali. I could never hate you over something like this?
“Really Brandon asked, his voice lighter. “You truly don’t hate me?”
“Nope. Not at all
For the first time in a while, Brandon smiled–genuinely,
Noelle was such a foul sometimes. But maybe that was exactly what made her so lovable. Her warmth and optimism were so rare in their cold, calculated world. That’s why he liked her so much.
“I understand, Brandon said. Tl be there for your birthday”
“Great” Noelle beamed. “Okay, I won’t bother you anymore. Get back to what you were doing”
“Alright.”
Bye Brandon!”
1
Chapter 279
As the call ended, Brandon’s gare returned to the girl inside the glass chamber. His emerald eyes flickered with a storm of thoughts as he whispered to the unconscious clone. “If I can help it I hope I never have to use your”
With Noelle’s birthday ju
just around the corner, she spent most of her days at the Anderson estate.
Nicolas had been swamped with work lately, returning home only past midnight. Since he couldn’t be by her side during the day, he told her to stay with her family, where she’d be more comfortable
But on the eve of her birthday, a shocking revelation took the world by storm.
A renowned international human rights organization dropped an explosive report, exposing the existence of three covert human experimentation laboratories. These labs were accused of heinous acts–violating ethics, desecrating life itself.
According to the report, the labs had been purchasing orphans from shelters and trafficking rings to conduct experiments–modifying their bodies into bio–weapons. Most of the children couldn’t withstand the procedures and died as a result, labeled as “failures”
The global community, already concerned with declining birth rates and aging populations, was outraged. Children were society’s most protected demographic–and now, it was revealed they had been used as disposable tools.
The story triggered international uproar. Protests erupted around the globe, with millions demanding the labs be shut down and their locations revealed, so the public could see justice done.
“How could anyone do something so vile?” Kimberly gasped in horror, watching the breaking news in the Anderson family’s living room. Even just reading about it made her skin crawl,
Eli echoed her anger. Those damn labs shouldn’t exist. Now that the human rights organization has gone public, the UN has to get involved.”
Vincent, however, wasn’t so sure. “It won’t be that e
easy. Running a Lab like that costs a fortune. For them to stay hidden this long, they must have powerful backers–big financial groups. If those step in, taking them down won’t be simple.”
Eli clenched his fists. “So what if they have money? If they weren’t afraid of public backlash, they’d have gone public a long time ago. Clearly, they do fear exposure. Once people rise up, even the wealthiest won’t be safe.”
Vincent fell silent. He couldn’t deny that point.
For now, to most, it was just a scandal on the news–distant and dramatic.
But Damon, who had begun to piece things together, stared silently at Noelle as she came downstairs.
Those labs Could Noelle have been part of one of them?‘
Noelle hadn’t seen the news yet. She caught Damon’s intense gaze and tilted her head. “Why are you staring at me like that?”
Damon opened his mouth, but the words caught in his throat. His eyes flickered with emotions–complicated, uncertain, and deeply conflicted
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