Chapter 148

Freya reacted in a flash.

"Quick, hide!"

As she spoke, Freya tapped her toes lightly against a nearby metal shelf and launched herself upward, her body as weightless as a feather.

Seraphina followed suit, and in less than a second, both of them had silently pressed themselves into the shadows near the ceiling of the lab.

Seraphina held her breath, her fingers gripping the edges of a ventilation grate with white-knuckled intensity, her heart pounding so hard she thought it might burst from her chest.

She didn't even dare look down, terrified that the sound of her breathing would give away their position.

The heavy alloy door slowly swung open, harsh white light flooding in from the hallway and casting a bright pool of illumination across the laboratory floor.

Several researchers in white lab coats entered, carrying clipboards and speaking in hushed tones as they walked.

"Subject Three's rejection symptoms are getting worse. If we don't find a compatible gene sequence soon, he won't make it through the week."

"No choice. The experiment can't stop. They're breathing down our necks upstairs—we have to accelerate the timeline..."

Their voices echoed through the cavernous lab, each word hammering into Seraphina's chest like a physical blow.

She listened to their cold, clinical conversation and watched the culture dishes below glowing with an eerie blue light. A chill ran up her spine, from the soles of her feet straight to the crown of her head.

What exactly were these people researching?

Freya's expression remained ice-cold and focused. She kept her eyes locked on the researchers below, her gaze rapidly scanning the clipboards in their hands.

When the group moved to the far end of the lab with their backs to the door, Freya gave Seraphina a slight nod.

Seraphina understood immediately.

Like true phantoms, the two women began inching along the ceiling's shadows toward the exit.

Their movements were impossibly light—not even the whisper of fabric against air could be heard.

Just as they were about to slip out the door, one of the researchers suddenly turned, his gaze sweeping toward the ceiling.

Seraphina's heart skipped a beat.

But the researcher only frowned, as if he'd glimpsed something moving overhead. After a closer look, however, he found nothing.

"What is it?" his colleague asked.

"Nothing." The researcher shook his head and turned back around. "Probably just the ventilation system making noise."

Seraphina exhaled slowly, realizing her back was drenched in cold sweat.

Finally, they slipped out of the lab. Freya gently eased the alloy door shut behind them without making a sound.

It wasn't until they'd put a good thirty feet between themselves and the lab—and confirmed no one was following—that Seraphina dared to breathe freely again.

"My God..." She leaned against the wall, her legs trembling. "What the hell was that place?"

Freya said nothing, tucking the camera safely against her chest, a shadow of concern flickering in her eyes.

"Let's go," she said quietly. "We need to get this back to Jack."

Seraphina nodded. She knew now—this mission was far more dangerous than either of them had imagined.

Once again, the two women vanished into the night like ghosts.

Behind them, the abandoned warehouse stood silent in the darkness, a slumbering beast waiting for its next prey.

.........

An hour later.

The two women returned to Sherry's place.

Jack was still sitting on the couch.

As the two tense, visibly shaken women pushed through the door—their clothes still carrying traces of the underground chill—Jack didn't even glance up.

He remained slouched in that same lazy position on the sofa, swirling a glass of red wine over ice. "So? Did you find what I needed?"

Seraphina's temper flared at the sight of his casual attitude.

"You bastard. We risked our lives gathering intel for you, and you're just lounging around as if nothing happened. Do you have any idea we almost died in there?"

Then, without holding back, Seraphina launched into a dramatic retelling of everything they'd seen in the warehouse—embellishing more than a little.

Jack listened, his brow furrowing slightly.

Just as he and Sherry had suspected, the warehouse was indeed Karina Tech's experimental facility.

Still, Jack hadn't expected the security to be quite that tight.

Which meant one thing: whatever they were researching in there was no small matter.

"Where's what I asked for?"

Ignoring Seraphina's complaints, Jack spoke flatly.

Freya stepped forward and pulled the camera from inside her jacket.

"We got some footage and data. There's a deeper section of the lab, but the security there was too heavy. We couldn't get in."

Jack took the camera and began scrolling through the contents.

The pale blue glow from the screen reflected off his impassive face.

His finger swiped through image after image—photos taken in dim lighting, complex surveillance data—all displayed clearly on the screen.

But the material was highly technical.

Jack couldn't make sense of most of it. Only a specialist would be able to decipher what it all meant.

"Good work," Jack said coolly, pocketing the camera.

"'Good work'? That's it? We almost—"

Seraphina didn't get to finish.

Jack raised a hand, cutting her off, then slapped a card down on the table.

"There's ten million dollars on this card. No PIN. Spend it however you want. Consider it your operating budget."

Seraphina's voice died mid-sentence.

She immediately snatched up the bank card, her face lighting up. "Now that's more like it."

"I'll be staying in Imperial City for a while," Jack continued evenly. "Use that money to find yourselves a place to stay. You don't need to shadow me constantly. I'll contact you when I need you."

Ten million dollars—for most people, it was more money than they'd see in a lifetime.

For Jack, though, it was pocket change. Not even a drop in the bucket.

Besides, Freya and Seraphina were elite-level operatives.

On the dark web, hiring assassins of their caliber would cost several million dollars minimum.

So giving them ten million as an expense fund? Perfectly reasonable.

"Got it."

"We're out of here, then."

With money in hand, Seraphina waved breezily and grabbed Freya's arm, striding out the door without a backward glance.

Jack watched her go, shaking his head at her shameless money-grubbing attitude. She really didn't act like the heir to the Igaru clan.

Then his attention shifted back to the camera. After a moment of thought, Jack pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

"Hello?"

The call was answered almost immediately.

"It's me."