Chapter 318

Chapter 318

"Yes." Gary closed the system. The glass walls turned transparent again. He walked to her, fingertip gently brushing the stray hair by her ear. "I can't allow any accident to happen again."

His expression was serious.

Calista's heart skipped.

She knew he meant Rosalind's letter.

That incident affected him far more than it affected her.

Calista steered the research direction while Gary used his vast business empire to clear all obstacles from the massive ship's course.

Institute colleagues initially held the "spouse-CEO" in awe, then gradually discovered that though Mr. Frost was quiet with a powerful aura, unless work was sloppy, he was actually quite easy to work with.

They joked privately that Dr. Softhart was their "scientific leader," while Mr. Frost was their "logistics commander-in-chief."

Days flew by amid busy, fulfilling research.

In a blink, Stockholm welcomed its first snow.

Christmas Eve, Dahlia flew over.

Dahlia wore a camel cashmere coat with a scarf, demeanor gentle and elegant.

She didn't bring much luggage, just a small carry-on.

"Calista."

Seeing Calista, Dahlia's face showed a warm smile.

"Mom, the journey must have been tiring."

"Not at all. Coming to see you all, and my grandson." Dahlia's gaze swept over Calista, eyes satisfied. "You look good. Better than in Seaside City."

Back at their suburban villa, the fireplace burned brightly.

Ethan charged over like a cannonball, wrapping his arms around Dahlia's legs.

"Grandma!"

"Oh my, you've grown taller." Dahlia smiled ear to ear, bending to lift him up.

Gary emerged from the kitchen wearing an apron, carrying a plate of freshly cut fruit.

"Mom."

Dahlia saw Gary's domestic appearance and froze, eyes reddening slightly.

How long since she'd seen Gary this relaxed?

Since taking over the Frost Group, he was always in suits, always tense, like a wound-up machine.

That evening, the family gathered around the long dining table for a sumptuous Christmas dinner.

Gary roasted the turkey himself. Calista made several exquisite dishes. Dahlia brought her treasured wine.

Ethan sat in his high chair, little mouth greasy, excitedly recounting new friends at his Zephyria kindergarten.

Outside, snow fell heavily. Inside, warm as spring.

After dinner, Gary joined Ethan on the living room carpet building Legos.

Calista and Dahlia sat on the sofa by the fireplace, drinking mulled wine.

"Gary has changed so much." Dahlia watched the father-son pair, speaking softly.

"Hmm?"

"Before, I always worried he lived too exhausted." Dahlia's gaze turned to Calista, eyes holding genuine gratitude. "Calista, thank you."

Calista shook her head. "Mom, he's done far more for me."

"That's different." Dahlia smiled. "You've made him human again—someone who laughs, gets angry, worries about dinner. That makes me happier as his mother than all the money he earns for the Frost family."

Dahlia paused, pulled a small velvet box from her handbag, and handed it to Calista.

"This should have been yours when you married him. But at the time... circumstances were special."

Calista opened the box.

Inside was a pearl necklace, each pearl round and lustrous, clearly valuable.

"This is Frost family tradition." Dahlia pulled Calista close and fastened it herself. "From now on, this family is yours."

The cool pearls touched her neck, carrying substantial warmth.

Calista touched the necklace, then looked up at Gary patiently teaching Ethan how to build a castle. Suddenly felt life couldn't be more complete.

Firelight reflected on everyone's faces.

Their peaceful, warm, hope-filled future hadn't just begun.

It was already here. They were living in it.

The peace shattered on an ordinary afternoon.

Sharp alarms tore through the core laboratory's tranquility without warning.

"What happened?"

"Lab Three! Mass spectrometer detected unmarked radioactive isotopes!"

A young Zephyrian researcher burst from the lab, voice trembling.

Radioactive material.

This was the world's top biolab, security tight enough that not even a mosquito could enter. How could this appear?

Calista was analyzing gene sequencing data in her office when she heard the alarm and immediately rushed out.

"Don't panic." Calista's voice wasn't loud, but had the power to steady hearts. "Activate Level A protection protocol. Evacuate all non-core researchers. Seal Lab Three and surrounding areas. Security team, immediately check external intrusion records."

Her instructions were clear, swift, without excess emotion.

Researchers found their anchor. Though still tense, they began acting methodically according to procedure.

Calista put on protective gear, about to enter Lab Three herself, when someone grabbed her wrist.

Gary.

He'd arrived somehow, still wearing his tailored business suit with only a black coat over it. He'd just left a cross-border M&A video conference, face still carrying the hardness of business negotiations.

"You stay." His voice was heavy.

"I'm in charge here. I have to go in." Calista tried to pull free.

Gary didn't argue. Just used his other hand to grab his phone and called the security chief directly.

"Lock down the entire building. No one in or out. My people arrive in five minutes to take over."

He hung up, gaze finally settling on Calista—eyes deep as a bottomless frozen pond.

"I said every minute you're here would be absolutely secure. Now I'm keeping that promise."

His tone was calm, yet carried undeniable authority.

Calista looked at him.

She knew Rosalind's letter had left shadows in his heart deeper than she'd imagined.

Any hint of potential threat would make him instantly raise all defenses.

Five minutes later, a group in black uniforms with sophisticated equipment—completely different from ordinary security—swiftly took over lab security.

They operated with extreme efficiency, everyone clear on their tasks, like a precisely running war machine.

The institute's Zephyrian director watched this scene dumbfounded, tried to intervene, but was stopped by Leo's glance.

"Mr. Frost, this is our institute's internal matter..."

"Not anymore." Gary's answer was terse.

Two hours later, a preliminary report lay before Gary and Calista.

The reporter was the expert team leader Gary brought—a local man in his fifties with a serious expression.

"Mr. Frost, Dr. Softhart." He pushed up his glasses. "We traced the contamination source in Lab Three. The result... is somewhat unexpected."

"Speak." Gary's patience had clearly run out.

"The radioactive material didn't come from external placement or internal material leakage." The expert pointed to a building schematic in the report. "The contamination source is old paint inside Lab Three's load-bearing wall."

Everyone froze.

Paint?

The expert explained: "This building was the site of a Zephyria Royal Academy of Sciences physics lab in the 1970s. Back then, they mixed radium-containing luminescent paint into the walls to mark positions in darkness for certain experiments. Later the lab relocated, the building changed hands several times, and this history was forgotten. The radioactivity we detected is minuscule—dose lower than a long-haul flight's radiation, completely harmless to humans. The mass spectrometer only alarmed because it's so sensitive."

A maximum-level security alert that nearly shattered everyone's nerves—caused by decades-old renovation remnants.

A bizarre silence filled the air.

Even the Zephyrian researcher who first discovered the problem scratched his head awkwardly.

Gary's tense jawline finally showed signs of loosening.

He raised his hand, pinched the bridge of his nose, said nothing.

For two full hours, he'd mobilized all Frost Group security resources in Europe, even alarmed local official agencies.

Calista looked at him, suddenly wanting to laugh.

She walked to Gary's side and gently touched his arm.

"False alarm."

Gary turned to look at her, eyes complex.

"You find this funny?"

"No." Calista tried suppressing her smile. "I'm just thinking—this fortress's only 'enemy' is itself."

Gary didn't respond. Couldn't laugh.

He couldn't accept any accident.

"Pull all original building blueprints and historical records. Within twenty-four hours, I want a risk assessment report accurate to every screw."

Leo immediately went to handle it.

Institute staff all relaxed, preparing to disperse.

"Wait."

The speaker was Calista.

All eyes refocused on her.

She walked to the conference room whiteboard and picked up a marker. "Today's alarm was a false one. But it exposed a problem."

Her expression was serious, without any post-crisis relief.

"Our security system is passive defense. Alarm sounds, then we respond. That's not enough."