Chapter 481: An Object of Atonement, Top-Secret Audio Recording

Chapter 481: An Object of Atonement, Top-Secret Audio Recording

The Maybach merged smoothly into the evening traffic.

Sophia didn't look out the window. All her attention was fixed on the sealed glass vial.

The pale gold viscous liquid glowed with an eerie light under the car's dome light. Inside the liquid, a black chip smaller than a grain of rice floated silently, like a singularity containing the weight of an entire universe.

"Dylan bet everything he had on this." Sophia's voice was soft.

Nicholas said nothing. He dialed Big Cat's encrypted line and put it on speaker.

"Nicholas! What's going on?"

"Got a job for you." Nicholas kept it brief. "Sending you something. Highest priority. Need results now."

He took an ultra-high-definition photo of the chip with his phone, encrypted it, and sent it.

Five full seconds of silence on the other end.

Then Big Cat's excited yelp erupted: "Where'd you dig up this museum piece? Military-grade physical encryption chip with a biological protein lock on the outer layer! The design philosophy of this thing isn't even meant to stop hackers—it's meant to stop humanity! To read it, you either need a matching biological key, or you have to physically crack it open. But if your angle or force is off by even a hair, the acidic medium inside will instantly dissolve the core. Mutual destruction!"

Sophia's fingertips lightly touched the cold glass vial.

Biological key.

Something in her mind clicked into place instantly.

"Try my genetic data." Her voice was unusually clear, without a trace of emotion.

Big Cat stammered: "Boss? Your... I get it! Targeted unlock!"

In the study, Nicholas used tweezers to extract the chip from the syringe and carefully placed it in a specialized reader.

On Big Cat's end, countless lines of code cascaded down the screen.

A few minutes later, his voice came through again, excitement mixed with the gravity of discovering a new continent.

"Got it open... It's not a file, it's an audio recording. Deep compression encryption, pretty old. I'm restoring it now..."

After a burst of harsh static, a man's voice came through the speaker—suppressed excitement in a voice that Sophia could never forget, even burned to ash.

It was Gordon.

"...Sample activity has reached critical point! The catalytic effect of 'Queen of the Night' exceeded my expectations! A miracle! This is a miracle!"

Then a woman's voice rang out, elegant and refined, yet lined with ice.

"I don't care about the process, Gordon. I only want results. A perfect heir, a tool that can carry the glory of the Diaz family and is absolutely loyal."

It was Candice!

Sophia's body tensed. Her blood ran half cold.

In the recording, Gordon's voice took on a hint of hesitation: "But... she's just a child. Direct emotional override, the risks..."

"Risks?" Candice laughed softly, the sound like a poisoned feather—light yet lethal. "Gordon, don't forget who gave you your lab, your research funding, everything you have. I provided you with the best soil to let your 'genius flower' bloom freely. Now it's harvest season, and you want to talk to me about risks?"

"I just need more time..."

"I don't have time." Candice's voice was calm as still water. "Those old vultures from the Bennett family can't wait any longer. I must produce a 'finished product' soon to shut them up. That child called Sophia—her genetic profile matches yours best. She's a natural 'vessel.' I've already done preliminary testing on her with 'Queen of the Night.' Her mental barriers are thin, easy to penetrate. She's the best choice."

The floodgates of memory burst open at those words.

No longer fragments, but clear, complete scenes.

...A lavishly decorated room. A woman in elegant clothing holding her in her arms. The embrace smelled nice but wasn't warm.

...The woman pointing at a bizarrely blooming white orchid, saying gently: "Sophia, do you like this flower? Take a sniff. This is a gift I prepared for you."

...She leaned in. That strange fragrance drilled into her nose, making her dizzy. The woman's face blurred in her vision, only those smiling eyes remained clear, like two snakes flicking their tongues.

Sophia's breathing became suddenly rapid, her chest felt crushed by a boulder.

The recording continued.

"No... no way!" Gordon's voice showed intense emotion for the first time. "She's my daughter! Not some vessel! You can take my technology, my patents, but you can't touch her!"

"Your daughter?" Candice laughed again, her laughter full of contempt. "A 'work' you created to continue your own genes? Gordon, put away your ridiculous fatherly love. You and I are the same kind of people—we'll do anything to achieve our goals."

"Seems you haven't recognized your position yet." Candice's voice turned completely cold. "Since you can't bear to part with her, I'll help you out. Starting tomorrow, there will be no Anderson family in Emerald City. You'll become a rat in the street suspected of human experimentation and academic fraud. I'll destroy your reputation and make all your life's work mine."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Watch me. Hand over all the core data of 'Project Phoenix,' then take your 'work' and get out of Emerald City. Never come back. Or I'll destroy you, then personally... take what I want."

The recording ended there abruptly.

Dead silence.

In the car, only the faint sound of the air conditioning remained.

The truth was torn open before her eyes in the most cruel, most naked way.

The fall of the Anderson family wasn't about possessing something valuable—it was a despicable plunder planned from beginning to end.

Candice, that high-and-mighty lady, was the real culprit who handed the butcher's knife to the executioner and personally buried the entire Anderson family.

And Graham, Yasmin—they were just the new dogs carrying on this conspiracy.

"So that's how it was..."

Sophia's body stopped trembling. She slowly leaned back against the seat, as if drained of all strength. But her eyes, beneath their extreme calm, burned with two dark flames.

She wasn't a prize.

She was bait that had been abandoned.

At the last moment, Gordon "protected" her in an utterly selfish way. He threw her out, made her a living target, attracting all the hungry wolves coveting "Project Phoenix."

Nicholas reached out and grasped her icy hand.

His palm was dry and warm, continuously transmitting strength.

Sophia gripped back tightly, her nails nearly embedding into his flesh.

She lifted her head, looked at Nicholas, her voice hoarse but every word clear.

"The most dangerous place is the safest place."

"The other half of the jade pendant—Gordon hid it in the Bennett Villa."