Chapter 495: If You Are Not Convinced, Just Hold It In
Benjamin patted her shoulder reassuringly: "Don't worry, leave it to Thaddeus."
When they arrived, they happened to run into a child, about six or seven years old.
The child didn't panic when he saw them. He pointed upstairs: "Are you here to rescue Sophia? She went upstairs."
Hearing his description, Sophia immediately understood—it was Emilio.
She then turned her gaze to Lachlan. Magnus had already walked up to him.
He slowly removed his mask and stared at Lachlan expressionlessly. "Do you remember me?"
When Lachlan saw that face clearly, his pupils couldn't help but contract. "You... how could you..."
Magnus explained in a low voice: "Actually, all these years I've been in the GeneCipher Society. I wanted to find an antidote for the toxins in Benjamin's body."
But when he entered the GeneCipher Society, he realized there was no such thing as an antidote.
Even people inside the GeneCipher Society were looking for the antidote, and they even wanted to replicate those drugs from back then.
Lachlan froze, then suddenly laughed: "Well, you're really useless then. Looks like you're not that great after all."
Not measuring up to Magnus had been his obsession all these years.
He never expected that his obsession would be resolved so easily now.
Turns out Magnus wasn't that powerful either—it was just that he himself had been blinded by hatred back then.
"I never wanted to compete with you, and Dad never looked down on you." Magnus slowly shook his head.
Lachlan was just too stubborn.
Actually, when they were in school, Preston had said more than once that grades don't mean everything.
Back then, Lachlan's grades weren't great, but he was very good with his hands and loved doing experiments.
Preston never put Lachlan down. He had even made his will many years ago.
Apart from the assets left for the younger generation, he and Lachlan were to receive equal inheritances.
Preston's willingness to give Lachlan half the family fortune proved he truly treated him like his own son.
Although Preston sometimes criticized Lachlan, it was all out of frustration at his unfulfilled potential.
In short, neither the White family nor Preston had wronged Lachlan.
Hearing all this, Lachlan froze on the spot.
He looked at Preston in disbelief. How could this be...
Had he really been wrong all along?
Lachlan instantly felt a splitting headache and didn't dare think further.
His eyes gradually reddened, and tears fell uncontrollably.
"Dad, I..."
Lachlan cried like a baby, struggling desperately and trying to walk toward Preston.
The two police officers behind him held him down firmly, not daring to let him get close to Preston, afraid he might do something extreme.
He fell to his knees and bowed toward Preston.
"Dad, I'm sorry."
He had wronged the White family, wronged Preston, and wronged Benjamin.
What had he been doing all these twenty-plus years?
Why did it turn out like this?
How did he end up taking this path?
Lachlan looked up at the sky, and in a daze, Madeline's face flashed before him.
It seemed all his hatred stemmed from Madeline's appearance.
Or maybe even earlier—perhaps because Madeline's blood flowed in his veins, he had been rotten to the core from the very beginning.
Lachlan smiled bitterly, took one deep look at Preston, and was led away by the police to the car.
Benjamin held Sophia tightly, silently watching this scene, a sense of desolation rising in his heart.
Just then, his phone rang. He answered and found it was Wilford calling.
He said that all the locations Sophia had screenshotted had been raided.
Although there were casualties, they had managed to capture Elijah and several professors.
At the same time, Thaddeus also received a call from Sidney—all the locations within Novaria had been dealt with, too.
The Novarian government had been watching the GeneCipher Society for over ten years, and Thaddeus had previously applied for authorization to arrest GeneCipher Society members.
So departments throughout Novaria were very cooperative.
After the police car left, everyone silently watched it until it disappeared from view.
Just then, dawn broke.
The gray sky was gradually cleared of darkness by the sun, and the first rays of morning sunlight fell on everyone.
Celestia's legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground, crying heart-wrenchingly, until her vision went black and she passed out.
Preston couldn't help but sigh and told Magnus to carry Celestia back to the car.
Magnus nodded and carried Celestia into the car.
Sophia slowly yawned, and Benjamin looked down at her: "Tired?"
"Yes, carry me!" Sophia smiled and opened her arms toward him.
Benjamin smiled too, bent down to scoop her up horizontally, and strode toward the car.
Sophia let Benjamin carry her and sat in the passenger seat.
Benjamin thoughtfully fastened her seatbelt, his lowered eyes showing a trace of fatigue.
It seemed he hadn't rested much since she went missing.
Sophia's heart stirred. As Benjamin was about to straighten up, she suddenly reached out and grabbed his tie.
Benjamin's body stiffened, and he froze in place.
"What's wrong?"
Sophia smiled and shook her head, tilted her face up, and kissed his lips. "Mr. White, I really like you."
She just felt that being alive was wonderful.
Being able to see Benjamin again was wonderful.
The happiest thing in this world is that no matter where you are, the person you love deeply will appear before you in time.
Sophia felt she was very happy right now.
Meeting Sophia's eyes, Benjamin's sexy Adam's apple bobbed, and he suddenly lowered his head and kissed her lips.
His tall figure pressed down, enveloping Sophia in his embrace, one hand braced against the seat back, the other around her slender, soft waist.
Sophia felt Benjamin's unique scent sweep over her dominantly and forcefully, a tingling sensation spreading across her lips.
She gazed at the handsome face so close to hers, her heartbeat accelerating uncontrollably.
It wasn't until she felt suffocated that Benjamin reluctantly released her.
"Sophia." He buried his face deep in Sophia's shoulder, gently nuzzling.
"I'm here," Sophia responded with a smile.
"I missed you so much."
"Me too."
"When I didn't receive your location, I was terrified—afraid something had happened to you, but I didn't dare rush in, afraid they would use you as a hostage and hurt you."
Benjamin spoke slowly, his tone low and gentle, with a trace of lingering fear.
Sophia wrapped her arms around his neck, gently patting his back.
"I know, I know everything. I'm fine now, don't worry."
"Let's never be apart again, okay?" Benjamin was truly scared. He didn't want something like this to happen again.
Otherwise, he would definitely go crazy.
From that day on, Benjamin became especially clingy with Sophia.
Wherever Sophia went, he would follow, as if afraid she would run away.
Even when Sophia went to the bathroom or took a shower, if she took a bit longer, he would stand outside the door.
He would knock on the door without saying anything or coming in, and only leave quietly after hearing her response.
When she went out, he definitely had to go with her. If he really didn't have time, he would send six or seven bodyguards to follow her.
Wherever Sophia went, she would become the center of attention.
Sophia was both helpless and amused. She had protested, but Benjamin rejected it.
Benjamin's excuse was: "My wife deserves this kind of treatment—I even think it's too low-key! What's wrong with me spoiling my own wife? If others don't like it, they can just deal with it!"