?Chapter 285:


    Upon hearing the name “ck Mallow,” Aelfric clenched his teeth in hatred and sneered, “ck Mallow is insane! She’s a wild woman—fearless and always itching for a fight with anyone who crosses her path! She’d even trample all over Connor’s interests if it took her fancy, let alone the Peridot Consortium’s!”


    Aelfric’s attempt to paint ck Mallow as arrogant and vtile only fueled Derek’s admiration and yearning. Tired of ying the underdog, Derek had be a fan of the powerful, seeking out those who could aid his ascent. He had hoped Aelfric would help him retaliate against Charles for today’s humiliation, only to be disappointed by Aelfric’s cautiousness.


    Aelfric portrayed ck Mallow as an arrogant fool blind to her own best interests. Yet, she seemed untouchable—unbothered and unchallenged by anyone. Even the mere mention of her, the chief instructor at Doomsday Base, was enough to instill fear. This only confirmed that ck Mallow’s strength made her fearless. That was exactly the type of person Derek wanted to follow. Aligning with the mightiest was his ticket to the top. Resolved, he decided to earn ck Mallow’s approval and secure a position as one of her most trusted lieutenants.


    Aelfric had no idea what was going on in Derek’s mind, though. Derek’s consistent respect and obedience had led Aelfric to view him as docile. Then his earlier conversation with Marissa reyed in his mind, unsettling him enough to cause an involuntary sigh.


    “Why the sigh, Aelfric?” Neil inquired, concern edging his voice. “Is it because of Amiri’s death?” They had expected Amiri to eliminate Connor on the Sunrise, yet not only had Connor returned unscathed, but Amiri himself had unexpectedly died. To add to their confusion, the Sunrise publicly acknowledged their involvement in the incident. They were frustrated by the turn of events.


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    “What happened, happened. Regarding killing Connor, we’ll n carefullyter,” Aelfric responded. “It’s something else that’s troubling me.”


    “What’s bothering you, then?” Neil pressed, looking for rity.


    Aelfric sighed once more. “I can’t say for sure if Tiffany is Dr. Riss or not. She’s incredibly intelligent, that much is clear!”


    “Tiffany isn’t Dr. Riss!” Derek responded emphatically.


    Turning to him, Aelfric asked, “How can you be so certain?”


    Derek pursed his lips before replying, “I’ve looked into this personally and confirmed that Tiffany isn’t Dr. Riss. I can’t share the details of my investigation here, but I ask you to trust me.”


    Aelfric, however, had his doubts about Derek’s abilities. If Derek couldn’t confirm whether Tiffany was Riss, how could he be so confident? Yet, seeing the assurance on Derek’s face made him waver.


    Just then, Melinda, who had been listening at the door, burst in. “I’m also certain Tiffany isn’t Riss, Aelfric!”


    Aelfric raised an eyebrow at her. “And why are you so sure?”


    Without hesitation, Melinda handed him her phone, saying, “Look, Riss’ team just issued a statement.”


    Aelfric read the statement on her phone and scowled in frustration. He had hoped to sway Dr. Riss to his side to resolve his conflict with Bee. But with Riss discrediting Bee’s ims, his strategy was crumbling.


    After a brief pause, he said, “This statement only shows that Bee was lying, but it doesn’t eliminate the possibility that Tiffany is Riss.”


    Melinda quickly added, “I have additional evidence.”


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