Before Ben could catch his breath, he was shoved back into the driver''s seat by someone in the back. As his eyes tried to focus on the road, a gunshot shattered the air. He barely had time to react before a force tore through him, from back to chest.


    Pain exploded within him, and all Ben could see was a neat round hole in the windshield ahead. The unmistakable mark of a bullet.


    His eyes widened in disbelief. Somehow, he regained enough control to move. His head drooped, and he nced down at his chest, where bright red blood was gushing out.


    Instinctively, Ben pressed his hand against the wound, feeling the warmth of his blood seep through his fingers as his face turned pale.


    The car came to an automatic stop. In the back seat, Mirabe nced at the bullet hole in the windshield, her expression unreadable. With a slight twitch of her lips, she opened the door and stepped out.


    The night breeze tousled her hair, her eyes sharp and clear against the moonlit backdrop. As Ben''s consciousness faded, his head leaned weakly against the door. Through the rearview mirror, he caught a glimpse of Mirabe''s silhouette melting into the night, like a shadowy specter, disappearing from view.


    Inside the car, Mirabe sat calmly. Up front, As was at the wheel. He had been trailing Ben''s car from afar, and the gunshot had nearly scared him out of his wits.


    Now, seeing Miss Mira unharmed in the mirror, As hesitated before stammering, "Miss Mira, do you really know how to handle a gun?"


    His words broke the car''s silence. Mirabe slowly turned her gaze from the window, her eyes still bright and clear. After a moment''s thought, she replied earnestly, "I yed with them when I was a kid, I suppose."


    As''s lips twitched. yed with them as a kid? Wasn''t that usually toy guns?


    Was Miss Mira pulling his leg again?


    Clearing his throat, As decided to switch topics. "About Ben..."


    "Oh, he won''t die," Mirabe shrugged. She hadn''t forgotten the security bureau''s


    methods offering Ben a taste seemed only fair, after all.


    After all, it was as if Ben had almost lost his second chance at life.


    As coughed, "Should I send the surveince footage to the security bureauter?"


    "Doesn''t matter."


    Mirabe had already restored some surveince footage from the


    medical collegest night. If al ne?


    wanted to y the thief crying thief, ''d give him a grand show.


    The gunshot tonight was just the icing on the cake to seal his fate as the thief.


    Fabricating a story about the wounded man being the thief from that night? Easy. Mirabe''s lips curled slightly.


    The next day at the Medical College.


    Dr. Ray''s office.


    Dr. Ray had barely settled in when his assistant burst in, breathless.


    "The virology institute folks are here to see me?" Dr. Ray asked, surprised. He''d


    just been there yesterday, and it hadn''t ended well.


    "Yes, Swanson''s here, looking pretty heated, said he wants to have a word with you," the assistant replied quickly.


    Dr. Ray frowned. Have a word with him? Must be joking.


    After a pause, he said, "Alright, bring him in." "Okay."


    Soon, the assistant returned with Swanson in tow. Swanson mmed a document down on Dr. Ray''s desk. "Spencer, take a look at this. I wasn''t going to bring it up, but your Medical College has been relentless. After mulling it over all night, we''re not taking the me for any of this."


    Year-end chaos is real, and my typing speed isn''t helping. I haven''t got much saved, nning an


    for more. Goodnight.


    all-nighter, so check bacPet