Hearing Thaddeus''s voice, Hans felt an inexplicable sense of relief wash over him. He fought to keep his emotions in check, taking a deep drag of his cigarette. Before he could speak, Thaddeus beat him to the punch.


    "Hans, is that you?"


    The smoke caught in Hans''s throat, making him cough. He couldn''t hide the shock in his eyes. "How did you know?"


    "I didn''t." Thaddeus''s voice was low butcked its usual icy distance. He spoke with the calm tone of addressing an old friend. "It was more like intuition. When the line stayed quiet, I just had a feeling it was you."


    It felt as though an invisible hand squeezed Hans''s heart. He pinched out the burning cigarette cherry with his bare fingers, the slight sting grounding the chaotic emotions churning in his chest. "Elsie Archer, Elvis''s love... she''s with me."


    Thaddeus''s indifferent facade finally cracked. "How is she?"


    "Not good." Hans''s voice was tight. Despite the freezing wind whipping around him, he felt suffocated. "Chad and Alexia have been using her as a live test subject for various drug trials. She''s been forcibly injected with over a dozen different experimental drugs. Some damage her organs, others her brain."


    "Sick bastards!" Thaddeus stood alone in the parking lot of the Ashbourne family hospital. His hoarse, furious roar echoed through the empty space.


    "Fortunately, the doses haven''t been lethal, or she''d be dead by now. Even so, her condition is critical. If we wait much longer, she won''t make it." Hans nced around the destendscape, his voice strained and heavy. "I''m calling so you can inform Elvis and Aaron. Have themunch a rescue operation tomorrow night topletely destroy Chad and Alexia''sb in the mountains. You won''t find it on any map. I''ll send you the exact coordinates. If the police raid the facility, they won''t have time to react, and you''ll seize plenty of evidence against them."


    Thaddeus''s gaze turned intense. "Why tomorrow night and not now?"


    "Because I need to ensure Elsie is smuggled out of the facility safely and unnoticed first." Hans clenched his fists, his jaw tight. "If the police raid the ce now, given Alexia''s vicious nature, she might not take anything with her, but she will absolutely kill Elsie herself! If Elsie doesn''t make it out alive, this entire rescue operation will be for nothing."


    He did feel a twinge of sympathy for the other victims. But he wasn''t a phnthropist, a savior, or a god. In his limited capacity, he could only save Elsie. The rest would have to rely on the police and their own fate.


    Hans closed his bloodshot eyes. "Besides, if you tell Elvis right now, his explosive temper will send him charging in alone tonight. Theb is heavily guarded by Chad''s men and armed with heavy weapons. Even if he were superhuman, he''d be walking into his grave. So, everything waits until I get Elsie out safely!"


    "Understood." Thaddeus fell silent for a moment, his voice deep. "This is the most you''ve spoken since I met you. Have you finally seen Chad''s true colors and decided to step into the light with us? Or... have you finally remembered who you used to be?"


    Who he used to be? That vibrant, brilliant young pilot with a smile as warm as the sun, Hubery Ashbourne? Could he ever get that back?


    "What about you, Thaddeus?" Hans didn''t answer the question directly. Instead, he asked one of his own. "Have you remembered your feelings for Evadne?"


    The tall man staggered slightly. A dull, profound ache bloomed deep in his chest, sending a wave of sorrow through his veins.


    "Keep your phone on. Wait for my signal." With that, Hans hung up, and the screen went ck.


    ...


    In the hospital eorridor, Cassius, Arnold, and Camille waited


    anxiously. Upon hearing that Evadne had copsed, Camille rushed over, her eyes so swollen and bloodshot could barely keep.


    from crying she could e


    them open.


    "Cassius, you have to eat something." Arnold set a takeout container on the bench


    with a heavy sigh. "Camille made this. It''s still warm. Just have a few bites."


    "Thank you, Camille, but I''m not


    hungry." Cassius lowered his gaze, his grip white-knuckled around his phone as he waite for A?ron to call


    with news of Chasel''s whereabouts.


    But the device remained agonizingly silent.


    Just then, the sound of familiar, heavy footsteps echoed from the end of the hall. The three of them looked up to see Thaddeus''s tall, despondent figure approaching.


    "Thaddeus..." Cassius murmured in surprise.


    Thaddeus didn''t look anywhere else. He walked straight up to him, his lips parting as he forced out the words. "How... is she?"


    Cassius''s throat tightened. "Evadne is still unconscious. The doctors said it''s nothing life-threatening—just abination of severe emotional shock and low blood sugar. She should wake up tomorrow."


    "Can I go in and see her?" Thaddeus''s expression remained as stoic and cold as ice. But his voice was unspeakably ragged, and his striking eyes were bloodshot from exhaustion.


    Seeing his cold demeanor, Camille


    clutched at her clothes, her heart


    aching for Evadne. Even as a


    bystander, she couldn''t ept how someone who once loved Evadne so deeply could be so distant. Evadne had been loved by Thaddeus with everything he had they had sacrificed everything for each other. How could she possibly survive this heartbreak?!


    "If it''s just to take a look, don''t bother." Arnold''s expression hardened as he stepped


    in to block him. "You look exhausted yourself. Go home and rest."


    "I don''t just want to take a look." Thaddeus slowly shifted his gaze, enunciating


    every word. "I want to stay by her side. Can I?"