?Chapter 420:


    Just then, her phone buzzed again. She nced down and saw an unfamiliar number calling her.


    Only a few people had her number. Figuring this was probably a spam call, she declined. But a few secondster, the same number called again.


    Elliana narrowed her eyes and answered. “Hello?”


    A man’s voice came through, light and amused. “Miss Marsh, good afternoon.”


    She frowned as she didn’t recognize the voice. “Who is this?”


    The man chuckled. “My name is Carlos Gomez…”


    “We’ve never crossed paths before, so stop trying to connect me to anyone in your circle. It’s a dead end,” Carlos remarked, his tone nonchntly detached.


    A brief silence lingered between them. Elliana analyzed his voice, estimating him to be in histe twenties, perhaps barely thirty. Then again, judging age by a voice alone was a risky game, and she knew it. Still, the impression lingered.


    “How did you get my number? And what exactly do you want?” Elliana demanded, her tone even but sharp.


    Carlos’s reply came with a low, amusedugh. “That’s not something you need to worry about. There’s only one question you should be asking yourself: Do you really want to know about your mother, Rita? About her background and the reasons she came to Ublento to give birth to you and then vanished without a trace?”


    His wordsnded like a blow. Elliana’s face hardened, surprised that Carlos was somehow connected to her mother. Instead of rushing to answer Carlos’s question, she quietly turned on herptop, fingers moving swiftly as she tried to track his number. In seconds, the result shed back—Carlos’s call came from Delta, exactly as she’d suspected. Elliana’s gaze sharpened. “Who are you really?” she probed, her voice tightening. “And how do you know so much about my mother’s past?”


    Carlos maintained his enigmatic tone, threaded with hints of amusement. “I’m not ready to tell you who I am. Do what I ask, and I’ll give you everything you want to know about your mother.”


    Elliana met his cryptic reply with a cold edge. “And why would I trust anything you say?”


    He let out a soft, mockingugh. “You don’t really have a choice, do you?”


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    A harsh reality cut through her like icy wind. She hated how right he was. After all these years of digging through dead ends, chasing shadows, anding up empty, she’d all but lost hope. Then, out of nowhere, this stranger emerged with the one thing she couldn’t ignore—a link to Rita. Even if he was lying, she couldn’t risk turning away. She swallowed her frustration, pressing forward. “What is it you want from me?”


    He didn’t hesitate. “The SAT resultse out in two days. With your skills, I have no doubt you’ll top the list. I want you to enroll at Ublento Medical University. Once you’re in, you’ll need to steal something from the library.”


    He paused, letting the weight of his words settle before continuing, “It’s connected to you—something your mother donated to the university. I’m sure you’ll find it fascinating.”


    Elliana furrowed her brow. “What exactly am I supposed to steal?”


    “A book,” Carlos answered, his tone dropping lower. “The Medical Codex.”


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