?Chapter 962:


    Ste’s eyes narrowed. “Why should I trust you?”


    It was the same question she had asked him the night before.


    “I know your mom had a butterfly-shaped birthmark on her left shoulder. And I know exactly what happened the day she died—every second of it. I have all the answers you seek.”


    Ste’s heart skipped a beat. She stared at the man’s face—calm, serious. He wasn’t bluffing. She could feel it.


    But why was he telling her this? Wouldn’t that mean he was turning on his own people? Would he really betray them just to keep this experiment alive?


    She took a shaky breath, her voice rough, barely above a whisper. “Who… killed her?”


    The man leaned in slightly, voice low. “Let’s see some sincerity first, Ms. Russell. Here—have some water. You look a little rattled.”


    Ste hesitated, then slowly picked up the ss. She knew it might be drugged. Still, she drank. If she wanted answers, she’d have to y along. At least for now.


    Setting the ss down, she met his eyes. “Okay… now will you tell me?”


    But before he could reply, the dizziness hit. The room tilted. Her vision swam. His face—handsome and sharp—blurred at the edges. His smile stretched, wide and unsettling.


    Ste tried to push herself up, but her body wouldn’t cooperate. She sank back into the chair.


    His voice sounded distant now, like it wasing from down a long tunnel. “Rx, Ms. Russell. We just need somewhere a little more… private to chat.”


    Darkness swept over her like a wave. Thest thing she felt was a soft hand brushing her hair aside, and a murmur—almost tender. “So alike. Just like her.”


    g?lnσνe??s has the stories you love


    When Ste came to, she was lying on a luxurious four-poster bed. Her head pounded. She sat up slowly, taking in her surroundings.


    A massive room, decorated in old European style. Oil paintings on wallpapered walls, thick silk curtains blocking out nearly all the light. She couldn’t tell if it was day or night.


    It looked like a scene from a vintage film—elegant, yes, but the atmosphere was stifling.


    She stumbled to the window and yanked the curtains open. Darkness. Pitch-ck outside. In the distance, she could just make out tall fences… barbed wire.


    This ce wasn’t anywhere near the city.


    Then—the click of the door. He walked in, now dressed down in casual clothes. Rxed. Like they were old friends meeting for coffee.


    He smiled. “You’re awake. How’re you feeling? Sorry about the way we brought you here. I just don’t like discussing delicate topics in public. Never know who might be eavesdropping.”


    His tone hinted at something more. For a brief moment, Ste felt sure—he’d known William was watching them from the café across the street. That’s why he changed the location so suddenly.


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