?Chapter 963:


    With her nerves eased, Lucinda broke into a grin and grabbed N’s hand.


    “Come on, N. Let’s go get something to eat at the cafeteria.”


    N slowly withdrew her hand. “I still have a few things to wrap up in the office. You go ahead without me.”


    Lucinda had nned to walk back to the medical center with N, but N politely insisted she go on alone.


    Once alone, N headed straight for the supply room. Using her authority as deputy director, she quietly retrieved two bottles of anesthetic. Then, she made her way toward the base’s front gate.


    At the security checkpoint, a guard stepped in front of her. “Dr. Vance, today’s not an authorized leave day. You’ll need clearance to exit.”


    With a serene smile, N reached into her bag and pulled out a leave permit she had prepared in advance. “Deputy Commander Aston just woke up. I’m going out to buy a few supplements to help with his recovery.”


    Hearing that, the guards stepped aside without hesitation, their faces lighting up.


    “Dr. Vance is something else. Smart, capable, and always thinking of others.”


    “No kidding. If I had a wife like her, I’d never stop smiling.”


    “Keep dreaming. A woman like that’s only meant for someone like Major General Garrett.”


    The moment N passed through the gates and stepped outside the base, the pleasant smile on her face disappeared without a trace.


    A hard look had settled over N’s face as she moved with swift precision. The softness from earlier was gone, reced by a cold, determined air. She weaved through a tight alleyway, clearly no stranger to its shadows, and entered a dim, nondescript building without a hint of hesitation.


    At the entrance, her knock came three times—steady, deliberate. A few seconds passed before footsteps echoed from within.


    The door opened slowly, revealing a man with a long scar cutting down from the edge of his eye. Recognition lit his face the moment he saw her. “Dr. Vance,” he called out with a smirk. “Didn’t expect you today. No new cargo arrived, so I figured you’d beying low.”


    Without a word, N handed him the two vials containing clear anesthetics. “I need someone taken. Once she’s here, I’ll take it from there.”


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    One brow lifted in interest as Wyatt Carrillo took the vials. “Say no more, Dr. Vance. Whatever you need.” From her pocket, N retrieved her phone and held it up, sending a photo of Elena to him. “She’s the one.”


    His eyes skimmed his screen, pausing for a beat. The woman in the image was stunning—almost too wless to be true.


    Catching the lust in his gaze, N’s tone dropped several degrees. “You can do what you want after she’s unconscious. But I want her alive. Her organs are mine to harvest.”


    That warning only made Wyatt grin wider. “Crystal clear. I know the boundaries.”


    Unblinking, N gave the final detail. “In two days, there’s a scheduled outing for the base. I’ll draw her to Aureus Square. That’s your moment—drug her and bring her in.”


    With a single thump to his chest, Wyatt nodded. “Consider it done.” Wyatt leaned against the doorframe for a second after N left, chewing his gum withzy indifference before strolling back inside.


    Cigarette smoke and the metallic tang of blood clung to the low ceiling like fog, curling above eight hardened men gathered around a grimy table locked in a slow, tension-filled game of cards. Someone squinted through the haze. “Who was that?”


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