At that moment, Jasper felt as though an arrow had pierced his chest. His heart suddenly melted.


    Originally, Alyssa nned to force herself to stay awake for a little longer. At the very least, she wanted to remain awake until the wee hours of the morning. Nevertheless, she fell into a deep sleep within five minutes of closing her eyes.


    She feltpletely at peace.


    Whenever Jasper was by her side, she always felt utterly reassured. It was as if she could ovee every challenge and every obstacle in the world.


    Jasper gazed quietly at Alyssa''s beautiful sleeping face. After she drifted into a deep slumber, he could not help leaning forward and pressing his lips gently against hers.


    Even if she hadn''t asked, he wanted to keep herpany too. Even if blood battles awaited him after tonight, he was powerless against the greed of his heart to hold on to this precious moment.


    It wasn''t until daybreak that he finally rose stiffly to his feet. Step by step, he walked toward the window.


    "You are destined to lose, Justin. You will suffer a crushing defeat."


    Looking up at the gloomy sky, he murmured softly, "Memories can be erased, but love cannot."


    Even if he were given a lethal poison, it would never erase the love for Alyssa that had already been etched into his soul.


    The entire nation was shocked when a massive uproar erupted after theboratory base at Domere Mountain was dismantled and the news of illegal human experimentation came to light.


    This story remained trending on all social media tforms for an entire week, capturing public attention and sparking widespread outrage.


    The higher authorities issued strict orders to conduct a thorough investigation at every level, regardless of the manpower required. There was no way such cruel and inhumane practices should exist in a civilized society.


    Officials in Sna City connected to the case were taken into custody by the prosecution. The Department of Justice stepped in. Some were suspended from their positions, while others were ced under investigation.


    Although Ss was worried about his family, his department waspletely overwhelmed with work. He had no choice but to pull himself together,partmentalize his emotions, and focus on the enormous workload before him.


    Even so, deep in his heart, he still hoped that one day he would stand in court and face that devil Justin.


    Meanwhile, Justin suffered tremendous losses after the incident at theboratory. Remy betrayed him, Uri died a horrible death, and Julien safely returned to the Taylor family.


    Every scheme he had painstakingly orchestrated fell apart in an instant.


    On this day, Justin convened a board meeting with thepany''s directors.


    He announced thetest executive appointments, reported thepany''s revenue and profits for the previous quarter, and revealed his n to acquire a new pharmaceutical research facility along with the massive funding he intended to invest in developing new drugs.


    Despite being members of Beckett Group''s board of directors, Newton and Alyssa did not attend.


    Justin nced toward Alyssa''s empty seat with a gloomy expression, his lips pressed together as he sank into deep thought.


    When he presented his n to invest in a new pharmaceutical research facility, half of the board members strongly opposed it.


    "Mr. Beckett, Only a few days have passed since the news about the pharmaceutical research base at Domere Mountain broke. The higher authorities are extremely sensitive about anything rted to


    pharmaceutical research right now. Aren''t you basically poking a ho''s nest by investing in this project at such a time?"


    "Exactly. You''re flying straight into the eye of the storm!"


    "On top of that, we''re already pouring a significant amount of funds into the development of Project A5. Thepany also has three other major projects scheduled to begin this year. We simply don''t have enough funds to develop new drugs.


    "Not to mention, artificial intelligence is the current trend. Majorpanies are all investing in robots or Al-driven vehicles. No one is focusing on pharmaceutical research anymore.


    "Besides, pharmaceutical research isn''t even Beckett Group''s area of expertise. If we invest blindly, we might lose everything!"


    Many others in the room voiced their agreement.


    Justin tapped his finger repeatedly against the desk. Although his face remained expressionless, a storm was brewing in his eyes.


    Right now, he needed to recover his losses immediately and get his pharmaceutical research work back on track. That was why he had called for this emergency board meeting.


    He had no interest in Project A5 or artificial intelligence.


    His only dream was pharmaceutical research and development.


    He was willing to sacrifice everything including Beckett Group, the business empire Newton and Javier had spent their lives building-to achieve that goal.


    To him, Beckett Group was merely a tool that could be burned to the ground at any moment in this game.


    One of the board members cleared his throat. "Frankly speaking, there''s nothing wrong with developing new drugs. If the research seeds, it would be a remarkable achievement that leaves afasting legacy the profits would also be


    immeasurable."


    Some of the board members began to side with Justin.


    "That''s right. Besides, everyone is working with artificial intelligence right now. Most


    of the domestic market has already been taken up by major manufacturers. Isn''t it a little toote for us to enter that industry?"


    "Also, researching and developing artificial intelligence is costly, isn''t it? In fact, it might even cost more. I think we should give Mr. Beckett''s proposal a chance."


    Soon, the room was divided into two opposing camps, each unwilling to yield. Just then, Justin''s phone vibrated on the desk.


    He lowered his gaze and picked it up.


    The moment he looked at the screen, his eyes darkened.