Chapter 271 - 270: Cecilia Caldwell is Already Dead

Chapter 271: Chapter 270: Cecilia Caldwell is Already Dead

The lab door was thrown open, and a crowd of people rushed in.

"Cece!"

"Cece..."

’Is it just my imagination? I think I just heard Zeke Shaw and Madeline Quinn’s voices.’

"Cece..."

And Asher and Julian Fletcher, too.

"Get away! Don’t touch her!" Asher went berserk, holding me tightly in his arms and refusing to let anyone near me.

The police had already surrounded the lab, and the test subjects in the pods had all been released.

Number 63 escaped, and the Rebels found this place, which meant the police would find it too.

’The police probably didn’t want to alert the enemy, right? Was it because Asher was afraid Nathan Lawson would harm me?’

’But once the lab was exposed, The Genetics Organization would cut its losses and sever all ties with this facility. Finding them again after this... would be incredibly difficult.’

"Asher..." My consciousness was fading. I weakly lifted a finger, wanting to touch him. "You shouldn’t have... come in."

’He should have been more patient. Let the police tail Nathan Lawson, and they would have eventually found the person in charge.’

’But now, we’ve tipped them off.’

"Nothing is more important than you. No one is more important than you..." Asher said frantically, holding me tightly in his arms. "Cece, you’re going to be okay. You have to be."

"I... love you." My fingers finally brushed against Asher’s face before falling limp. I lost consciousness completely.

’I don’t know if he heard me say it clearly.’

’I don’t know... if Asher even heard me.’

’I just felt that if I didn’t say it, I would regret it forever.’

"I should have taken her away from you from the start! Sebastian Lancaster, you’ve been using her all along! Using her to find this place! You’re a bastard! You’re the one who killed her!" Seeing that I had stopped breathing, Julian Fletcher lost control and lunged forward, punching Asher.

I watched everything unfold in shock, reaching out to touch Asher, but my hand passed right through him.

It was that feeling again—my soul leaving my body.

Before... when Cecilia Caldwell was dying, I felt the same way, my soul adrift outside my body.

’So, a person really is conscious when they’re on the brink of death. The soul can truly exist separately from the body.’

"Don’t touch her!" Asher retaliated, throwing a punch at Julian Fletcher. If Zeke Shaw and Lucas Grant hadn’t held them back, they would have started a full-blown fight right there.

I felt a little helpless. I was much calmer this time than the last because I knew I couldn’t stop them, so I just watched quietly from the side.

"Cece isn’t dead yet, what are you two fighting for!" Madeline Quinn said angrily. She checked the pulse on my neck; it was faint, but I was definitely still alive.

"Quick! To the hospital!"

Zeke Shaw wouldn’t let Asher carry me; he was too agitated right now.

I followed behind Asher, reaching out to take his hand.

Even though I couldn’t touch him, I just wanted to hold it.

Julian Fletcher followed anxiously behind Zeke Shaw, watching my condition.

Suddenly, Asher stopped and glanced in my direction.

My heart skipped a beat. ’Can he see me?’

"I know you’re here..." He couldn’t see me, but he whispered softly, saying he knew I was there.

A soul doesn’t have a heartbeat, but I felt my whole body tense up. A warmth started in my chest and slowly spread through me.

He said he knew I was here.

Tears threatened to fall, but as a soul, I couldn’t cry.

I slowly leaned against Asher’s shoulder. ’It would be so wonderful if we could stay like this... until we grow old.’

’Sure enough, living such a peaceful and happy life for too long makes a person decadent.’

’I was actually thinking how wonderful it would be to find a secluded place to hide, forget about everything, and just live out the rest of our lives peacefully with him.’

"Asher, the people from The Genetics Organization won’t let us go... As long as the leader behind it isn’t caught, we won’t be safe anywhere," I whispered, following beside him.

"Once everything is over..." I murmured softly.

I knew he couldn’t hear me.

"Once everything is over..." Before I could finish my sentence, Asher suddenly spoke.

He was saying the same words as me.

I stared at him in shock, my vision flickering.

"We’ll find a small island..." he murmured softly.

"A deserted island where no one knows us." Asher lowered his head, his voice growing hoarse.

I watched Asher for a long time before whispering my reply. "Okay. I’ll listen to you."

...

Even though we couldn’t touch.

Even though we were so close.

We could still feel each other’s presence.

From a scientific or medical perspective, this would probably be diagnosed as some kind of mental illness. But I believe... that the dead continue to exist by our side in another form.

Even if it’s just wishful thinking, at least it can comfort a lonely and desolate soul.

"Cece, you’re by my side, aren’t you?" Asher asked quietly.

"Yes, I am."

I answered with a smile.

Even though I couldn’t touch him, he couldn’t see me, and he couldn’t hear me speak.

But I wanted to answer every word he said.

...

"The lab is in an undeveloped mountain forest here in Aeridor, bordering Myarra. It’s a place ordinary people would never find. On paper, it’s a resort village for retirees, housing some wealthy, retired senior researchers. But underground, there are three floors, all of which are laboratories."

"Nathan Lawson is the director of this lab; she has the final say on everything, big or small. The Genetics Organization has many labs across the country, and this is the only one discovered so far. We thought we could follow the clues to unravel the whole network, but... we underestimated The Genetics Organization."

Outside the emergency room, Zeke Shaw spoke, a headache clear in his voice.

"Each of The Genetics Organization’s labs is an independent entity with no connection to the others. Their test subjects, researchers, and medical staff are all cultivated in-house. A human trafficking ring abducts talented individuals, who are then trained, brainwashed, and sent to the various labs. This means... there are now two ways to connect all the labs and root them all out at once, like pulling up sweet potatoes."

Lucas Grant looked at Zeke Shaw. "First, through Nathan Lawson. Second, through the traffickers—unraveling the human and organ trafficking ring bit by bit."

’It was obvious that by saving me, they had alerted the enemy and severed this connection.’

"What’s the situation with Nathan Lawson?" Zeke Shaw asked.

"They’re still trying to save her. It doesn’t look good. Her constitution is different from Silvia Lynch’s; Silvia has a resistance to drugs." Lucas Grant shrugged. "Fortunately, the dosage she took wasn’t lethal. The doctor said all we can do is pray she doesn’t end up in a vegetative state."

I stuck close to Asher. Seeing him sitting dejectedly on the floor, I sat down beside him and rested my head on his shoulder.

’So this is what it feels like to fall in love with someone. You want to be stuck to their side every single moment.’

’I only feel safe when I’m with him.’

’This is completely different from the way I used to compromise for Julian Fletcher... ’

At this thought, my vision dimmed again. ’Am I... really Cecilia Caldwell?’

’Is everything in my mind about Cecilia Caldwell really just an implanted memory?’

’Am I really... just Silvia Lynch, and not Cecilia Caldwell?’

"We found this in the lab..." Zane came running over, looking nervously at Asher. "Should I say it?"

Zeke Shaw nodded.

"The little girl named Lynn has woken up safely. She’s physically fine. She was given truth serum, and what she said about Victor Quinn’s plan for Silvia Lynch... all the evidence is here. Silvia Lynch is Silvia Lynch. She was ordered by Victor Quinn to imitate Cecilia Caldwell, learn everything about her, and then undergo hypnosis..."

"Silvia Lynch is not Cecilia Caldwell."

Zane said in a low voice.

Asher didn’t move. He didn’t even look up.

But I panicked, lowering my head, not daring to look into Asher’s eyes.

Over on the side, Julian Fletcher turned and strode over, snatching the evidence from their hands, his fingers stiff. "What does that mean... Memory implantation, hypnosis..."

"It means Cecilia Caldwell is already dead, Julian Fletcher. She was killed by your carelessness and arrogance. The dead can’t be brought back to life. This so-called ’rebirth’ was just a plan by Victor Quinn to lure out The Genetics Organization’s lab. That’s all." Zeke Shaw’s voice was low, each word a deliberate jab at Julian Fletcher.