Chapter 785
“You’re saying Lottie is Questlaw?”
Roger stared at Stella, completely stunned. This was even crazier than he thought.
“And Asclepius, the famous forensic expert, that’s her too?”
Stella nodded.
“And Echo, the composer everyone’s obsessed with?”
“That’s her,” Stella confirmed.
Roger tightened his grip on the steering wheel and sat there, silent for a while. Finally he asked, “Stella, seriously, is there anything Lottie can’t do?”
They’d grown up together. If anyone knew Lottie inside and out, it was Stella. And yet, Roger couldn’t help but wonder what made Charlotte’s mind so extraordinary.
He glanced over at Stella, her face calm and gentle. For a second, she looked caught off guard. Then something flickered in her eyes, some shadow that made her whole expression dim.
“Charlotte’s incredible. She can do anything,” she said softly.
Roger nodded. “Yeah.”
Stella kept her head down, clearly not wanting to talk anymore. Roger let it go and started the car.
About ten minutes later, he pulled up outside her house. He got out and opened the door for her.
Stella stepped out, putting some space between them. Then she bowed, just like before, her voice formal. “Thank you, Roger.”
He leaned against the car door, looking down at her. He was almost two heads taller, and from up there, he could see every little shift in her expression.
“Are you scared of me?” he asked quietly.
She wasn’t just scared. She was shutting him out.
“No,” Stella answered, forcing a little smile. She didn’t offer any explanation. “Thank you for today, Roger.”
It felt like “thank you” was all they had left between them.
Roger handed her backpack over. “Go on inside. Lottie’s taking care of things herself, alright? So don’t worry.”
“Okay.”
Stella took her bag and walked away without looking back.
It wasn’t until Roger’s car had disappeared down the street that Stella, who was supposed to go inside, quietly opened the door just a crack She watched the car fade into the distance Then she glanced down at the scars on her arm, old and faded but still there. A bitter smile tugged at her lips.
She knew her place.
She and Roger lived in completely different worlds.
***
At the research institute, Charlotte’s return was enough to make everyone nervous.
But when Anthony showed up right beside her, the whole place went silent.
The legendary leader of Apex,
holding a cup of milk tea, was following Charlotte like a loyal puppy. Every few steps he’d stop. and, without missing a beat lift the drink to her lips so she could take a sip. He was so used to it, it looked like he’d done it a hundred times.
All the researchers could do was stare.
Enemies had turned into lovers, and somehow the mood was weirdly peaceful. “Lottie, over here.”
Dr. David rushed out of the lab when
he heard Charlotte had arrived. “Anthony you too? Are you alright? He’d heard the rumors-everyone in the NOrganization had-about how Anthony had nearly been shot by Falcon Unit. When the news about their relationship broke and Charlotte left with Anthony, most of the team had been upset. But
Anthony had come back, admitted he was wrong, and even let them put him in cuffs.
“I’m alright,” Anthony replied, nodding. He took Charlotte’s hand, gripping it tight, and led her toward the lab. His palm was cold with sweat. He was nervous, even if he tried to hide it.
Inside, Dr. David set a medical report down in front of Charlotte. It was already prepared, like he’d been waiting for her.
Charlotte flipped through the pages quickly. Her eyes stopped on a single, glaring
line in the results: the gene sequence labeled “HG21.”
Six months ago, her physical had shown only one mutated gene.