Early the next morning.
The Med-Tech Isolation Ward aboard Project Zero-Transit remained under
maximum security.
The resealed containment pod holding Specimen Fourteen was positioned directly
in the center, with dozens of biometric metrics flashing rapidly on the external monitors.
Serena walked into the ward, medical kit in hand.
As the director of medical transit for the asset, she fully intended to earn her
exorbitant paycheck.
Standing in front of the pod, her long hair casually tied back for practicality, she cast her eyes downward to review all the data logged since last night.
She pulled up every metric, verifying them line by line.
However, it didn't take long before her fingers paused on the screen.
The gaze fixed on her... had been lingering for far too long, hadn't it?
From the moment she stepped inside, a heavy stare from across the room had locked onto her.
It hadn't wavered once.
Serena arched an eyebrow and finally turned her head toward the man standing a short distance away. "What's with Captain Fenris today?"
She raised a hand to touch her face, an amused smirk playing on her lips. "Do I have something on my face?"
The man stood just a few steps away. He wasn't wearing his tactical mask today, and his striking grayish-blue eyes stared at her unblinkingly.
Even after being caught red-handed, he didn't look away immediately.
Hearing her question, he gave a cold, flat response. "No."
"No?" The amusement in Serena's eyes deepened. "Then why do you keep staring at me?"
She tilted her head. "What? Afraid I'm going to sabotage this hundred-and-thirty- billion-dollar prize?"
"No." The word fired back the instant she finished her sentence.
It came out so fast that Jerrick himself paused, realizing he had slipped.
His jawline tightened slightly, but he quickly forced down the turbulent emotions
in his eyes, reverting ?!
Fenris's trademark cold detachment.
"You are the medical director for Specimen Fourteen. Until we reach Whitecliffe Harbor and complete the handover, any harm that comes to youjeopardizes the medical stability of the asset."
"Therefore, your physical condition falls under my security jurisdiction."
It was an airtight excuse.
Serena let out a soft laugh and turned back to the screen to review the data. "Relax. I'm a survivor. I'm hard to kill."
She said it with a careless, almost flippant drawl.
But Jerrick's heart instantly sank.
The terrifying scenarios from yesterday flashed uncontrollably in his mind again.
What if Obsidian Sun had initiated the remote destruction protocol just a second faster?
What if their operatives had completely blocked off her escape route?
What if Specimen Fourteen had lost control right there on the spot?
Would she still be brushing it off so casually, claiming she was 'hard to kill' while throwing herself headfirst into the fire?
Before he knew she was Serena, hearing those words only made him think the woman had the skills to back up her arrogance.
She was brilliant and resourceful.
She always seemed to know when to leave herself a way out.
Even knowing she was connected to his sister and operating on her behalf, he had maintained a level of scrutiny and professional distance.
But now...
He stared at the nonchalant woman in front of him.
Beneath that unfamiliar face, all he saw was Serena.
His rebellious, fearless little sister who would dive into the abyss without a second thought.
QUT
And here she was, lightly brushing off mortal danger as if sheer willpower was enough to deflect the
bullets that were never meant for
her in the first place.