If Annelise really was in the basement of the Thorne family’s research lab, then their lab was very likely connected to the Doctor and the Laboratory.
Flora Bloom looked at Lex Cross. He clearly had a plan all along, yet he hadn’t said a word. ’And to think I almost misunderstood him.’
"Have you been watching the Thorne family for a long time?"
Lex Cross nodded and gave a mysterious smile. "If they hadn’t gotten any funny ideas about me, I might never have noticed them at all."
Flora Bloom took a sip of noodle soup and nearly spat it out. "They wanted to drag you in for research?" But on second thought, both before and after the apocalypse, Lex was untouchable. Before, his status was plain to see; after, it was his power. Trying to mess with him was no different from having a death wish.
But the Thorne family had still gone to the trouble of targeting him, so there could only be one explanation.
Titan Adler.
The original owner of Lex’s body had been murdered by his own father and stepmother long ago. They were the only ones who would try to eliminate him. On top of that, Lex’s immense power made him a valuable research subject.
So, it was logical for the two families to cooperate; they had a shared interest.
But they never imagined that Lex’s power was something they could never hope to challenge. All their ferocious scheming was, in Lex’s eyes, utterly pathetic. Not only did they fail to achieve their goal, but they also exposed their own secrets in the process.
At this thought, Flora Bloom exchanged a surprised glance with Lex. "Are you saying that so-called father and stepmother of yours are also connected to the Laboratory?"
Lex Cross nodded. "Looks like that old saying about pregnancy brain doesn’t apply to my Flora." He patted her on the head again. "So smart."
Flora rolled her eyes at him. "I’m finished. Let’s go."
Along the way, Flora asked Lex about the relationships between the other great families and the Thornes. The answers she received were completely different from what she had guessed.
The Adler family and the Thorne family had a close working relationship. Flora wondered if the Adlers’ large number of superpower users was thanks to the Thornes. If their ranks had truly been bolstered by serums, just how many lives had been sacrificed to create them?
Next was the Grant family. The current Family Head, Hector Grant, had been a longtime friend of the former head of the Thorne family, so their families were close. However, the old Family Head, Robin Grant, disapproved of the Thornes’ methods, kept his distance from them, and was constantly at odds with Hector Grant.
Third was the Todd family. They had remained uninvolved in the Thorne family’s affairs. But because they managed resources and their own superpower users weren’t particularly strong, they often had to borrow personnel from the Adler family. As for the Thornes’ business, they didn’t know much.
As for the Wallace family, they maintained friendly relations with the Thornes on the surface, but in secret, they were in opposition. This wasn’t just a post-apocalyptic development; the two families had clashed frequently even before the apocalypse due to disagreements over the Thornes’ research methods.
Unfortunately, before the apocalypse, laws and regulations had kept the Thorne family in check. Now, with a powerful ally like the Adlers, the Thornes acted with even greater recklessness.
"That so-called father of yours is a real piece of work, and a master manipulator. He pretended to be at odds with the Thornes right in front of me. I actually thought he had principles. Turns out, it was all an act for my benefit."
"If you had nothing of value, he wouldn’t waste his time putting on a show for you. With your current abilities—a water-and-fire Dual Ability User, with evolved creatures like Vert—revealing any one of those things would be enough to draw the greedy eyes of any major power.
"Even a faction as strong as the Adlers... Titan Adler would certainly want to make you work for him. The Thornes, on the other hand, would want to use someone like you to overcome their research hurdles and achieve a major breakthrough."
"This base, Argent... it’s so big, with so many factions, and there’s always some kind of trouble. Once we’re done here, let’s go back to Morhaven, okay?" Flora touched her belly. "I’m five months along with Polly."
Lex squeezed Flora’s hand. "Don’t worry. I won’t let any harm come to you."
"Ordinary people can’t hurt me." She was worried about the ever-changing environment and weather of the post-apocalyptic world, and about the war between humanity and the zombies.
If this life ended up just like her last one, with humanity reduced to barely scraping by, could she really just take her family and friends and go live a carefree life on their own?
The night was late, the air still. It was dark and the wind was high—a perfect night for clandestine activities.
The Thorne family’s laboratory was located in a building on the southeast side of the base. It was the building closest to the power station, giving it the most reliable supply of electricity. Back when the sites were being allocated, the Thorne family had paid a hefty price to secure it.
After briefly waking, Cynthia Grant had fallen unconscious again. Five remained by her side the entire time, vigilant against the other superpower users of the Thorne family.
All he knew was that Cynthia was normally a carefree, impulsive handful with a bad temper. ’When she wakes up and finds out her own father sold her to the Thorne family for research, what kind of look will she have on her face? How heartbroken will she be?’
Following the Thorne family members who were carrying Cynthia, Five stepped into the research lab, his senses on high alert. His presence made everyone inside cast uneasy glances his way.
"Five, we need to move her onto that experiment table over there. If you’ll allow us...?"
The speaker was very polite, as if seeking Five’s permission.
"I’m going with you."
"Well..." The man started to say that unauthorized personnel weren’t allowed inside the inner lab, but he was cut short when Five unexpectedly lifted Cynthia Grant into his arms and followed right behind him.
"What? Am I not allowed in?"
Five made a decision. If they were going to insist on keeping him from watching over Cynthia, and he couldn’t confirm her safety, then he would absolutely refuse to hand her over.
The Thorne family members lived on the third floor of this building and above. At that moment, Regan Thorne stood respectfully before a woman in her thirties, his head bowed as he spoke.
"Are you certain that woman’s name is Flora Bloom?" Leigh Atwood sat on the sofa, slowly swallowing a yellow pill with a glass of water.
"I’m certain. I ran into her right when she first arrived at the base. She was the one who saved the young mistress outside the walls!" It was only after the recent zombie siege that Regan Thorne had confirmed the existence of the black scorpions. That meant the story of Flora Bloom saving the young mistress outside the base had been true all along.
Leigh Atwood nodded, a smile spreading across her face as she looked at the little girl lying beside her. "If it’s really her, that’s wonderful."
Regan looked confused. "Miss?"
"Come, let’s go tell Luna that our old friend has arrived."
"Miss, you know that Flora Bloom?"
"I don’t just know her. If it weren’t for her, Luna and I wouldn’t be alive today."
"But if that’s the case, then why...?"
"Why? In the apocalypse, you don’t get to ask so many questions! When the Thorne family retreated, everyone else got out safely—the old, the weak, women, and children all survived—so why was my daughter the only one they abandoned? I’m a Thorne, too!"
"Miss! The old Family Head was heartbroken over it."
"Hmph. I don’t need his crocodile tears. Good thing he’s dead now."
Their argument woke the little girl lying beside Leigh Atwood.
The girl had delicate skin and looked to be no older than six or seven. A closer look revealed that her features bore a slight resemblance to Leigh Atwood’s. However, her calves and arms were marred by several wounds that looked like bite marks, the flesh around them a sickening black.
Startled awake, she didn’t open her eyes. A strange, guttural rasp escaped her throat as her little hands began to claw at the sofa.
Leigh Atwood wrapped her arms around the girl, pinning her hands.
"Shh, sweetheart, it’s okay. Mommy’s here!"