Chapter 264 - 263: Who Exactly Is the President of the Astraeus Group

Chapter 264: Chapter 263: Who Exactly Is the President of the Astraeus Group

Nathan Lawson looked at me and laughed. "The organization is a vast system. Each country has different leaders responsible for different projects and test subjects."

"This person stands above everyone else. It could be me, or it could be you. Anyone without the proper standing has no way of contacting him directly. In all of Meridia... the number of people who’ve met him can be counted on one hand. As the former head of Meridia’s largest conglomerate, Marcus Lancaster knew who he was... Unfortunately, Marcus Lancaster is already dead."

Nathan Lawson’s words were clear. In all of Meridia, the only one who had met the organization’s leader was Marcus Lancaster, but Marcus Lancaster was already dead.

Besides Marcus Lancaster, no one else was qualified to meet the leader.

"What does it take... to earn the right to sit across from him and negotiate?" I asked curiously.

"When you become a titan of industry, the biggest player in Meridia’s financial circles, powerful enough to turn the tides of the business world on a whim... he will come to you." Nathan Lawson leaned back on the sofa and smiled as he spoke again. "Some suspect that the person behind the organization is the head of Meridia’s largest conglomerate, the mysterious president of the Astraeus Group... He’s either the man behind the curtain, or he’s the one with the best shot at meeting the organization’s leader..."

’That’s right, I’d heard that too. Conglomerates don’t allow wealth and power to fall into the hands of anyone they can’t control, which means the organization’s members must come from the business world.’

’Asher and I had our suspicions about many people... but we never found any proof.’

’Just as you’d expect from the organization’s leader. He’s done an incredible job of staying hidden.’

’Nathan Lawson was right. He could be you, he could be me, or he could even be some seemingly insignificant person right beside us.’

"To defeat the dragon, you must first become one... Too bad you won’t get the chance, Silvia Lynch." Nathan Lawson smiled knowingly. The words had barely left his lips when someone plunged a syringe into me from behind.

As the drug entered my system, my consciousness began to fade.

’I knew... they were going to take me away.’

’The financial magnates behind the organization couldn’t wait to use me to confirm whether rebirth was truly possible...’

’Only by going with them would I have a chance to uncover the secrets behind the organization, one step at a time.’

"Search her thoroughly. Check every strand of hair, even her teeth. Leave no jewelry on her," Nathan Lawson ordered in a low voice, telling the driver to search me completely. He was worried I might have a tracking device on me.

"Me?" The driver paused for a moment. "But... she’s a woman."

"She’s just a test subject. Treat her like a lab rat. Don’t worry about such details," Nathan Lawson snapped, his voice filled with contempt and derision.

’He didn’t see me as a person.’

’In his eyes, I was merely a clone made from her genes—a species that shouldn’t exist, a disgusting creature that deserved to be eradicated.’

"Let’s have Wright do it..." The driver was a middle-aged man and probably had a daughter of his own. He couldn’t bring himself to do it, so he had the young woman from the villa search me instead.

Nathan Lawson scoffed and left the living room.

I lay on the sofa in a daze, overcome by that familiar sensation of my body being beyond my control while my mind remained lucid.

’This time, I had chosen to infiltrate the organization. I couldn’t let Asher be the one to sacrifice himself every single time.’

’Putting my own body on the line... I could do that too.’

’The only reason Asher agreed to my reckless plan was because he understood my current value to the organization. Paradoxically, I would actually be safer in their hands; at least my life wouldn’t be in danger.’

"Sir, there are no suspicious items on her."

The young woman had barely finished speaking when people came in and carried me away.

I didn’t know how much time had passed or how far we’d gone. I awoke from my stupor to find myself surrounded by stark white.

"Where is this...?" My head throbbed violently. I was wearing an oversized hospital gown. My legs were bare, and I had nothing on underneath it.

I frowned as I surveyed the room. An operating table... a sterile environment.

It looked just like a hospital operating room.

’Even more like... the battle royale game in the ruined building, the scene where we all woke up.’

’So, when the Rebels designed that battle royale, was the opening scene meant to mimic the labs where the organization controls its test subjects?’

I looked at a mirror on one of the walls, and my face fell. ’This isn’t a mirror... It’s glass. There are people on the other side watching me, but I can’t see them.’

I got out of bed and walked slowly to the glass, trying to see through to the other side, but I couldn’t make anything out.

The room was sparse. There were no hints, and no one showed up. I had no idea what the organization wanted.

’Test me? Observe me? Heh... They want to see if I’m really Cecilia Caldwell just by watching me.’

Giving them what they wanted, I turned and walked to the door, grabbed the IV pole, and swung it up at the breaker box. The room plunged into darkness, and the door clicked open, its lock disengaged by the power cut.

I stepped out. The hallway was empty. Suddenly, a dog charged out and lunged at me.

"Shaun..."

’It was a wolfdog that resembled Shaun even more than Stella did. It had to be another one of Shaun’s clones.’

The dog lunged, tackling me to the ground. Its eyes burned with the feral hunger of a starving animal, one that wanted to tear everything to shreds and devour it.

It lunged, aiming to bite.

"Shaun!" I cried out his name instinctively.

Amid its frantic struggling, the dog grew still. It looked into my eyes, let out a soft whimper, and collapsed beside me.

It was on its last breath, having used its final ounce of strength to knock me down. If it had just bitten my neck, it could have lived.

But it didn’t.

’Dogs have a way of understanding people; they’re soulful animals. Sometimes, a dog is more humane than a human.’

’The organization had deliberately released a starved clone of Shaun to see if it would bite its own master when it was wild and out of control.’

’But the experiment itself was pointless. A pet can be cloned, but its memories can’t be copied and pasted.’

’Is a clone truly the same dog?’

Stroking the wolfdog’s head, I pushed myself to my feet.

The vast hallway had arrows on the floor, directing me forward.

"Silvia Lynch, or is it Cecilia Caldwell?" At the end of the hall, a man in a lab coat, goggles, and gloves smiled at me from within a room.

’He’s from the organization, probably a doctor.’

"How many people are watching me?" I asked.

"Many people... Not just magnates from Meridia, but from countries all over the world. All eyes are on you. Once the experimental results are confirmed, you’ll become the organization’s most valuable asset, a living legend." The man let out a crazed laugh; he was clearly unhinged.

"Who from Meridia is watching?" I asked, wanting to know who was staring at me from outside the room.

"Any member of the Global Chamber of Commerce has viewing privileges... The president of the Astraeus Group, Killian Lancaster... Julian Fletcher—they can all see you."

Someone forced me down into a chair. I stared intently at the camera on the wall.

’They can all see...’

’Who on earth is the president of the Astraeus Group? Could he be the organization’s leader?’

’Julian Fletcher insisted on joining the chamber against Mrs. Fletcher’s wishes... was that also to investigate the organization’s leader?’

’He must be sitting in front of a screen right now, watching me...’

’Watching me, this test subject, to see if I’m really Cecilia Caldwell.’

"This is a lie detector. You are to answer every question on the screen truthfully. The questions have been submitted by the magnates," the man said with grave seriousness as he hooked up the device. "Who are you?"

I looked up at the screen and didn’t answer.

When I didn’t cooperate, the man grew angry and pressed the shock button.

A current shot through my body, and the pain made my insides seize.

"I am a test subject..."

The lie detector let out a piercing blare.

’I had lied.’

The searing pain of the electric shock coursed through me again.

I relented. "Cecilia Caldwell. I’m Cecilia Caldwell..."

The lie detector didn’t go off.

"Who do you love? Julian Fletcher or Sebastian Lancaster?" New text scrolled across the screen.

’This question... Heh. Julian Fletcher had to be the one who asked it.’

’He’s on the other side of that camera, watching me without a shred of guilt.’

Three seconds passed. I didn’t answer. The current tore through my body again, the pain sending me into convulsions.

The screen went blank. They were apparently waiting for my answer.