Chapter 3
1578words
Farewells here were like carefully choreographed plays, filled with the polite hypocrisy unique to high society.
My father, Cassius Vance, played the role of a dutiful husband and father. He considerately draped his arm around my mother Sophia's shoulders, gently reminding me about academic matters to be mindful of. His tone was gentle, yet his eyes occasionally darted sharply to scan the constantly updating information flow on his wrist terminal. Evidently, his thoughts had already flown elsewhere—to his empire and to that woman called Leila.
Sophia wore her favorite dress today, and even carefully applied makeup in an attempt to hide her pale complexion and swollen eyes from crying. She tried hard to keep her spine straight, maintaining the last bit of dignity and decorum of Lady Vance. But I could feel how stiff and unnatural mother's body became when father touched her.
"Once you get there, follow all of Ms. Croft's instructions, understand?" Cassius said to me, then turned to Sophia, deliberately softening his tone, "Don't worry too much, dear. Leila will take very good care of her. The environment and resources at Mount Covenant are world-class, perfect for a young person's growth and development."
The name Leila, like a poisoned needle, once again precisely pierced Sophia's heart. Her face grew imperceptibly paler, and her fingers unconsciously tightened around the small handbag she was holding.
I laughed coldly inside. Look, this is my father, who always knows how to use the most gentle and caring tone to say the most hurtful words and do the cruelest things.
"Don't worry, Father." I lifted my head, displaying a perfectly obedient and submissive expression on my face. "I will diligently 'learn' from Ms. Croft." I deliberately paused slightly, emphasizing the word "learn."
Just then, a clear, efficient voice with just the right amount of enthusiasm cut in: "Of course, it's my honor, Cassius. Welcome, Elara."
I turned my head.
Leila Croft had arrived.
She wore a crisp white business suit, made from a special fabric that gleamed with a pearl-like, soft yet sophisticated luster under the bright lights of the hub station. It both showcased her extraordinary status and position while maintaining fashion and taste. Her makeup was exquisite and perfect, her smile warm yet appropriate, as she walked toward me with confident steps, extending a hand in the manner of a perfect career elite and friendly elder.
"Ms. Croft." I reached out and briefly shook her well-maintained, slightly cool hand, then unobtrusively let go. I quickly sized up this woman—my father's Chief Innovation Officer, his secret mistress, the mother of those two illegitimate children, and one of the key culprits who would eventually drive my mother and me into a desperate situation.
"It's so nice to see you again," Leila smiled, her tone warm and natural, as if we were old acquaintances, "your father mentions you often, saying you're very intelligent and independent, with strong opinions of your own. I believe Mount Covenant Academy will be perfect for you, and you'll shine brilliantly there."
"Thank you, and I appreciate your help," I responded with appropriate politeness.
Leila seemed very satisfied with the compliance and courtesy I displayed. She turned to Cassius and Sophia, saying smoothly: "We will arrive at Mount Covenant on time. Don't worry, I'll arrange everything properly."
Sophia, who had been silent all along, finally couldn't hold back. She stepped forward and hugged me tightly. Her body was trembling slightly, like the last leaf in the autumn wind.
"Elara…" She buried her face in the fabric of my shoulder, her voice choked and muffled, suppressing immense pain, "The weather changes quickly over there, remember to add clothes anytime… If… if you really can't get used to it, then… then come back… Mom will always… always be here waiting for you…" Her voice was almost inaudible, filled with helplessness and despair.
I hugged my mother back, feeling her frailty and the slight trembling she couldn't control. I leaned to her ear and whispered extremely quickly and clearly, in a voice only the two of us could hear:
"Wait for me to return. To take back everything that belongs to us. I will find a way to help you. Trust me."
Sophia's body suddenly stiffened, and she looked up, her eyes filled with shock and a trace of faint, almost unbelievable hope. She looked into my eyes, eyes that no longer held a girl's innocence, only bottomless determination. Finally, she nodded once, heavily, almost like a desperate gamble.
I let go of my hand, taking one last look at my father—he was exchanging a brief but knowing glance with Leila—then I turned around without hesitation, picked up my luggage, and walked toward the maglev train that would take me far away from Radiance City, heading toward an unknown path that would also lead to revenge.
Leila quickly caught up, walking beside me, casually beginning to introduce the premium courses at Mount Covenant Academy, especially those top-tier programs related to biotechnology, neural network studies, and genetic engineering, occasionally revealing her close connections to my father's business circle.
I listened quietly, nodding occasionally, asking one or two questions that made me sound like a good student, though my thoughts had already drifted far away.
The train started moving with almost no perceptible vibration. Radiance City's dazzling, suffocating skyline quickly receded, diminished, and finally disappeared completely from view. The carriage was extremely stable and quiet, with only the faint sound of flowing air.
Leila seemed to have finally finished her introduction, and took out an ultra-thin tablet device from her obviously expensive handbag, beginning to handle work emails with focused and efficient demeanor.
I waited for a moment, then dimmed the window tint beside my seat, creating a small, relatively private darkened space. I opened my Personal Terminal, its screen glowing softly, displaying an old photograph of my mother Sophia—in the photo, she stood in front of one of her gigantic paintings depicting complex, magnificent neural networks, her smile radiant and warm, her eyes bright and full of vitality, before the shadow of "Heartblight" had fallen upon her, before a hopeless marriage and betrayal had drained away all her brilliance.
Mom, just wait a little longer. I silently recited in my heart, my fingertips gently brushing across her smiling face on the screen.
I turned off the photo, my eyes becoming cold and focused once again. My fingertips moved quickly across the terminal screen. First, I activated a pre-configured anonymous network node with multiple layers of encryption and disguise, completely hiding my real IP address.
Then, I experimentally entered that code I found in the internal corporate report—P.O. 177—and conducted a deep cross-search combining it with the name "Omega Genesis."
The progress bar moved slowly across the screen, with most of the returned results being either useless information or encrypted files requiring higher access privileges. Just as I was about to try other methods, something caught my attention—an apparently unrelated list of volunteer acknowledgments from a small academic conference held many years ago. At the bottom of the list, in the sponsors' acknowledgment section, there was an inconspicuous old version of the "Omega Genesis" logo, and one of the marginal group discussion topics of that conference was actually—"Exploration of Non-typical Expression of Neural Genetic Encoding and Potential Intervention Pathways (Proposal Number: 177)."
177!
This could not be a coincidence!
Has Omega Genesis been secretly researching in this direction for many years? Is this related to the "Prometheus' Child" project? Related to mother's "Heartblight"? Or is it related to… those two exceptionally intelligent children of Leila, who are said to be extraordinarily gifted?
I feel as though I've finally touched the sharpest corner of a massive iceberg hidden beneath the water's surface—cold, dangerous, yet filled with the temptation to reveal the truth.
I took a deep breath, suppressed the excitement in my heart, and silently encrypted this seemingly insignificant yet potentially crucial piece of information in the core area of my personal storage device.
Then, I cleanly erased all traces of my operations and closed the anonymous node. The screen switched back to Mount Covenant Academy's official introduction page, which was displaying photos of students participating in the equestrian club activities, with sunshine and youthful smiles.
My face regained an expression of curiosity befitting a 14-year-old girl, full of anticipation for future school life—perfectly measured, flawlessly executed.
Almost simultaneously, Leila looked up, her gaze turning toward me. She caught me "enthusiastically" browsing through photos of the equestrian club, and the corner of her mouth revealed a barely perceptible, satisfied smile.
It seems she thought I was just a somewhat clever little girl who was ultimately easily attracted by luxurious living and novel experiences—easier to guide and control than expected. Perhaps that's what she was thinking.
She had no idea that deep within the encrypted space of the terminal belonging to this "easily controlled little girl" beside her, there quietly lay a fuse that would one day be capable of detonating the entire Vance Empire and the Omega Genesis Halo.
The maglev train sped silently, shuttling between clouds and the city's interplay of light and shadow.
I gazed at the rapidly passing clouds outside the window, now left behind, my eyes calm and profound.
