Chapter 428: What are you doing here?

“What do you think?” Slade smirked, his lips curling into a filthy, predatory grin.

A few of the Black Hand Legion thugs stepped in closer, grinning like jackals circling a wounded deer. Their eyes raked over Sophia with open hunger.

“An ex-exec from Genesis Biotech… real iron lady, huh? Can’t wait to hear what she sounds like when she’s begging.”

“I’ve always had a thing for breaking the tough ones. They scream the sweetest.”

“Bet she’s nice and tight too…”

“Hahaha—fucking priceless!”

Their laughter rang out, crude and vicious, echoing through the night like a pack of hyenas.

Sophia’s hands clenched into fists, her jaw tight as she struggled to keep her fury in check. Her brows drew together, her eyes burning with rage.

Then, without warning, Slade’s free hand reached for her throat—

fingers twitching, ready to grab, to dominate, to do whatever the hell he wanted.

But Sophia was ready for this.

In one swift motion, she pulled a dagger from her waistband—not to fight, but to press the blade against her own pale neck.

“Take one more step, and I’ll slit my throat right here. You’ll get nothing.”

“Oh?”

The men froze, their grins faltering. A few furrowed their brows, surprised by the steel in her voice.

One of the younger guys glanced around, then shrugged. “I mean… if she’s dead, that works too, right?”

“…”

Sophia’s face flushed with fury. These bastards really would do anything. She cursed them silently—shameless scum.

“If I die, no one gets the virus into the company’s system. You’ll lose everything.”

Oh…

Slade paused, the gleam of cruelty in his eyes dimming. He let go of her wrist and took a step back.

“Fine. You get a pass. Just this once.”

Sophia exhaled, just barely keeping her relief from showing. “And I can help you. I can lead your operations, plan your attacks. I was a top executive at Genesis Biotech—you know I’ve got the skills.”

“Nope. Don’t buy it.” Slade’s voice was unexpectedly sincere. “If you were really that good, the Genesis Biotech base in San Bernardino wouldn’t have fallen. You wouldn’t be standing here, begging us for a deal.”

“…”

Sophia bit her tongue. So even that disaster had reached the ears of the Black Hand Legion. Great. A stain that would follow her for life.

“Fine. I’ll prove myself. I’ll climb back to where I belong.”

Their meeting couldn’t drag on—too risky if someone spotted them. With that, the conversation ended.

Sophia took the USB drive and turned back the way she came, heading toward the company.

Slade and his crew stayed behind, watching her retreating figure.

One of the younger guys leaned in. “Boss, we’re just letting her walk away?”

“What’s the rush?” Slade said, eyes still on her. “She’s already betrayed Genesis Biotech and reached out to us. Sooner or later, she’ll be ours.”

…

Sophia made her way back to Genesis Biotech, moving like a shadow—quiet, careful, slipping past drone patrols with practiced ease. So far, so good.

Now came the hard part: planting the virus and seizing control of the Cyborgs.

She crept down a dim corridor, the lighting low and flickering. Up ahead stood a thick alloy door, heavy and imposing. Beside it, a green light blinked steadily.

This was it—the heart of Genesis Biotech. The nerve center for their networks, communications… and the location of Cyborg T-09.

Sophia scanned the area, then moved quickly toward the door.

As she approached, the green light shifted into a thin beam, sweeping across her body in a scanning motion.

[“Please verify your identity…”]

Sophia stepped forward as the green scanning beam swept over her—face, irises, fingerprints.

Even though she was now little more than a fringe figure in the company, she was still technically Nathan’s assistant. That meant she had clearance to access this sector.

[“Identity confirmed… Welcome.”]

Click-kkrrrsh!

With a mechanical hiss, the alloy doors split open and slid apart, revealing a brightly lit interior. The walls were pristine white, spotless to the point of being almost blinding.

Rows of massive machines lined the room, humming and beeping softly. The company’s mainframe was here, along with other high-level systems, all running smoothly.

Sophia’s face hardened with resolve. She stepped forward, ready to finish what she came here to do.

“Stop right there!”

A sharp female voice rang out behind her.

Sophia froze, her brow tightening.

Shit. Caught?

But she quickly composed herself. She’d been a top executive once—masking her emotions was second nature.

She turned slowly.

A short-haired girl stood in the corridor, dressed in a sleek black tactical suit that hugged her athletic frame. A short blade was strapped to her waist, and her stance radiated confidence and precision.

Her name was Selene—an elite operative brought in from another Genesis Biotech branch to reinforce the L.A. division.

This area was one of the most secure zones in the company. Nathan might’ve checked out mentally, but he wasn’t careless with security. He still made sure the right people were guarding the right places.

“Sophia, what are you doing here?” Selene asked, her tone cool but alert.

“I…” Sophia opened her mouth, forcing a calm tone. “Just doing a quick check. Making sure none of the systems are malfunctioning.”

“Oh? In the middle of the night?” Selene’s eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering across her face.

It was past 2 a.m. Not exactly prime time for routine maintenance.

Sophia kept her voice steady. “Couldn’t sleep. Figured I’d make myself useful.”

Selene stepped closer, her gaze sharp. “Alright then. I’ll help you check.”

Sophia’s jaw tightened. She couldn’t shake her. Not now.

“Fine…” she muttered, biting back her frustration. She’d have to play along—for now.

The two of them walked into the room together. The machines beeped and blinked, their lights casting soft glows across the polished floor. Everything looked high-tech, precise, and intimidating.

Several of the machines pulsed with crystal core energy, thick cables snaking across the floor like metallic serpents, all leading to a large maintenance pod.

The pod’s casing was made of transparent glass, and inside lay a young man—bald, strikingly handsome, eyes closed in a deep, silent rest.

Cyborg T-09.

Due to ongoing tech limitations, the Cyborgs couldn’t absorb crystal core energy directly. Instead, they had to be recharged and maintained through this kind of setup.

Right next to the pod was a terminal—its screen glowing softly, displaying T-09’s vitals and system diagnostics.

All Sophia had to do was plug in the virus. One quick upload, and she’d hijack the system—take control of T-09.

She was so close. Just one step away.

But Selene was still right beside her. No way to make a move without being noticed.

“Sophia, are you done with your inspection?” Selene asked, her voice casual but watchful.

“Yeah… all done.” Sophia forced a smile, though her heart was pounding. She couldn’t risk blowing her cover.

“Then shall we head out?”

“Sure,” Sophia replied, but she didn’t move. She just stood there, staring at the pod, lost in thought.

Selene tilted her head. “Sophia? Something wrong?”

Sophia didn’t answer right away. Then, slowly, she turned to Selene, her eyes unreadable.

“Selene… what do you think of Nathan?”

Selene blinked, caught off guard. “Huh?”

What the hell kind of question was that?

…

Here’s a redemption code for everyone: