The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 192: Ch : Rotten Roots- Part 2

The bodyguard left the kitchen with a clenched jaw, his mind racing as he pulled out his phone.

He dialed a number, and after a few rings, a calm, collected voice answered.

"Report."

The bodyguard exhaled sharply.

"I failed my mission. I tried to follow the given orders, but I was caught in the act."

There was silence on the other end.

Then, the doctor’s voice came through again, this time laced with curiosity.

"Oh? That’s rare. Explain."

The bodyguard grit his teeth.

"Selene Vale interfered."

A pause.

Dr. Aldric let out a low hum, an unmistakable note of interest in his voice.

"Selene, you say? Now that’s a name I have not heard in a while. Did you cause you a lot of trouble?"

"Yes, She caught me adding the powder to the water and confronted me. So I threw some at her, thinking I could subdue her before she caused a scene. But before I could finish the job, Master Noah showed up."

The bodyguard confirmed, shifting uncomfortably under the doctor’s eerie silence.

The doctor chuckled.

"Ah. And let me guess—he ordered you to leave?"

"Yes."

Dr. Aldric sighed, as if bored with the situation already.

"Well, that is unfortunate. However... Selene Vale, huh?"

There was a strange, amused tone in his voice now.

"Interesting. Very interesting."

The bodyguard shifted uneasily.

"Doctor, what should I do next?"

Dr. Aldric was silent for a moment.

Then—

"Bring her to me."

The bodyguard stiffened.

"What?" frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

"By any means necessary. She’s a valuable test subject. A fascinating one, at that. I want to study her. Since you failed your previous mission, this one should be just fine for you."

Dr. Aldric repeated.

The bodyguard hesitated.

"How do you expect me to do that? She has people around her...not to mention, Master Noah would not allow that. His sense of justice is too strong."

But Dr. Aldric had already lost interest in the conversation.

"Figure it out yourself. Since you were the one who messed up, it is up to you to correct your mistake as well."

And with that, the call ended.

The bodyguard let out a long, frustrated sigh.

This had just become a much bigger problem than he anticipated.

But arguing with Dr. Aldric was pointless.

The only thing he could do now—

Was figure out how to deal with Selene Vale.

______

Selene tried to take a deep breath, but her lungs burned.

The powder she inhaled wasn’t lethal, but it made breathing difficult, her throat scratching and dry. Her limbs felt unsteady, her body warmer than normal.

Noah noticed immediately.

"You’re not okay. Do you need me to take you to a doctor? It might be better to get yourself checked out..."

He stated, frowning as he steadied her by the arm.

Selene hated how weak she felt.

"I just need to clear my throat. We don’t have much time to waste."

She insisted, her voice rougher than usual.

Noah didn’t argue. Instead, he half-dragged her toward a nearby water fountain.

Selene cupped her hands and splashed the cold water onto her face, trying to wash off any remnants of the drug. Then, she drank some, soothing the burning sensation in her throat.

The chill of the water helped, but only slightly.

She could still feel the drug lingering in her system.

’Damn it. Just what was that powder? My body is feeling so unstable. I don’t think I can look straight right now.’

Noah observed her quietly. Even he could tell that Selene was struggling. But she was too stubborn to see a doctor.

Then, he sighed.

"Selene, if you’re feeling this bad, just head home. The meeting can wait. You can let your companion take over the meeting for you. I am sure it will be all fine."

Selene shook her head, her determination unwavering.

"No. I need to finish this."

Noah wasn’t convinced.

"This meeting isn’t worth your health."

"It’s not about the meeting."

Selene snapped, before taking another deep breath to calm herself.

She glanced at him, voice softer this time.

"I need to be here. For my own reasons. This is my own problems to handle."

Noah studied her for a long moment, then exhaled.

"Fine. But at least let me help you walk."

Selene, not having the energy to argue, nodded.

He slung an arm under hers, supporting her weight, and together, they made their way back toward the meeting room.

Selene entered the meeting room just as break time was ending.

The moment she stepped inside, eyes turned toward her.

Some people looked curious. Others seemed annoyed.

She ignored them all.

Her only focus was getting back to her seat.

With effort, she walked as steadily as she could, but her legs felt weak.

Each step felt heavier, as if her body wasn’t listening to her anymore.

She could feel her balance slipping.

Not now.

Not in front of them.

She forced herself to take one more step—

But her knees buckled.

She barely managed to collapse into her seat, gripping the table for support.

She felt humiliated.

She hated this.

She hated feeling weak.

Ethan, who had been watching the entire time, leaned over and muttered.

"What the hell happened to you?"

Selene didn’t answer.

She couldn’t.

She focused on breathing evenly, controlling the burning sensation in her chest.

Noah leaned down next to her, his expression unreadable.

Then, he whispered.

"You should have just gone home."

Selene let out a weak chuckle.

"I’d rather die than run away in front of these vultures."

Noah sighed.

"Stubborn as ever."

Ethan narrowed his eyes at Noah, then back at Selene.

"Who did this?"

Selene finally turned to him, her voice low.

"Not now. We’ll deal with it later."

Ethan clearly wasn’t happy with that answer, but he didn’t push.

For now, he just sat back, his usual relaxed demeanor tainted with an unusual edge of tension.

Selene straightened in her seat as best as she could.

The meeting wasn’t over yet.

And neither was this fight.