Chapter 279 Chapter 279 Although Noelle had grown somewhat wary of Brandon Lairly , a who brought her happiness .
Baik then , during those endlesslays of expe she made it through Remembering these difficult yet wat moments , Noelle des added to invite Houston to her birthda Because the terminal on her nes klave was linked directly to Brandon , she didnt need to call him sipping the switch wacenough to open a line of communication Hello ! Brandon ! Are you there ? she called softly into the neckla There was noà JUYWCL Noelle trowned .
Thats strange .
Is he busy ? Just as she was absent to try again later , Brandons voice hnally .
ve through .
Noelle ? You were looking for me ? Yeah ! I tried calling a minute ago and you didnt answer .
Were you busy ? she asked curiously , I was , Brandon replied simply , his calm gaze fixed on the massive glass tank in front of hi Inside the tank , a girl floated silently in a viscous green liquid , her body curled into a fetal position .
She wore a leathing mask , eyes tightly shut , as if in deep sleep .
The most shocking part she looked exactly like Noelle .
In this laboratory , human cloning was just another comunion tecludique .
The girl -a perfect biological replica But Noelle had no idea .
There was a pause on the other end , followed by a soft chuckle .
I thought you wouldnt invite met Huh ? Why would you think that ? Noelle asked , confused .
ern grown from Noelles current cells Well , Brandon said , with a hint of self mockery , Tve been putting you through all those exhausting experiments lately .
You probably think Im awful.
And youve been more distant with me than before . His voice was quiet , tinged with a bit of sadness and disappointment .
Anyone who didnt know better might think he had been the one suffering To be honest , Noelle had developril some fear and resentment toward Beaudon because of the recent experiments , like the kind companion from her childhood .
no longer felt But Noelle wasnt one to hold grudges .
She was the type who bounced bark quickly , forgetting pain once it passed .
And now that the experiments were over , shed already returned to her usual sumy sell .
Sensing Brandons downcast mood , she earnestly replied , Even if you were a little scary lately , youre still my friend .
I havent forgotten the days we spent together in the lali .
I could never hate you over something like this ? Really Brandon asked , his voice lighter .
You truly dont hate me ? Nope .
Not at all For the first time in a while , Brandon smiled genuinely , Noelle was such a foul sometimes .
But maybe that was exactly what made her so lovable .
Her warmth and optimism were so rare in their cold , calculated world .
Thats why he liked her so much .
I understand , Brandon said .
Tl be there for your birthday Great Noelle beamed .
Okay , I wont bother you anymore .
Get back to what you were doing Alright .
Bye Brandon ! 1 Chapter 279 As the call ended , Brandons gare returned to the girl inside the glass chamber .
His emerald eyes flickered with a storm of thoughts as he whispered to the unconscious clone .
If I can help it I hope I never have to use your With Noelles birthday ju just around the corner , she spent most of her days at the Anderson estate .
Nicolas had been swamped with work lately , returning home only past midnight .
Since he couldnt be by her side during the day , he told her to stay with her family , where shed be more comfortable But on the eve of her birthday , a shocking revelation took the world by storm .
A renowned international human rights organization dropped an explosive report , exposing the existence of three covert human experimentation laboratories .
These labs were accused of heinous acts violating ethics , desecrating life itself .
According to the report , the labs had been purchasing orphans from shelters and trafficking rings to conduct experiments modifying their bodies into bio weapons .
Most of the children couldnt withstand the procedures and died as a result , labeled as failures The global community , already concerned with declining birth rates and aging populations , was outraged .
Children were societys most protected demographic and now , it was revealed they had been used as disposable tools .
The story triggered international uproar .
Protests erupted around the globe , with millions demanding the labs be shut down and their locations revealed , so the public could see justice done .
How could anyone do something so vile ? Kimberly gasped in horror , watching the breaking news in the Anderson familys living room .
Even just reading about it made her skin crawl , Eli echoed her anger .
Those damn labs shouldnt exist .
Now that the human rights organization has gone public , the UN has to get involved . Vincent , however , wasnt so sure .
It wont be that e easy .
Running a Lab like that costs a fortune .
For them to stay hidden this long , they must have powerful backers big financial groups .
If those step in, taking them down wont be simple .
Eli clenched his fists .
So what if they have money ? If they werent afraid of public backlash , theyd have gone public a long time ago .
Clearly , they do fear exposure .
Once people rise up , even the wealthiest wont be safe .
Vincent fell silent .
He couldnt deny that point .
For now , to most , it was just a scandal on the news distant and dramatic .
But Damon , who had begun to piece things together , stared silently at Noelle as she came downstairs .
Those labs Could Noelle have been part of one of them ? Noelle hadnt seen the news yet .
She caught Damons intense gaze and tilted her head .
Why are you staring at me like that ? Damon opened his mouth , but the words caught in his throat .
His eyes flickered with emotions complicated , uncertain , and deeply conflicted E