This moment, the wall that had stood between them for three years-built of misunderstandings, resentment, and pain-seemed to crack open ever so slightly.

The hearing concluded abruptly in a way no one had anticipated.

Derek and his entire team were escorted out of the building by Frank's military personnel, charged with "endangering national security."

When Ella stepped out of the oppressive building, the rain had stopped.

A rainbow hung in the clear sky that had been washed by the rain.

Blake was leaning against his Aston Martin, wearing that trademark charming yet dangerous smile.

"Ms. Brooks, congratulations on winning such a spectacular victory,"He said.

He didn't even glance at Austin, who was following behind, but walked straight up to Ella and extended his hand.

"It seems the Willowvale Heights card game was simpler than you imagined."

"Simple?" Ella didn't take his hand.

"Mr. Ashton, you seem to have forgotten-who made this card game so complicated in the first place?"

Blake's smile froze momentarily before quickly returning to normal.

"I'm merely an audience member who enjoys watching a good story unfold.

"He said.

He glanced at Austin standing not far away, his meaning unmistakable.

"Mr. Raymond's approach is bold and direct, using absolute power to crush everything. That method works well on the battlefield,but in Willowvale Heights, sometimes it creates too many enemies. While I prefer to use the rules to turn enemies into friends. Ms. Brooks, you're an intelligent woman. You should know what kind of ally you need."

"I don't need enemies as allies," Austin said, walking over with steady steps and naturally taking his place beside Ella.

"Blake, save your little tricks for your midterm election."

The two men-both born into privilege, both wielding enormous power-locked gazes, creating invisible sparks in the air between them.

Just then, Ella's phone vibrated.

It was an encrypted message from an unknown number.

There was no text, only an animated icon of a constantly rotating,burning Prometheus torch.

She had only seen this icon in one place before.

At the end of that video file, her mother had left behind. She instinctively looked up at Austin.

Austin's phone rang at the same moment. He glanced at the screen, his expression instantly darkening before answering thecall.

"What did you say?" He demanded.

"The bottom-level system of 'DeepSea' was forcibly activated five minutes ago by an untraceable external signal. Dr. Adler's dormant command sequence left in the main server has failed. It's awake."

Austin hung up without even sparing Blake another glance. He grabbed Ella's wrist and headed directly toward the Bentley that had been waiting by the curb.

"We need to get back to 'DeepSea' immediately."

Ella didn't resist, passively following his steps while her mind raced.

The burning torch icon, the cold statement "it's awake"-all signs pointed toward a conclusion that made her blood run cold.

Derek wasn't the ultimate enemy. From beginning to end,he had merely been a pawn pushed to the front, used both for testing and for sacrifice.

"Mr. Raymond, Ms. Brooks, what exactly is happening?" Blake hurried after them,trying to intercept.

Austin didn't even slow down, just turned his head slightly to give Blake a look that could kill.

"Blake, the game you and your family have been enjoying just ended."

"Now welcome to the real battlefield." They got into the car, where Zachariah was already waiting in the driver's seat.

Without a word, he started the engine and sped toward the airport, leaving Blake standing alone, his expression shiftingrapidly between emotions.

He took out his phone and dialed a number. "Dad, we may have provoked something we shouldn't have."

"Can the signal source be traced?" Ella asked, her voice unnaturally calm.

"No," Austin replied, studying the real-time data stream on his tablet with furrowed brows. "Their technology far exceeds our estimates. The signal bounced through tens of thousands of zombie servers globally, disguising itself. The source is virtually nonexistent. This is beyond the capability of any nation or organization. It's more like a ghost."

Ella closed her eyes.

She rememnbered that resolute yet exhausted look in her mother's eyes in that video.

What Janice had created wasn't genius-it was a monster.

And now, someone had released this monster from Pandora's box.

"What was the activation command?" She asked.

"A very old military sonar code that was decommissioned twenty-six years ago," Austin handed her a technical analysis report.

"This code's sole function is to wake up submarines in dormant status at the DeepSea base,and it requires a physical 'key' to serve as a medium.The 'key' is the USB driver your mother left behind."

Ella's heart sank.

"Derek not only added an extra lock to the safe deposit box at the Azure Waters Bank, but he also implanted a backdoor program-a sonar signal receiver."

"He thought he was the one controlling everything, the locksmith,but from beginning to end, he was merely a messenger used by someone else to

deliver the key."

"This person knows your mother's research intimately."

Austin looked at her, his words measured and deliberate.

"They even knew that the underlying logic of the 'Sprout Initiative'is opposite to the version your mother presented to the Lumeria at the Thornfield Expo."

"One was made to create, the other, to destroy."

The plane pierced through the cloud layers, heading toward the solitary island.

Two hours later, when their helicopter descended over the island again,the entire atmosphere had transformed completely from when they had left.

Along the coastline, heavily armed soldiers stood at atention every fifty yards,their silhouettes stark and solemn against the setting sun.

Several Coast Guard patrol boats circled the waters surrounding the island,establishing an impenetrable blockade as if to isolate the entire island from the outside world.

Frank stood personally at the helipad waiting, his expression so grim it seemed water could drip from it-more oppressive than the endless rainy days in Willowvale Heights.

"It has completely taken over 'DeepSea's' internal systems," Frank said without preamble.

"From power supply to network communications to physical security-that laboratory is now its absolute domain."

"We tried cutting the external power, but it activated the backup nuclear battery; we tried physically disconnecting the network, but it connected to the internet through the satellite antenna."

"It even changed the laboratory's access codes. Now, except for you two,no one can get in."