Reborn in the Enemy's Embrace

Nancy laughed.

"I thought you’d want to start from your birth. Instead, you’re more curious about the deaths of your parents and Andy Black..."

She looked at me curiously as she gradually approached me. "By parents, did you mean Sophia’s parents?"

I furrowed my brows and didn’t respond.

"Do you actually think you’re Sophia Milford?" She gripped my chin and looked at my face.

"I’m guessing Genome Society probably used all the necessary means to prove that you’re the reincarnation of her... That band of lunatics so desperately wanted to show that you could bring back a dead soul," she said.

She suddenly let out a laugh before continuing, "Once someone gets money and power, they start wanting more and more... So many of the rich invest an absurd amount of their wealth into achieving immortality. "They utilize the most advanced technology and medicine found in modern day, the most expensive substances and inhumane ways to prolong their life... all because they have the money to do so."

"What a shame, though. Ultimately, you just can’t go against the law of nature..." Nancy’s voice turned low. "When the time comes, you’ll end up dying anyway. So many of the rich lay on their deathbeds, wishing the way to immortality was discovered while they were still alive..."

I frowned and remained silent as she spoke.

"Your very existence will have those crazed millionaires bewitched... As of now, you’re the most valuable one among all the other experiments. As an experiment, you’re a product belonging to Genome Society," she said with a smile.

"Genome Society will put all of you on display for the wealthy to admire and invest in. Then, they’ll tell Genome Society what they’re curious about, and the lot of you will get selected... for experiments."

Like cloning, organ transplants, cord blood... et cetera.

"In recent years, medical advancement has reached its limits. The average lifespan has been restricted by factors such as genes and environment. The wealthy reach the average age of about 90 to a hundred years old at most.

"Genome editing might be one of the most successful projects Genome Society has under their belt, but this concerns future generations... The wealthy care more about themselves,"

Nancy brought me into the villa. She told me that they weren’t as willing to invest money in Genome Society anymore. Genome editing had matured. There was nothing new that excited them anymore. Hence, they weren’t willing to invest.

"And Sophia... has given us a very big surprise." She placed Sophia’s files on the table.

Nancy continued, "Sophia died. The experiment that’s been under strict surveillance ever since birth was murdered right before our eyes..."

"The body was even displayed in a glass case. This was a blatant provocation from the Rebels to Genome Society,"

She smiled as she spoke again, "But that wasn’t all. The surprise ’Sophia’ gave everyone was... she reincarnated. She reincarnated into Sofia’s body."

This topic immediately caused a stir. The conglomerates behind Genome Society were all excited.

They were all of old age, and they didn’t want to die. All of them wanted to know the secret to immortality and eternal life.

"Since historical times, after power and money, the hunt for immortality grew crazier as time passed..." She leaned against the couch. "Three years ago, Dexter Black joined Genome Society through the Black family."

"He mentioned the possibility of reincarnation and transfer of memories. At the very start, his plans didn’t gather much attention."

Nancy was telling me about Dexter joining Genome Society. She wasn’t in a hurry to tell me about the deaths of Andy Black and my parents.

"The rich weren’t idiots-they thought it was nothing more than a fantasy." She then pulled out a couple of photos. They were photos of Joel from his early childhood to photos of him in high school uniform. I looked at her apprehensively. Had Joel already been targeted by Genome Society?

"Calm down. Joel was just a name Dexter submitted to Genome Society. Dexter was too smart. He was so smart he was like a stubborn madman." Nancy laughed.

"All his wits were used on this. He seemed untouchable-but everyone has their weaknesses, and his happened to be Sophia."

"In order to get into Genome Society, Dexter needed to secure the conglomerates’ interest and acknowledgment. He put forward the idea of reincarnation, and he used Simeon’s clone, which was Joel," she said nonchalantly.

At this point, she didn’t care if I knew about these truths, because she wasn’t planning on letting me go. I inhaled sharply... Joel was Simeon’s clone.

The so-called secret to reincarnation had to be related to the cloning experiments and genetics.

"Dexter was a gift Genome Society gave to the Blacks. He was the perfect offspring crafted from the modified and improved version of Andy’s genetics."

"Whether it was IQ, physical abilities, or appearance, Dexter’s genetics were optimized to the maximum point. That’s why he’s a one-in-a-million genius... a man-made genius."

She sounded mildly annoyed. It was evident that she didn’t think much of genetically altered geniuses.

"But Simeon was different. He was a born genius. Genome Society only noticed him because of Dexter. A carefully crafted genius and a normal person who has never undergone any form of genome modification ... Simeon’s existence soon captured their attention..."

"Under the front that they were performing check-ups, they took living cell samples from Simeon, the boy who showed great potential."

Simeon was only a seven to eight-year-old boy then.

"Simeon’s clone had always been in the laboratory. He never left. Three years ago, Dexter entered Genome Society and claimed he could prove the existence of reincarnation. He took Simeon, who just died, and Joel, the clone, and experimented."

"It was a success. A lot of the conglomerates were shocked, but there remained a lot of those who were in doubt. It was a one-time occurrence, after all."

She continued, "Clones were disguised under the memories that belonged to the body. It was difficult to tell what was real and what wasn’t. It felt like a magic trick without a way to discern what was true."

"No one knew if Joel was actually the reincarnation of Simeon or an actor that simply had the memories as the boy."

Nancy looked at me with a solemn gaze. "Your existence, Sophia, has shocked the wealthy once again. "They’re paying big bucks to have you taken back into the lab. They’re asking for public research and experimentation to prove if you’re actually a reincarnated being or if you just possess the same memories."

I laughed in realization. No wonder Jimmy said I was the most valuable experiment right now.

"As for why Andy died, he led the Rebels when he was the leading man of the conglomerates in Iluma. Genome Society had to get rid of him. If he influenced the other conglomerates, Genome Society would be done for... Hence, Andy Black had to die," Nancy explained.

She continued, "As for Sophia’s parents, Despite being scientists trained by Genome Society, they developed feelings toward an experimental subject that had no blood relation to them."

"They even tried to protect and take the subject away. How could Genome Society tolerate the existence of such traitors?"

Her voice grew low, and the way she was looking at me grew more and more complicated. "It was extremely difficult for Sophia’s parents to leave Genome Society. They had help-Peter Jones. The pair wanted their daughter to live like a normal human being."

"Hence, they completely changed their identities and made preparations to leave Genome Society. Peter aided them under the pretense of conducting experiments."

How ironic... Peter Jones wasn’t trying to harm me, after all.

"It was a pity, though. Their fight against Genome Society was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot." Nancy was mocking their idiotic behavior, but I also noticed a tinge of bitterness laced between her mockery.

Nancy ... probably harbored a complicated feeling toward someone between Andy, Peter, and my parents.

A normal person had feelings and desires. It wasn’t possible for them to be cold and unfeeling. The cloned "Sophia" was right. As long as you had feelings, you’d have weaknesses.

"I want to know who the leader behind all of this is..." I looked toward Nancy and asked the question I wanted the answer to the most.