Reborn in the Enemy's Embrace

We were finally back in Huma.

Dexter and I were home at last, but Ashton and Xandra were detained by the police.

"Ashton and Xan’s situation is special, so the police asked to conduct a psychological evaluation. They’ll only let us bring them home when everything looks okay." I was slightly worried that they wouldn’t pass the examination.

Psychological evaluations in a regular society consisted of ordinary questions like why a rabbit would enjoy a carrot. For Ashton and Xandra, these questions might seem stupid.

"They’re going to pass... I think." Dexter’s confidence faltered for a moment. He coughed sheepishly before heading off to get me some fruits.

Now that Ewan wasn’t here anymore, the house seemed kind of empty.

Stevie was still barking rampantly in the yard. I was soothing it before Dexter walked out with a bowl of chopped fruits.

"Why do you look so guilty?" I looked at him skeptically.

Walking with a limp didn’t seem to impact his good looks at all.

He replied, "I kind of tricked Eason into telling me who the doctor in charge of the evaluation was. Then, I told the kids detailed information about said doctor. They’re probably going to pass the test."

Not to our surprise, Eason and Zion soon pulled up with the children in tow. They looked evidently displeased.

As soon as the car door opened up, Ashton and Xandra bolted toward us gleefully.

Stevie was nudging the children affectionately with its tongue sticking out.

"Your children are getting more and more unbelievable by the day," Eason exclaimed.

"Why? Did they fail the examination?" I was slightly worried.

"They turned it around and evaluated the doctor instead." The corner of his lips twitched.

"The doctor asked Ashton why the carrot is a rabbit’s favorite food. Do you know what his answer was? Rabbits are herbivores. Their digestive tract is very long in order to accommodate tough fibers.

"A carrot doesn’t have nearly enough fiber content, and it would cause the rabbit to fall sick. The rabbit might even die," he continued in disbelief.

"Then, the doctor turned to Xan. He asked what she would do if a kitten fell into a body of water and she couldn’t swim." Eason looked at me.

For some reason, I started becoming uneasy. I was eager to know what Xandra said in response.

"She said she’ll ask her brother to save it ’cause he knows how to swim."

I let out a breath of relief. That seemed like an answer a normal child would give.

Dexter couldn’t possibly have taught her that reply.

I looked toward him instinctively. Guilt was plastered all over his face. He did, in fact, teach her that response.

"The doctor also asked her what would happen if Ashton didn’t know how to swim either," Eason said again.

He stared straight at me before continuing, "She called her brother stupid for not knowing how to swim."

I couldn’t help but laugh. That was exactly how an innocent child was supposed to act.

However, a pang of sadness washed over me as I laughed. Ashton and Xandra’s innocence was learned instead of innate.

"You should all get some rest. Dayton is back too. He’s receiving treatment in a private hospital. We’ll follow the case through," said Zion.

I nodded.

After Zion and Eason departed, I knelt in front of the two kids and asked, "What answers did you actually have for the doctor’s questions? If a kitten fell into a body of water and you both didn’t know how to swim, would you try to save it?"

The pair glanced at each other. "No."

In a world where it was survival of the fittest, they wouldn’t waste their own life to save a cat.

There was nothing wrong with their answer, but I was afraid that they’d have a disregard for life just because they were emotionally indifferent.

"If you knew how to swim, would you save it?"

They nodded. "If we knew how to swim, we would. Dad told us being more capable means that we have an unspoken responsibility to protect the weak.

"It needs to be within our capabilities, though. If we overextend and make meaningless sacrifices, we’ll make Mom and Dad worry."

I froze briefly before looking toward Dexter.

In that split moment, I understood the meaning of education.

I had never agreed with the saying that humans were born kind. Some people were just inherently bad apples. However, education was the only way to change everything.

Dexter actually felt like a beacon of light. He had been guiding me toward where I needed to go from the very beginning.

"You’re a very, very good person, my dear Dexter." He’d been a great person since the start of it all.

"Welcome home, you guys." Dexter stretched his arms out and pulled Ashton and Xandra into another embrace. Stevie and I were also pulled into the hug.

I couldn’t help but smile. This was nice.

We were so blissful, it was enviable.

After a month’s rest, we didn’t come across any news regarding what happened on the cruise.

The government had probably conducted investigations on everyone involved. It wasn’t the time to publicize everything and stir up panic at the moment.

The ship belonged to a millionaire overseas. When Huma’s police officers tracked the man down with the aid of the local authorities, the man had already taken his own life in his home.

Their lead seemed to have ended there.

All evidence pointed toward overseas. However, there was absolutely nothing on Genome Society or the people who were part of the lab in Huma.

Even if everyone knew that Damien’s mother was one of the people in charge, they had yet to uncover the location of the lab itself.

"Damien is probably locked up by his mother. Since we returned from the ocean, the Colemans have not permitted anyone to see him. They’re claiming he’s gone through too much stress." Violette had come over together with Zion.

"We need Damien to help with the investigation, but his mother is refusing to cooperate. That’s why we suspect that he’s being kept there against his will." Zion sighed.

This was Damien Coleman’s mother they were up against. Without ample evidence, they weren’t able to do anything.

"Are you asking us to pay him a visit?" I looked at him.

Dexter immediately reached for my hand. He didn’t want me to get involved with that family any longer. "We’re asking you to try." Violette took my hand. "You know Damien best, Sofia,"

They wanted me to convince Damien to go against his mother, gather evidence, and then throw her into jail?

I scoffed. "You’re overestimating my abilities. You’re also thinking too highly of Damien. He’s actually a bit of a mama’s boy,"

Based on what I know about him, his mother single-handedly turned him into the successful man he was in the present day. He was deprived of affection from his father because the man was never home.

I used to feel sympathetic toward Mrs. Coleman and Damien. Now, I realized that there was a reason their circumstances were the way they were.

"As of now, we no longer have a lead, and Dayton is still under observation while he recuperates. We can only turn to Damien for any new information."

We needed to find the next laboratory and rescue the people inside. Maybe they were waiting to be rescued as well.

"I’ll make a trip to their house." I nodded.

Dexter’s grip on my hand tightened. "She’s dangerous, Sofia."

He was referring to Mrs. Coleman, and he was right. She was able to make Sophia lose her memories and subsequently turn into a completely different person. She probably had something to do with the accident and Peter Jones’ hypnosis too.

This woman felt terrifying to even think about.

"If we’re going to get rid of Genome Society, we should destroy each and every one of their laboratories."

With Nancy’s lab and the cruise out of the picture, the organization had lost two big experiment labs. Now, we needed to locate the one Mrs. Coleman was in charge of.