Rebirth: A Second chance at life
Chapter 100: Who wants Veronica dead?

Chapter 100: Who wants Veronica dead?

The mansion was quiet, eerily quiet.

After calming down the shaken Veronica, Alexander’s face remained stony as he pulled out his phone and dialed Derek. His voice was sharp, clipped.

"Find out who wants Veronica dead. I want every piece of information, and I want it ASAP."

He didn’t wait for a response. The call ended, and he turned on his heel, heading toward his bedroom. The house was quiet, the halls cold with silence.

As he reached his room, he shoved the door open, letting it swing shut behind him with a hollow thud.

Inside the bathroom, the cold tiles greeted his bare feet. He turned on the faucet and splashed water on his face, again and again, as if trying to scrub away the madness building in his mind.

When he finally lifted his head, he stared at the mirror, his face dripping. The man staring back at him looked like a stranger—eyes red, cheeks pale, jaw clenched with confusion, fury, and something far more dangerous.

Then, from deep within him, a laugh began to rise. At first, low and strange. Then it grew louder, more unhinged.

"Ahahaha... Aurora... I must be losing it. You’ve finally pushed me over the edge."

His voice echoed in the tiled walls. He leaned over the basin, breathing heavily. "You really think you can play games with me?

First, you act like a helpless little thing, all wide eyes and soft words. The poor little girl desperate for my attention. And now, what? You grow claws and strut around like a queen?"

He scoffed, shaking his head. "You think I’d fall for that act? You think acting strong will win me back? You’re more twisted than I thought."

His smile turned bitter, almost pained. "But you’ve got my attention now. Isn’t that what you wanted?"

He wiped his face slowly, fingers trembling slightly. "Tomorrow, you’re coming with me again. After the stunt you pulled with Veronica... clearly, you still care. And here I was... drowning in guilt. Thinking you didn’t want me anymore."

He chuckled again, but this time it was hollow, empty.

Far away from the storm of his mind, Aurora arrived at the remote forest villa. The moon hung high in the night sky, silver and watchful.

She stepped out of her sleek car, her heels crunching against the gravel driveway.

The Phantoms stationed outside straightened immediately, offering her a respectful bow.

"Boss."

She gave them a silent nod, her sharp gaze not lingering. She moved forward with purposeful strides, her figure lit by the pale glow of the surrounding forest lights.

But she had barely reached the stairs leading to the lab when she paused. Her senses tingled—someone was following.

With a graceful pivot, she delivered a swift roundhouse kick aimed directly behind her.

"Ahh! Boss! Wait—it’s me!" a voice cried as a man ducked and stumbled.

Jack tumbled to the ground, both hands waving in surrender. "B-boss... why are you always so heartless toward me?" he whimpered, wiping the dust and invisible tears from his face.

Aurora stepped back, lowering her leg. "Then don’t tiptoe around me like a fool."

"Sniff... okay boss, I promise I won’t do it again," Jack muttered, rubbing his nose dramatically.

She turned away, resuming her path toward the building. But after a few steps, she stopped.

Jack, now sitting up, blinked. His heart leaped with naive hope. Wait... did she stop for me? Is she going to apologize? Comfort me, maybe?

But all she said was, "Did you bring Lizzie back? And how’s Calvert doing?"

Jack sighed heavily, clutching his chest in fake betrayal. "You heartless witch..."

She smirked slightly. "Let’s hope he’s enjoying the game."

Without another glance, she climbed the stairs and entered the lab complex, passing through corridors with cold, spotless floors.

She walked to the farthest wing of the villa, to a high-security door that required her biometric ID. The scanner flickered green, and the door clicked open.

Inside, the lab was alive. Researchers moved like clockwork, machines beeped rhythmically, and the soft glow of holographic screens lit up the room.

The tension in the air was almost reverent—every footstep measured, every whisper cautious.

Dr. Maxwell Martin looked up from a microscope and, spotting her, immediately set his tools aside.

"Boss, you’re finally here," he said, approaching with a clipboard in hand.

"What’s the issue?" Aurora asked, her tone all business.

Everyone knew her style—direct, no pleasantries. They respected her for it.

Maxwell adjusted his glasses. "We successfully concocted the new compound. In our initial test, we injected it into a paralyzed rat.

Within minutes, it began moving. Walking. Coordination returned."

"But?" she prompted.

Maxwell’s voice turned grim. "Thirty-five minutes later, it began to twitch violently. Convulsions. It died within minutes."

Aurora extended her hand. "Let me see the sample."

He handed her the vial, and she walked across the room to her personal workstation—an area no one dared approach without invitation.

Her gloved hands moved swiftly. She pulled the formula breakdown on a screen, scanning through every element. Her brow furrowed.

The lab slowly quieted.

"She’s already figuring it out," someone murmured.

"I still can’t believe how fast she works. We’ve been on this for months."

People watched her in awe, their eyes following her every move.

The way she analyzed the formula, the way she flipped through data, recalculating with such ease... it left everyone speechless.

"Boss is something else..." someone whispered from the corner.

"She’s the brightest... no doubt about it," another added, shaking his head in amazement.

There was a mix of pride and disbelief in the air.

Only Dr. Maxwell stood quietly by the side, watching her with a knowing look.

Among everyone here, he was the only one who knew the truth. The only one who knew her real identity.

To them... she was just their Boss. The untouchable, unshakable leader of this lab. The genius apprentice of Dr. Maxwell himself... who, over time, had surpassed her own master. A mystery. A legend.

They didn’t know that she was Luna... the woman feared and respected in places far beyond these lab walls.

They didn’t know her alias... Dr. Lia, the name whispered in the scientific world with both awe and fear.

But none of them questioned it. They respected her silence. They respected her choice to remain unknown.

The murmurs continued to fill the room.

"We’ve been struggling with this formula for months..." another technician said, shaking his head in disbelief.

His voice was low but full of emotion. "Testing day and night... trying every possible combination... running endless simulations..."

He let out a long sigh, eyes still fixed on Aurora.

"But look at her..." he continued, almost like he was talking to himself now. "She figured out the issue in one go... like it was nothing...

And even now... she’s working single-handedly... without asking for help... not even once."

A few others nodded in agreement, their faces showing a mix of admiration and frustration.

"No matter how many times I see it... she always leaves me speechless," another voice murmured.

"I swear... sometimes I wonder if she’s even human..." someone else added with a nervous laugh.

"I have to say," one of the senior technicians whispered softly, leaning toward his colleague, "there’s no one in this world as intelligent as Boss..."

Another technician, who had been quietly observing, added under his breath, "Honestly... she’s on par with Dr. Lia..."

The words hung in the air for a second.

Someone nearby gasped softly. A few others exchanged wide-eyed glances.

"Shh... don’t say that too loudly..." another staff member warned in a low voice, glancing nervously towards Aurora’s direction. "You know how people react when Dr. Lia’s name comes up."

"But it’s true..." the first one insisted, keeping his voice low.

"The way Boss solves things... the way she thinks... it’s like she’s walking in Lia’s shadow... or maybe..." he hesitated for a second, "...maybe even beyond it..."

The small group fell silent again, eyes flickering back to the woman at the center of the lab.

There she stood—focused, calculating, her cold expression never breaking for a second.

To them... she was untouchable.

And little did they know... the woman they admired and compared to Dr. Lia...

Was Dr. Lia herself.