My son was dying. My husband, Julian Thorne, was busy preparing for the bell-ringing ceremony for his corporation’s IPO. He told me, “A sick heir will only drag down the stock price.” Then, he handed me divorce papers and a card. “Forget about the company, and forget about me. This money is enough for you to cover his final arrangements.” Five years later, at the press conference for his new wife’s prenatal check-up, he spoke as the perfect loving husband. “I’m truly fortunate. My family is, and always will be, healthy and complete.” Under the paparazzi’s flashing lights, he spotted my arms, riddled with needle marks. He cornered me in the hallway. “What, ran out of money? Looking to bring that sickly brat back to me for more?” Julian’s voice was arctic, sharp as shattered glass. I pulled a sheet of paper from my folder. “Leo’s hospital bill is due again.” He snatched the bill, his eyes scanning the numbers. Then, right in front of me, he slowly, deliberately, tore it into tiny shreds. The paper confetti rained down on my face, my clothes, like falling snow. “Stella, you’re pushing my limits.” He pulled a black card from his jacket pocket and tossed it to the ground. Metal met tile with a sharp *clink*. “Pick it up.” His voice was low, but the command was undeniable, absolute. “Crawl and pick it up, like the dog you are.” I stood my ground, unmoving. “Oh, suddenly you’re too good for it? Five years ago, you’d have sold your own son for a fraction of that. What’s with the act now?” A soft female voice floated from behind him. “Julian, don’t be angry. It’s not good for the baby.” Chloe Sterling walked over, her hand gently caressing her rounded belly, taking her place beside Julian. She looked at me, a polite smile on her face, but her words were a viper’s venom. “Miss Hayes, the Thorne bloodline demands perfection.” She glanced down at her stomach. “Like our child. Healthy. Exceptional.” “A defective product, a flaw like that, doesn’t deserve to carry the Thorne name. Do you understand?” Julian wrapped an arm around Chloe’s shoulder, pulling her close, protecting her. “This is my final warning.” His voice was devoid of all warmth. “Dare to show your face to my family again, and I’ll make sure you and your son vanish from this world, completely.” I didn’t spare them another glance. I turned and walked away. Back in the lab, the cold hum of machines and the rhythmic dance of data made me feel alive again. I peeled off my lab coat, expertly drew a vial of my own blood. The centrifuge whirred, spinning at high speed. I dripped the separated serum into a petri dish, observing the cellular changes under the microscope. Leo’s rare genetic disease has an incidence of one in a billion. My family, the Hayes, had no history of genetic illness. The source of the disease – I’d been searching for five years. My mentor, Professor Davies, walked in. He was a world-renowned expert in genetic engineering. “Stella, how’s the data analysis coming along?” “Still no good. The ‘Ouroboros’ sequence can’t achieve precise integration at the third locus. The cells just collapse.” I handed him the latest data report. Professor Davies’s brows furrowed. “We’ve hit a wall.” He looked at me. “To break through this, we need two things.” “A huge amount of money, and a ‘Prometheus’ gene sequencer.” “There are only three of those machines in the entire world.” I fell silent. I knew, I couldn’t get either of those. “Don’t lose hope,” Professor Davies patted my shoulder. “I’ve been in talks with an investor recently. He’s very interested in biological projects. There might be a chance.” That evening, while organizing my files, I stumbled upon a financial news notification. \[Thorne Corporation Invests Heavily in New Biotech Ventures, CEO Julian Thorne Personally Invites Gene Engineering Titan Professor Davies to Join] The accompanying photo showed Julian Thorne, radiating success and triumph. And Professor Davies was my mentor, Professor Davies.
Julian Thorne hosted a private investment gala for Professor Davies at the penthouse suite of the exclusive Skytop Club. Security was tight. The attendees were the movers and shakers of the industry, people whose names alone commanded fortunes. I arrived at the entrance, dressed in my lab coat, with a plain black trench coat over it, carrying project documents as Professor Davies’ assistant. The attendant at the door held out a hand to stop me. “Madam, your invitation.” I stated my name: “Professor Davies’ assistant, Stella Hayes.” He spoke a few words into his earpiece, then stepped aside. The crystal chandeliers in the ballroom made me squint. Julian Thorne was conversing with someone, standing right in the center of the crowd. He saw me too. His hand, holding a wine glass, froze. The smile vanished from his face. His jaw clenched, and his lips silently formed a single word: *Get out*. I ignored him, pushing through the crowd until I reached Professor Davies. “Professor, the supplementary data for the ‘Ouroboros’ project.” I handed him the folder. Suddenly, a figure bumped into me. A glass of red wine came crashing down, spilling all over my folder. The crimson liquid bloomed, smearing the charts and data into an unrecognizable mess. “Oh, I’m so sorry!” Chloe Sterling held up her empty wine glass, her apology on her lips, but not an ounce of genuine regret on her face. “I didn’t see you standing there. Why don’t you watch where you’re going?” Her voice wasn’t loud, but several people nearby paused their conversations and looked over. “Julian’s gala is so important. Why would you bring such things in here? What if something goes wrong? Are you trying to cause trouble on purpose?” Julian strode over in a few swift steps. He didn’t even look at me, barking orders directly to the security guard behind him. “Get her out of here.” His voice was barely a whisper, each word squeezed through gritted teeth. “I don’t want to see anyone irrelevant at *my* gala.” Two security guards stepped forward, reaching for my arms. “Mr. Thorne, quite the display of power.” Professor Davies spoke, his voice calm, yet it made the two guards freeze. He walked over, positioning himself in front of me. “You’re trying to throw out *my* person?” Julian’s face was ashen. “Professor Davies, this is my personal business. She…” “She is not your personal business.” Professor Davies cut him off. “Allow me to introduce her to you, and to everyone here.” Professor Davies turned, facing the assembled guests. “This is Stella Hayes.” “My most brilliant student, and the lead researcher for the ‘Ouroboros’ gene repair project.” The entire ballroom fell into a stunned silence. All eyes converged on me. I saw Julian’s body stiffen, his face a canvas of undisguised shock. He probably never imagined that the woman who, five years ago, was just a housewife, confined to domestic chores, would stand before him again in such a powerful new role. I didn’t acknowledge his shock, nor Chloe’s ashen face, drained of all color. From my backpack, I pulled out another folder, identical in appearance to the one that had been drenched. “My apologies for the delay, everyone.” Ignoring everyone else, I walked directly to the projection screen and plugged my USB drive into the computer. “My project is called ‘Ouroboros’.” “Its goal is to repair human genetic defects through gene editing technology.” I skipped any unnecessary background, moving straight into the technical principles, clinical applications, and the commercial value it could generate, detailing each point. As I reached the core technical aspect, I pressed the clicker, and a molecular structure appeared on the screen. “…We have constructed a new protein vector that can precisely target and repair the abnormal gene segment code-named ‘Thanatos’…” When I uttered the word “Thanatos,” my gaze swept over Julian Thorne. His hand, holding the wine glass, trembled. His entire body froze, his face completely drained of blood. The gala ended. Professor Davies, in front of everyone, walked to my side and shook my hand. Then, he turned to Julian Thorne. “Mr. Thorne, your project concept is admirable, but Thorne Corporation’s direction doesn’t align with my research. There’s no need to discuss collaboration further.” He had publicly rejected Julian Thorne. Next, he turned to me, his voice filled with praise. “However, Stella, I will personally invest two hundred million dollars in your ‘Ouroboros’ project.” It was late when I returned to the lab. The first thing I did was open the encrypted computer on my desk, ready to back up the core data. I entered the password and clicked on the folder. Empty. All the files were gone. I stared at the blank screen, my hands and feet growing numb.
Alarms blared throughout the lab. Professor Davies was the first to burst in, his face even paler than mine. “What happened?!” I pointed at the blank computer screen. “The core data… it’s all gone.” Security quickly sealed off the area. After an overnight investigation, the conclusion was clear. “No external intrusion detected.” “The data was deleted internally, directly using the highest-level password.” The Head of Security looked at me. “Ms. Hayes, only you know the password to this computer.” Professor Davies’s disappointment was unconcealed. “Stella, why?” “It wasn’t me,” I said. No one believed me. The ‘Ouroboros’ project was indefinitely suspended. I was placed on administrative leave from the lab, pending investigation. Leo’s treatment was cut off again. I stood before the hospital’s payment window, watching the scrolling outstanding balance notices on the electronic screen. A black Bentley pulled up beside me. The window lowered, revealing Julian Thorne’s impassive face. “Get in.” In the coffee shop, he pushed a contract across the table toward me. “The ‘Ouroboros’ project, including all your personal patents, I’m buying it all.” The price he offered was astronomical. “Sign it, and I’ll treat your son’s illness. I’ll find him the best doctors in the world, use the best medicine.” I pushed the contract back. “My research is not for sale.” He looked like he’d heard a joke. “Stella, you’re not in a position to negotiate with me.” “I only accept investment,” I looked at him. “Project control must remain with me.” The last trace of patience in his eyes vanished. “Do you really think you still have a choice? “You stole your own mentor’s project. Your reputation is ruined. Without me, no one in this entire industry will give you a single penny.” I stood up. “Then we’ll see about that.” Julian’s retaliation came swiftly. Every investor I contacted rejected me at the last minute. Even my friends, and even Professor Davies, subtly advised me to accept Julian’s terms. I was completely isolated. I replayed the lab’s surveillance footage from the night of the gala, over and over again. 11:37 PM. A janitor appeared in the hallway. He didn’t clean. Instead, he used a tool to pry open a network port next to the fire exit. He stayed for five minutes. Those five minutes were the exact window during which my data vanished. I zoomed in on the video, capturing a side profile of his face. After leaving the lab, he got into a car. I checked the license plate number. The vehicle registration pointed to Chloe Sterling’s personal chauffeur. I contacted a financial journalist I knew. The next day, an inconspicuous industry news item appeared online. \[Rumors of ‘Ouroboros’ Project Core Data Having Backup; Stella Hayes Poised to Announce Groundbreaking Technical Breakthrough] I deliberately leaked information, saying the backup data was hidden in a private warehouse on the outskirts of the city. And that I would retrieve it in three days. Chloe took the bait, as expected. Three days later, outside the warehouse, my pre-arranged security team caught two suspicious men red-handed. They were caught with the goods. At the police station, Chloe’s face was ashen. “I don’t know anything. I swear, I don’t.” “They’re my chauffeurs, but I never told them to do anything.” One of the thieves cracked under interrogation. “It wasn’t Ms. Sterling!” “It was… it was Mr. Victor Thorne of the Thorne family who ordered us!” I froze. Victor Thorne. Julian’s estranged uncle, long marginalized and ousted from the family’s power center. A perfect scapegoat. Outside the interrogation room, Chloe, through the glass, flashed me a triumphant smile.
I knew Victor Thorne was just a smokescreen. Chloe had gone to such lengths, even risking exposure, to destroy ‘Ouroboros.’ She was protecting a bigger secret. A secret connected to the ‘Thanatos’ gene. I pulled up all of Leo’s genetic maps again. My family, the Hayes, had no history of genetic illness. So, the source of the disease could only come from Julian. I dug out the blood sample from Julian Thorne, saved from Leo’s paternity test five years ago. I needed a comparison. I began furiously researching all records from Julian’s early entrepreneurial days. His rise to power was legendary; he’d built a business empire in just a few short years. I focused on a biotech company that had long since gone bankrupt. ‘Genesis Horizon.’ Ten years ago, this company had secretly developed a gene enhancer code-named ‘GH-7.’ It was rumored to significantly boost human physical strength and energy. But the project was eventually halted due to uncontrollable side effects, and all its data was supposedly destroyed. ‘Genesis Horizon’s parent company was Sterling Group. Chloe Sterling’s family enterprise. I tracked down the former lead scientist for the ‘GH-7’ project. He’d been retired for years. I gave him a substantial amount of money, and in return, he gave me a copy of the clinical report that was supposedly ‘destroyed.’ The report detailed the side effects of ‘GH-7.’ One of the most severe was that it could cause specific site breaks and abnormal recombination in the gene chains of the user’s descendants. The results matched Leo’s ‘Thanatos’ symptoms exactly. I walked into the executive suite of Thorne Corporation, holding both reports. Julian’s office. “If you’re here for money again, you can leave now,” he said without looking up. I slapped the DNA comparison report and the ‘GH-7’ side effect report side-by-side onto his desk. “Take a look.” He frowned, picking up the documents. When he saw the final comparison results, his entire body froze. “The source of the pathogenic gene, 100 percent, is from you.” “Your proud success, your so-called perfection, it was all bought with my son’s life.” The reports slipped from his hands, scattering across the floor. His face was utterly drained of blood. “No… impossible…” “They told me GH-7 was safe…” “I will be suing you and Sterling Group on behalf of Leo, as his legal guardian.” “Inhumane drug trials, deliberate concealment of grave risks. I will make you pay the price.” I finished, then turned to leave. Once this news broke, Thorne Corporation’s stock price would instantly collapse. Everything he cherished would crumble to dust. That very evening, Chloe, cornered and desperate, took drastic action. I was in the lab, organizing the lawsuit materials, when acrid, thick smoke suddenly billowed in through the door cracks. The fire alarm let out a piercing shriek. The entire floor plunged into darkness as the power died, and the emergency exits clanged shut, locked tight. Arson. The fire spread quickly. I was trapped in the data center, clutching the metal box containing all the evidence. Just as I was about to suffocate, the door burst open with a tremendous force. Julian Thorne rushed in, covered in ash and soot. His eyes weren’t on me, but on the box in my arms. “Give me the damn thing!” he roared at me. “Never!” He lunged to grab it. We struggled, wrestling. The steel girders overhead glowed cherry-red, emitting an ear-splitting shriek as they groaned and buckled. A massive beam, trailing sparks, crashed down towards my head. I closed my eyes. The expected agony never came. Julian, in the last second, released his grip on the box. He pushed me away, using his own body to shield me. The thundering sound of the heavy structure hitting the ground was deafening. Firefighters loaded a severely burned Julian onto the ambulance. The piercing wail of sirens ripped through the night. I clutched the metal box, standing outside the burning building, and didn’t follow.
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