Chapter 314 A Favour Requested
"Why should it concern you where I currently am?" Reese's voice was laced with irritation. Her mood was already sour, and Everhart's probing questions were only exacerbating her frustration.
"Are you planning to return?" Everhart's question was implicit, yet Reese grasped his meaning immediately.
Having deduced his intent, she saw no need for further pretense. "Indeed, I am already en route," she confirmed.
"Why would you make such a significant decision without consulting me?" Everhart's tone was laced with accusation.
"And why should I seek your counsel?" Reese retorted, her amusement thinly veiled. She had always been the master of her own destiny; since when had Everhart become a factor in her decisions?
Everhart detected the sharp edge in Reese's voice that day. Truth be told, her tone had been laced with a bitter edge ever since she had discovered certain truths. He had grown accustomed to it over time, but her words could still sting.
Everhart felt indebted to Reese and consequently, always approached her with more patience than he did others.
"Reese, if you return now, I cannot guarantee your safety. They've been on high alert for you. Are you truly willing to walk back into the lion's den?" Everhart cautioned.
Reese was not widely known by her real name. She had adopted the alias 'Reese', a name people had grown accustomed to using due to her aloof demeanor.
Reese responded with a cold, mirthless laugh. "Everhart, you of all people should understand my resolve. Do I strike you as someone who is easily swayed?"
Everhart knew she was not. Reese was renowned for her stubbornness, the kind of person who would relentlessly batter against a wall once she had set her mind to a task.
"Very well, but exercise caution. Avoid stirring up trouble, especially if you desire a peaceful life in the future," Everhart advised. After all, she was now a married woman, and any conflict with the Flynn family was likely the last thing she wanted.
"I can take care of myself. I don't need a lecture from you!" Reese retorted, dismissing Everhart's advice. If it hadn't been for his selfish motives in bringing her here in the first place, she might have been leading a peaceful life by now.
Everhart had his own agenda, and he was not about to let Reese run amok without facing the consequences.
Their terse conversation concluded abruptly with the end of the call.
Staring at her phone, Reese muttered to herself, "What now?"
As she arrived and beheld the closed red door before her, the pressure building within her surged to a peak, threatening to suffocate her.
She pushed open the door, and the occupants inside visibly recoiled at her unexpected appearance.
"Reese, why have you returned?" someone queried.
For years, the organization had been hunting for her, to no avail. Unlike the naive girl who once blindly followed their commands, Reese had learned to evade and hide.
However, everyone knew that no one could escape the organization's grasp. Here, each individual was entangled in a web of secrets, unable to sever their ties and leave, as those secrets were of paramount importance to them.
If anyone had a family, the organization held a malevolent grip on their loved ones' lives. Beyond that, they had nowhere else to turn.
As Reese entered, her aura unfurled sternly, like an icy fortress repelling any advance.
Her gaze was lethal, akin to a demon emerging from the depths of hell, as she glanced dismissively at the people surrounding her.
"Where is he?" she demanded.
"Nolan, you'll find Nolan out back," came the wary response.
They could scarcely believe that she was the same compliant girl from years past; her transformation seemed utterly unfathomable.
Reese moved with a familiar ease towards the backyard where 'Nolan' – the very man who had persistently pursued her – was reportedly located.
Approaching from behind, her voice was frigid and laced with hostility.
"Nolan."
The man known as Nolan appeared to be in his fifties, casually dressed in Western attire and exuding the air of someone enjoying a leisurely life. His features radiated a friendly aura, but Reese was all too aware that this was the man who had deceived her for so long under that guise.
Nolan froze at the sound of Reese's voice, clearly taken aback by her sudden appearance.
Setting aside his current task, he turned to face Reese, his expression tinged with surprise.
"Reese making a comeback? That's quite unusual," he remarked.
Her expression was icy, utterly devoid of emotion. "Do you think I wanted to return to this place?"
She had hoped never to set foot here again, yet there were too many unresolved mysteries that demanded her presence. If it hadn't been for Kenneth's abrupt revelation of the truth, she would have preferred to wait until she had no other choice but to return. By then, she would be stronger, perhaps better equipped to extricate herself from this place.
She harbored a daring ambition, one that involved eradicating the organization from existence.
However, this goal seemed unattainable at present. She intended to bide her time, infiltrate their ranks, gather their secrets, and then topple them in one fell swoop.
If her plans were discovered, her future would undoubtedly be fraught with difficulty.
Upon hearing her words, Nolan did not react with anger. Instead, he responded with a smile that, to Reese, seemed sinister, almost mocking.
Shaking his head, he retorted, "Reese, do you believe your wings have grown strong enough to challenge me? Do you think I am oblivious to your escapades over the past few years? Don't forget, you were raised under my supervision. Everything you know—I taught you. And now you resent our 'family'? Isn't that rather ungrateful?"
Reese shrugged, her laughter cold. "Ungrateful? After all I've done for you, all the unspeakable acts—does humanity mean nothing to you? Yes, I grew up under your 'care,' but ask yourself this: Which of us ever wanted to live a life on the edge, tasting blood? We had no choice."
To them, this place was akin to a cage they were desperate to escape from, but they were shackled, with no means of escape.
A fierce glint suddenly sparked in Nolan's eyes.
"Reese, that's life. If you don't want to be a pawn, yet still aspire to be a saint—do you really think that's feasible?"
The old adage states that you can't have it both ways.
Rules were the foundation of this place. Despite their cruelty and lack of humanity, they never deprived anyone of life's necessities or education. However, one rule was clear: Once you're in, your life is devoted to the organization. Any thoughts of escape? They seldom ended well.
Reese was an exception. The moment Everhart introduced her, Nolan saw potential—a prospect worth nurturing for their cause.
What he hadn't anticipated was that Reese, despite being a promising recruit, was too wild to tame. The longer she stayed, the more she understood their true nature.
She was exceptionally skilled, and with such talent, it was natural that she would want to slip from their grasp. Others might contemplate it but lacked the courage. Reese, however, was different; she was bold and cunning, with the intellect to remain composed under pressure. Among a hundred of their ranks, you wouldn't find another like her.
This was the reason she found it impossible to sever ties with Reese. The potential he held was a double-edged sword; in the wrong hands, he could become a formidable threat. If they couldn't harness his power, no one else would stand a chance.
Reese's countenance darkened, his eyes glinting with a sharp, furious intensity.
"Nolan," he began, his voice cold, "aren't you guilty of the same? You claimed to act in my best interest, yet I was merely a pawn in your game. Do you recall that mission when I was nineteen? You left me to fend for myself, unconcerned whether I lived or died. If not for my brush with death, I wouldn't be standing here."
From that moment, Reese saw them for what they truly were - ruthless demons, their vision clouded by greed.
No sooner had the words left Reese's mouth than the man standing next to Nolan erupted in anger, his voice a thunderous roar.
"Watch your tongue, Reese! How dare you address Nolan in such a manner!"
Unfazed, Reese met his gaze, his warning clear and unambiguous, "Speak to me in that tone again, and there will be blood."
The man, Hugo, began to retort but was cut off by Nolan.
"Hugo, enough. Reese is my most accomplished protégé, not some fool like you."
Hugo stepped back, his resentment palpable as he muttered an apology, "Sorry, Nolan."
Nolan turned his attention back to Reese, his demeanor still pleasant, his temper in check. They always had a way of being more accommodating to those they deemed valuable.
"Reese, you didn't return just to confront me, did you?"
Nolan knew Reese all too well. After years of evasion, she wouldn't have returned without a pressing matter to resolve.
He had a hunch about what she might want.
Reese cut to the chase, "I need to ask you one thing - do you know who my biological father is?"
It was common knowledge here; they delved into everyone's past to maintain control.
Nolan chuckled, "I always thought you might have known already, surprised you're asking now."
"So, are you going to tell me? Who is my father?"
"You want to know about your father? Fine, but first, you'll need to do something for me."
Reese wasn't surprised. Nolan always had an ulterior motive.
"What do you need done?"
"The Harmony Alliance recently hijacked one of our projects. I want you to negotiate with their people, and if that doesn't work, take drastic measures. Understood?"
At his words, Reese felt a shiver run down her spine, her stoic expression faltering. She knew she had to make contact with the Harmony Alliance; it seemed Malcolm was deeply involved with the organization. Was it the same Malcolm causing havoc back East?
Nolan noticed Reese's hesitation and suspected she might have some reservations.
"You haven't lost your nerve over the years, have you?" he teased. "The Reese I remember wouldn't hesitate to traverse hell or high water. What's the matter, a little challenge like this got you scared?"
Reese wasn't scared; she was weary. If Malcolm had no ties to the Harmony Alliance, she would have agreed to Nolan's request without a second thought, regardless of the difficulty. But now...
If she agreed, wouldn't that be tantamount to declaring war on Malcolm?
Perhaps Nolan was unaware of the connection between Malcolm and the Harmony Alliance. If he discovered it, who knew what chaos he might unleash.
"It's not that I don't want to agree, it's just..."
"Nolan, let me handle this for Reese!"
Suddenly, Everhart's voice sliced through the tense atmosphere, emanating from not too far away.
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