Chapter 359: A Truth to Know
"I’m going to need some time to prepare for the next phase," Alexis said, already moving toward her equipment cabinet to gather what looked like specialized materials. "There are compounds I’ll need to acquire, calibration procedures to run, safety protocols to establish. This isn’t something we can improvise."
She paused in her preparations and glanced back at me, her expression shifting to something more businesslike. "Actually, I’ll need to leave the apartment for a few hours. Has Anthony called with any updates on the investigation?"
The question caught me off guard, partly because I’d been so focused on my resistance experiments that I’d almost forgotten about the assassination attempt that had started this whole chain of events. "No, nothing yet. I was starting to wonder what was taking so long, but..." I shrugged. "It was a group of professional, right? That kind of investigation probably takes time."
"Probably," she agreed, though something in her tone suggested she wasn’t entirely convinced. "Well, I’ll be waiting till he tells us we can leave the apartment. The next time I call you, I’ll have everything we need for the next round of experiments. Until then try not to poison yourself."
The joke fell flat, considering what I’d just endured, but I managed a weak smile anyway. "I’ll do my best."
After I left her office, I found myself alone in the apartment just like earlier this morning. The silence felt strange after the intensity of the past hour, like stepping out of a thunderstorm into unnaturally calm air. My mouth still burned with phantom heat from the capsaicin, and my throat felt raw, but both sensations were manageable now thanks to my newly leveled resistance skills.
I wandered out of Alexis’s office and into the living room, settling onto the familiar comfort of our oversized couch. The apartment felt larger somehow with everyone else occupied elsewhere. Sienna was probably working on one of her projects, Evelyn might be training or reading, and Camille was still sleeping off whatever late-night adventure she’d been on.
I should have felt relieved. Accomplished, even. The experiment had been a complete success, proving that controlled exposure to dangerous substances could accelerate my skill development beyond anything I’d imagined possible. With Alexis’s expertise backing me up, I could potentially reach levels of resistance that would make me effectively immune to most forms of assassination attempts.
But instead of satisfaction, I felt the weight of unfinished business pressing down on my shoulders like a lead blanket.
I had to tell them.