Paid To Care, Destined To Conquer Novel

Chapter 314 Landen's medicine kicked in fast . Carlos managed to steady his breathing , but his heart was still pending painfully . 57 % 56 vouchers He recalled how he'd poured a fortune into helping Richard establish his authority in the Gray Group , only to take a massive hit when a tomb complex was discovered beneath one of their investment projects . Then , after divorcing Annette , she walked away with half his asses . And finally , he had to buy out all the Gray Group shares from Sebastian and Annette at triple the market price . " You knew all along ? You set me up ?

" Carlos blurted out , his voice trembling with shock . It was only at that moment that Carlos finally put the pieces together . From the very start , Sebastian had been playing him . This was the most ruthless payback Carlos had ever tasted . Sebastian's eyes were rimmed with a chilling frost , his hauntingly beautiful , almost sickly face set off by the black shirt he wore . His presence was magnetic and dangerous , exuding a dark , menacing aura . " Whatever you care about , I'll destroy it .

" As soon as he finished speaking , a team of uniformed police officers walked over to Richard , who was cowering in his wheelchair . One of them flashed his badge . " Mr. Gray , I'm from the Economic Crimes Unit . You're suspected of embezzlement , bribery , and illegal fundraising . Please come with us to the station for questioning ." " Dad , help me ." Richard was bawling his eyes out , snot and tears everywhere , clinging to Carlos's hand as his life depended on it . He was so pathetic , he almost peed himself in terror .

" I don't want to go to jail ." But in the end , he was hauled off by the cops , no matter how hard he struggled . Landen let out a whistle . " That's Mr. Gray for you , he thought . ' Savage as ever . Brutal ! ' Carlos had bet everything he'd earned in his life on Conrad . Even if the money was gone , as long as the Gray Group was still standing , even a dying giant was bigger than a horse . But if those charges stuck and the Gray Group entered a court - ordered asset freeze , it was game over . The Gray Group was already nothing but a pile of mud .

Save it or sink with it ; either way , it was finished . Carlos's eyes were bloodshot , frantic with rage as he bellowed at the top of his lungs , " Sebastian ! " Sebastian stood between light and shadow , his features half - shrouded in darkness . He shot Carlos a cold , indifferent look . " Gray Group is done for . " Carlos froze . He was trembling from head to toe , but Landen's meds were so potent that he couldn't even black out if he tried . " Carlos , you still have me . Ryan's here . " Ryan's voice shook with ear as he secretly pinched his leg , fat tears streaming down his cheeks .

1/7 11:09 Mon , Feb 9 D D. Chapter 314 His scared little face made all the women present soften with pi Everyone's heart went out to him . They all glared at Sebastian , silently blaming him . Stella was clearly not pleased by this turn of events . 57 % 55 vouchers " Hey , kid , hold those tears , " Stella said , tilting her head with a devilish grin . Her voice was calm , but it sent a chill down everyone's spine . She said . " Just wait , you'll really have something to cry about in minute ." Everyone stood there , left speechless . " How did you know ? " Conrad spoke in a chilling tone .

Without his glasses and the air of respectability they gave him , his sharp , gaunt face looked downright vicious now . " And that question from the auditorium back then ... " Stella glanced at Conrad , her face unreadable . " Because I was the one who solved that question ." She paused , and seeing the shock on Conrad's face , she added quietly, " Five years ago ." On that forum back then . Eric , using his account Echo , hit her with an insanely tough math problem and set a timer , basically a timed challenge . Of course , they could guess how that ended .

She cracked it in under thirty seconds and shot back the answer like it was nothing . " No way . Five years ago ? How old could you have been ? " Conrad was left speechless . He never saw that coming . Stella just brushed past his shock and kept going , her voice cool and steady . " The creator of that question ? It was actually Eric , the youngest genetic whiz in all of Clusia , " Stella said . Down in the crowd , everyone froze . The guests were rooted to the spot , jaws dropping . " The youngest genetic whiz ? ' everyone was thinking , totally floored .

After that bloody , tragic disaster that shattered the Gray family five years ago , everything was thrown into chaos . Because of Carlos's actions , everyone started suspecting that Sebastian's ruthless style was what brought disaster upon them . But it wasn't until that moment that they finally uncovered the real truth , Eric's true identity . " Oh ? And what proof do you have? " Conrad gave a cold laugh , still looking smug and not budging an inch . Stella smiled , unhurried and unfazed . " That's the line I've been waiting for .

" With a confident flick of her wrist , Stella snapped her fingers . Instantly , the big screen behind her lit up , and that infamous math problem , the one that had stumped elite university math departments for years , was crystal clear . Lucas , all soft and adorable , was being shielded by Allan . Suddenly , Lucas's big , round eyes went wide . Before Allan could even react , he dashed over to Stella and grabbed her hand . 2/7 11:09 Mon , Feb 9 DD . A57 % Chapter 314 Stella looked down . The two of them locked eyes . With a loud , adorable smack , Lucas hugged her leg tight .

65 vouchers Everyone was baffled by the scene . What is this kid even doing ght now , in the middle of all this ? ' they all wondered . " Scrappy , " Stella called , cocking her head after thinking for a second . " Master , " the robot responded .. As it spoke , it lifted its mechanical fingers . Allan couldn't help blrting out , " What the hell ? " A red beam of light shot down onto the floor in front of Lucas , and there it was , a glowing infrared keyboard , right out of a sci - fi movie . ' Whoa , that's some cutting - edge tech , ' everyone thought , totally blown away .

Lucas blinked , then plopped down cross - legged on the stage with a little grunt . His tiny hands started flying across the keyboard , typing so fast it was a blur . Meanwhile , the math problem on the screen was getting torn apart and put back together in a dizzying display of speed . Stella glanced over at Sebastian , arching an eyebrow at him . Down in the crowd , everyone froze . " What the hell is this ? " Landen couldn't help blurting out , speaking for everyone . ' Can't make heads or tails of it , everyone was thinking , totally baffled .

But then , Levi , sitting next to them , smacked his thigh in excitement . " That's insane . " Everyone stood there , left speechless . Everyone instinctively turned to look at him . Levi looked like he could've leapt three feet in the air , his face sored from excitement it looked like it might burst . Levi shouted , " He's doing base conversion . " Everyone else just stared blankly at him as he practically shouted his head off , spittle flying , totally over their heads . Not a single soul got it .

Up on stage , the instant Lucas started hammering away at the keyboard , tearing the problem to pieces , Conrad froze . His injured arm dangled uselessly , sweat beading on his pale face . Everyone else was totally lost , but the moment that kid's fingers it the keys , Conrad freaked out . " What is that ? " Murray was gobsmacked , staring at the numbersumping across the screen . The soldiers behind him looked awestruck , even if they didn't understand a thing . ' Wow , that's awesome , everyone thought , totally blown away . Sebastian said , " It's FD25 ." " W - What the hell is that ?

" Murray scratched his head , totally lost Sebastian glanced up at him . " It's a world - class covert encryption protocol . " 3/7 11:09 Mon , Feb 9 Chapter 314 D 57 % 55 vouchers This was something Sebastian and Eric had been doing together since they were little , a game only the two of them understood . Murray just stood there , not saying a word . Mr. Gray , could you at least throw my poor brain a bone here ? Murray thought , utterly bewildered . After four cycles of calculations , the FD25 - encrypted data gets decoded and turns from numbers into words .

And the answer is- As Stella's lazy voice drifted out . Lucas hit the space bar with a loud smack . On the screen , the jumbled numbers and letters started rearranging themselves into words. People in the audience finally realized what was happening , and as the sentence appeared , everyone's eyes went wide in disbelief . Conrad was left speechless . Clutching his useless arm , he realized , with a shock that hit him after five whole years , that he finally understood the code Eric had left for him . It read : [ Eric from Capley Lab throws down a challenge to Spade A.

] Right below , a string of numbers showed the exact timestamp . Stella shot him a cold . amber - eyed look . " Got anything else to say ? " Conrad's face went deathly pale . Back then , after getting pulled in by his higher - ups in Monterra , he joined Capley Lab as Spade A. Both the CoreOne Project and the Gene Project were being plotted at the same time , and he ended up as the top pick for the CoreOne Project . That same year , Monterra secretly nabbed Yakov , Estravia's top genetics expert . Conrad took his elite team back to his homeland and founded Conrad Lab .

But the academic world is a small place . Colleagues who'd met him and knew he was Spade A were like ticking time bombs , especially Eric . Eric was hands down the smartest person Conrad had ever met . He was so brilliant , it made Conrad jealous , seriously jealous . It was that twisted mix of admiration and envy that kept Conrad in contact with Eric , even after he got back to his own country . That was exactly why Murray and his crew started eyeing him with suspicion .

Things stayed tense and complicated until Eric uncovered the Gene Project , a scheme to release a virus designed to attack Clusian DNA . No one ever imagined he was brilliant enough to actually create the cure . No way the higher - ups would ever let that slide . Honestly , it didn't matter if Eric found out about the Gene Project or not . Everyone at Capley Lab was marked for elimination to protect Conrad's mission as Spade A. Eric just sped things up , that's all . 4/7 11:09 Mon , Feb 9 Chapter 314 . 57 % 55 vouchers Conrad's lips trembled .

" The victor takes it all ; the defeated have no say . I've got nothing left to say . But ... " He gave a cold , mocking laugh and looked up at Sebastian . " Are you curious who betrayed your brother and leaked his whereabouts ? " Sebastian fixed him with a glare so icy it felt like it could freeze the blood in your veins . Conrad said , " You really locked things down tight . We paid a heavy price , lost a ton of people . " There were times he thought it was game over , that the whole mission was about to crash and burn .

He was so stressed out that he couldn't sleep a wink , day or night If Eric ever made it back to Clusia alive , his cover would be blown for sure . It was only a matter of time . If Eric lived , he would be as good as dead . Both the Core One Project and the Gene Project would crash and burn together . Conrad said , " But we managed to get in touch with someone who leaked your whereabouts . That's how we were able to send mercenaries to ambush you . Just let me live , and I'll tell you everything ! " ' Fair deal , Conrad told himself , forcing himself to sound calm .

The whole place went dead silent . Out of nowhere , a streak of fire shot through the air . Conrad's eyes went wide in shock . He knew exactly where that fire was headed , straight for him . ' Shit , I'm a goner , Conrad thought , terror slamming into him . But before he could even finish that thought , someone seized his arm with brutal force and yanked him back . Conrad let out a blood - curdling scream , his voice echoing through the hall . The shot hit the stage , leaving a bullet hole right where Conrad had just been .

Once the guests realized what was happening , they totally freaked out . Some scrambled for the exits , while others dropped to the floor and clapped their hands over their ears . But the old - timers just sat there , completely unfazed , not even flinching . Especially Bernard , who walked through the crossfire like it was nothing . His expression was all business , not a hint of fear , practically glowing with righteous energy . Blake froze for a moment . Blake , who'd almost ducked for cover , fought the urge and squared his shoulders , standing tall . " Sebastian !

" Stella shoved Conrad toward Murray with one hand and , in the same motion , swiped the gun right off Murray's waist . Murray just stood there , not saying a word . He blinked , totally stunned . He hadn't even caught how fast her hands moved . 5/7 11:09 Mon , Feb 9 D Chapter 314 ¥ 57 % 55 vouchers " Two o'clock . " Stella and Sebastian yelled at the same time . Just a Allan reached out to shield Lucas's eyes , both of them snapped their arms up and fired toward where the flash had just appeared , going purely on instinct . Conrad was still shrieking in terror .

With the scent of gunpowder still lingering on her fingers , Stella ost all patience and landed a heavy blow right to his face . " Shut up ." Her voice was ice - cold . Conrad was left speechless . Stunned by the hit , he went dead silent , shaking all over , scared ut of his wits . Soon enough , the shooter was brought down . Her left and right shoulders were both bleeding , blood streaming down her arms and staining her clothes bright red . But when the guests finally got a look at her face , they were left speechless .

No one in a million years would have guessed it was the fragile - looking Lillian . Everyone was floored . He thought , ' Carlos's granddaughter - in - law ? " " Mommy ! " Ryan finally broke down , crying like a true five - year - ld , and tried to rush over to her . But Carlos , eyes red and frantic , grabbed him and hugged him tight , refusing to let go . Lillian wasn't panicking like she was in the restroom , and she was expressionless . When her eyes met Stella's , she smirked coldly . " You're even faster than I expected . " After all , you've been standing there for quite a while .

" Stella kept her face cold , spinning the gun stylishly in her hand as she advanced on Lillian , step by step . In one swift motion , Stella raised her hand . There was a sharp ri , and the whole crowd sucked in a breath , stunned . Everyone stood frozen as Stella peeled a layer of fake skin right off Lillian's face , and underneath was a totally different , unfamiliar guy's face staring back at them . " Oh my god . " Blake finally couldn't hold it in anymore . " What the hell is that disgusting thing ? " The man turned his head and locked eyes with him .

If looks could kill , Blake would've died a thousand times over . ' A man ? ' Blake thought , totally floored . Conrad suddenly remembered what happened in the cloakroom earlier . His face twisted in horror as he jerked his head to the side and gagged . He started dry - heaving , looking like he was about to puke his gus out . " Stella , that ugly freak is glaring at me ! Hit him for me . " Blake duked behind Kendrick , poking his head out and acting all bold just because he had backup . Stella just ignored him completely .

The man who'd been posing as Lillian sneered , " So , that's why you were checking my face in the bathroom earlier ? " His real voice came out , no more pretending . 6/7 11:09 Mon , Feb 9 Chapter 314 Sebastian just turned his head away , acting like he didn't hear a thing , his silence saying it all . Stella averted her gaze , totally pretending she hadn't seen him , and replied with a casual shrug , " Sort of . " The man who'd been masquerading as Lillian tilted his nose up arrogantly . " So , when exactly did you ...

" Stella interrupted him coolly , " The moment I first laid eyes on you ." 57 % E55 vouchers The bone structure of that face could trick almost anyone , but not someone with Stella's medical expertise . There was a legendary rumor in the underground medical world Shark had one freakish talent . Just one look , and she could see right through a person's skin , mapping out every bone in their faces like she had X - ray vision . She could recreate any face she wanted , no matter how complicated . People called it borderline magic .

That was why , for as long as anyone could remember , Shark's true appearance was a total mystery because she could wear any face she wanted . Down in the audience , Carlos's breathing suddenly grew . He stared at the man posing as Lillian , his voice trembling . " Then what about my grandson and granddaughter - in - law ? " Stella raised an eyebrow . " Most likely dead ." She thought , ' Pretty much . Otherwise , where do you think that face came from ? ' Everyone stood there , left speechless . ' How does she just drop a bomb without even blinking ? ' everyone thought , completely stunned .

Carlos was so shocked that he could barely get the words out . " Y - You ... you ... you ... " His voice trembled , completely lost for words . Stella turned her gaze back to the man posing as Lillian . " As a plant , you really nailed her act , almost . Except for one detail . " The man held his breath , tension in his voice . " What ? " Editorial Board Editorial Board Our editorial team works behind the scenes to refine each chapter, maintain consistency, and deliver the best reading experience.