?Chapter 1241:


    His expression shifted, growing unexpectedly stern. “He’s still under anesthesia. Hasn’t regained consciousness yet. And after a surgery like that, he’s extremely vulnerable. He needs to stay in a sterile environment for a few days. Going in now could risk everything.”


    The gravity in his tone pulled Sadie back. She blinked, then gave a faint, distracted nod.


    Noah was alive. That was all that mattered. She could wait.


    Hurst studied her for a moment, then gave a light shrug, as if to say his part was done.


    Without another word, he turned to leave.


    But just as he took a step, Sadie’s voice rose behind him. “Hey, Hurst…”


    He paused mid-stride.


    “You grew up in Zupren, didn’t you?”


    “Yeah, kind of. Why?”


    Sadie hesitated, her thoughts swirling—but she pressed on. “Have you ever heard of the NE Research Institute?”


    The moment the words left her lips, Hurst’s easygoing facade shattered. The rxed smile disappeared, reced by a taut seriousness that shifted the air between them.


    He turned slightly, one brow arched, a flicker of curiosity crossing his face.


    “What did you say?” His voice was lower now, deliberate. “The NE Research Institute?”


    Sadie blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in his tone.


    She hadn’t expected such a charged reaction to what she thought was a throwaway question.


    Could he actually know something?


    Thoughts swirled in her mind, but she masked them behind a calm exterior. She offered a soft shake of her head. “Never mind. It’s nothing,” she said casually. “Just a random question. If it doesn’t ring a bell, forget it. You must be tired—you should get some rest.”


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    Without another nce, she turned and walked away, leaving Hurst staring after her, puzzled.


    He frowned slightly, the gears in his mind turning.


    How did she know about the NE Research Institute?


    She was more perceptive than he’d given her credit for—and maybe more informed. Interesting.


    Sadie reached the end of the hallway before releasing the breath she’d been holding.


    Even she didn’t fully understand why the question had slipped out.


    Maybe it was the shock from discovering her mother’s employment contract—it had rattled something deep inside her.


    There was a feeling she couldn’t shake, a sense that the NE Research Institute was somehow tied to what had happened to her parents.


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