Aria remembered how, back then, she’d tossed some cash at Flynt while shooing him away, saying something along the lines of, “If you can’t stand on your own feet, you’ll be left kneeling to beg for scraps from others.”
Back then, she was young and rather mboyant in her ways.
‘Never thought I’d end up creating my own enemy. I should’ve just left him to die back then, Aria thought bitterly.
Owen said with a smirk, “We met on your very first mission-long before he came along.”
Aria shot him a look. “Does that even matter?”
To Owen, though, that actually mattered-a lot.
On the way, Aria received a text from Niks: [Mr. Sanchez has agreed to rejoin the Todd School.]
Aria had only met Axton on two asions-once at Culver’s session ceremony, and again today.
In her memory, Axton was straightforward-a bit hot-tempered, but fundamentally simple and couldn’t hide a thing.
It was hard to believe someone like Axton could be a master of traditional medicine, let alone Tristan’s apprentice.
Aria actually had a pretty good impression of Axton.
Niks texted again: [He’s got a bit of a grudge against you—jealous that Grandpa favors you over him.]
Aria: [Let him stew in his jealousy.]
Niks couldn’t help but chuckle at his phone.
At this moment, Tristan was going on and on about Aria’s talent, singing her praises.
Axton’s face grew increasingly stormy.
For years, he yearned day and night for Tristan’s return, only to discover that the old man had not only taken on a new apprentice, Aria, and showered her withvish praise, but hadn’t uttered a single word about Axton. The sting of being overlooked was hard to ignore.
“Dr. Todd,” Axton mumbled sullenly, “since you’re okay, I’ll head back to the clinic first.”
Tristan remarked offhandedly, “Your clinic’s doing well.”
Seeing that Tristan made no move to stop him, Axton trudged out, his head hanging low.
Niks asked, clearly puzzled, “Grandpa, why are you sending him away like that?”
Tristan sighed. “The Todd School isn’t safe right now. Axton’s too naive-he’s an easy target. It’s better for him to stay away until we’ve rooted out the traitors.”
He’d raised Axton since childhood-to say he didn’t cherish him would be a lie.
In Tristan’s heart, Axton held an even more important ce than Aria.
Tristan thought, ‘All these years I’ve sheltered him too much-he’s nearly fifty, yet still so naive!
Fiy chimed in at just the right moment, “We’ve already locked onto several suspects. Next, we’ll investigate them one by
one,”
10
Tristan’s eyes turned icy. “Let’s find out who’s been betraying us from within.”
Aria’s visits to the Stars Group were bing so frequent that even Ruby took notice. “Wait, aren’t you a pharmacy major? What got you into researching this?”
Aria said, “Just curious.”
“Honestly, I can’t teach you much about brain-inspiredputing,” Ruby said.
Just as Aria was about to speak, Ruby cut her off, “Don’t even think about dragging me into the quantum superbrain project.”
Ruby was beyond caring about fame and, at her age, had no desire to pursue new research. If not for owing Aria a favor, she wouldn’t even have epted the current project.
Seeing Ruby’s firm stance, Aria didn’t press further. “Thanks anyway,” she said.
“I thought you’d push harder to convince me,” Ruby remarked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.
Aria shrugged and said with a wry smile, “I don’t even want to do this job myself.”
Aria understood Ruby’s aspirations perfectly well-she was just going through the motions,ing only to say she’d made the attempt.
Ruby couldn’t help but chuckle.
When Aria visited the Stars Group again, she managed to rope n intoing along.
n fidgeted anxiously. “What if Professor Gn gets angry?” he asked, worry etched on his face.
Aria reassured him, “He seems quite approachable-no signs of displeasure at all. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have agreed to let youe with me to the Stars Group.”
“Besides, you’re here to study, not to work,” Aria reassured him.
n nodded. “I suppose so.”
Little did n know, he was about to be roped into something far bigger than he bargained for.