If a shop was going to open, it first needed to be renovated.

The outer door and the sign definitely needed replacing, and the shop’s interior needed some new furnishings. The most crucial item was a strength tester; Paige Summers certainly didn’t want to keep having people throw punches at her to test them... But Claire Chapman had taken on all of these tasks. With a shrug, Paige decided she might as well sequester herself and focus on crafting weapons.

Before all that, Nadia finally came looking for her.

To be more precise, she had already tried to visit countless times.

She had woken up that morning with a splitting headache, and it wasn’t long before she remembered what she’d done. She had been on edge ever since. Even Evan Pierce leaving, his subsequent return and apology, and their reconciliation—none of it caused the emotional turmoil she would have expected.

But Paige Summers was either out or in seclusion, so Nadia never managed to see her. This time, she decided to just plant herself at Levi Young’s place and refuse to leave until, finally...

"Come on in,"

Paige Summers said, not at all surprised to be stopped at the door. She nonchalantly led Nadia back to her room.

"Sit."

But how could Nadia possibly sit down?!

Seeing Nadia’s distraught state, Paige Summers felt she’d been right to put off this meeting, despite her own eagerness to get it over with.

"How are things? Andy told me Evan Pierce is back. Are you two okay now?"

"Ah, yes. Um..." Nadia trailed off, sweat beading on her forehead. ’She knew deep down that Paige Summers wasn’t the type to act on opportunistic greed. But this matter was just too important. What if... what if...’ She pushed down her chaotic thoughts and forced a casual expression. "Actually, I wanted to talk about that night. I just drank way too much, and was just spou—"

"Nellie," Paige Summers interrupted, then slowed her speech, speaking deliberately. "Let me remind you of something. When we were on that mission, Evan Pierce was bitten by a Zombie Hawk. You gave him an injection of medicine, and that’s what saved his life. I saw it with my own eyes. I assume... *you*... haven’t forgotten that, have you?"

The words caught in Nadia’s throat.

Paige Summers leaned back against the sofa, watching her calmly. "If I were going to do something, I would have done it long ago. There’s no need to wait until now. You know I have the power to. So, don’t tell me these meaningless lies." ’You can remain silent, but don’t you dare try to deceive me.’

Nadia opened her mouth a few times, but no words came out. She could only bite down hard on her lower lip.

She knew it was the truth.

Even with both her and Evan Pierce combined, they were no match for Paige Summers.

Besides, Paige wasn’t alone.

A thousand thoughts raced through her mind. Finally, she let out a long sigh. "I’m sorry..."

In the end, Nadia chose to tell the truth.

She had been carrying this burden for too long and was just so tired. ’If I can really trust the woman in front of me, maybe... maybe I can finally get some help. If not, then what’s the worst that can happen? I’ll just destroy all the data!’

"My mother used to be a researcher at The Government’s Research Institute, working on a cure for the Zombie Virus. One day, three years ago, she suddenly snuck home and said she was taking me away from Central City. I’ll never forget the look on her face that night—indignant, furious, and yet so determined... I don’t know where she got fake Identity Cards, but somehow, after disguising ourselves, we actually managed to get out of the city without any trouble."

"Unfortunately, after running for half the night without daring to rest, someone still caught up to us. They said my mother had stolen something and demanded she give it back. I thought she would argue, but she didn’t. She didn’t say a word, just gave them a strange smile. It was as if she was certain they wouldn’t kill us. She just grabbed my hand and pulled me into a forest."

As Nadia spoke, she shivered, her eyes a maelstrom of hatred and grief.

"That forest... it was terrifying. Mutated plants were everywhere. I watched one drag a rabbit out of its burrow and tear it to shreds. We hadn’t been inside for long when my mother, trying to protect me, was caught around the neck by a vine. The more she struggled, the tighter it constricted. I hacked at it desperately with my knife, but I couldn’t cut it! In the end... she never even got to say a final word..."

After a moment’s pause, Nadia took a deep breath, forcing back the sting of tears in her eyes. "But she gave me a work journal. It clearly states that her experiments had progressed to the point where she had developed one type of antidote and had already begun working on a second... But on the last few pages, scribbled hastily and sloppily, were the words, ’Crack the code of the Zombie Virus! This is my life’s wish!’"

Paige Summers found her own brow had furrowed.

As Nadia repeated her mother’s words, one by one, she could almost see the researcher herself—her despair at her own fate, and her hope for the future.