chapter1210

Lydia could completely relate to what Nina was going through. The Powell family was a special case. It wasn't just one person who'd been replaced. Both parents had been swapped. She'd read all the files. Apparently, the organization figured that Mr. and Mrs. Powell were too close. If they only replaced one, the other would notice right away, so they swapped them both. The fact that both of them worked at a bank just made things easier for whoever was behind all of this.

But for Nina, it meant she was suddenly on her own. No one left she could trust. Having someone by her side would help, make her feel less alone and not so scared. Normally, Carter might have said no. After all, if it were just the two of them alone, people would definitely talk. But with everything going on, sending Nina back by herself felt way too risky.

"I've got a villa, and I live there alone," Carter said. "She can stay there for a couple of days."

Lydia nodded. "That works."

Nina felt a rush of gratitude. She was completely lost, with no idea what to do next. If she had to face those fake parents now, she honestly didn't think she could pull it off.

"Thank you," she said to Lydia, her voice soft but sincere.

Lydia smiled, warm and reassuring. "Don't worry. We're here for you. We'll figure out a way to find your real parents and bring them home."

That promise gave Nina something to hold onto. She nodded, a little more steady than before. "Okay."

Lydia decided not to check out the Powell house just yet. She wanted to wait until the serum was ready, then go in and handle everything at once. No need for extra trips or extra chances for things to go wrong.

A week slipped by. Lydia spent nearly every waking hour with Boris and his team, working on the serum that could control the clones. Finally, their hard work paid off.

"You are amazing," Professor Boris told her, his voice full of awe. "Without you, we might still be stuck."

It was almost unbelievable. Lydia was so young, but her medical talent was off the charts. Thank goodness she was on their side.

Lydia pulled off her mask and gloves, giving a small, tired smile. It was a team effort."

"So, can we finally start using the serum?" Boris asked. He sounded almost desperate. The sooner they started, the sooner he could sleep at night. The clones felt like ticking time bombs, scattered across thre country.

Lydia nodded. "Yes. But in two days, I have to represent the university at a medical competition in Country D. I'll see how many doses I can get done before I leave."

The professor just shook his head, admiring her even more. Lydia was already amazing, but she never stopped pushing herself. She made even the old experts feel like they needed to work harder.

Honestly, Lydia was anxious to use the serum on her own grandfather. Watching him bounce around the. house every day was driving her a little crazy. And her parents were exhausted too, always on edge, always pretending, It was no picnic for them. Lincoln's grandfather was just as much trouble. Lincoln messaged her all the time, asking if the serum was ready yet.

But it was Friday, and Lucinda had come back from school for the weekend, which made it harder to do anything at night. After thinking it through, Lydia decided it was safest

to start with the L?we family.

Leaving the research institute, Lydia fired off a message to Lincoln.

When Lincoln saw her text just two words, "It's ready" he was so relieved, he almost cried.