chapter635

Phoebe hurriedly trailed after Mila as they fled the scene, their adrenaline spiking as they reached the car. Phoebe wasted no time starting the engine, navigating away from the clothing store with practiced urgency.

As they moved, Mila pulled out her phone, her fingers trembling as she dialed Nathan’s number. Past encounters had taught her that Yale was far more dangerous than his polished exterior suggested. When Nathan answered, Mila’s anxiety finally bubbled over. "Nate, I have Yale’s blood on me. What do I do?"

"What happened?" Nathan’s voice was instantly sharp, vibrating with tension.

"I ran into him and Lillian. Things escalated, and in the struggle, he was injured. I ended up with a sample of his blood on my clothes."

"Send me your location immediately," Nathan commanded. "Follow my instructions to the letter: head to the nearest secure perimeter and lay low. I’m sending a team to bring you in."

Within ten minutes, Mila was under the protection of Nathan’s tactical team. They were escorted directly to the high-security testing department of the military hospital. Given the potential implications, the medical staff prioritized the analysis, but three hours later, they hit a digital wall.

The results were ready, but they lacked the one thing needed for a positive ID: reference data. A deep dive into the national DNA database revealed a chilling reality—every file associated with Oliver had been purged.

Inside the hospital director’s office, Nathan sat on the sofa, his face drained of color. He watched the director, who was hunched over a computer, sweat beading on his forehead as he scrolled through empty directories.

A sharp knock at the door broke the silence. The Captain of Criminal Investigation and the Head of Forensics entered, their expressions grim. "General Morrison," they greeted him with respectful but hesitant nods.

Nathan fixed them with a frigid stare. "Tell me you found something."

"I’m afraid not, General," the Captain replied. "There is no DNA signature for Oliver left in the central database."

"We’ve checked our local archives as well," the Head of Forensics added. "The physical samples we held in storage have been tampered with or destroyed."

The hospital director lowered his head, his voice shaky. "General... it’s the same here. Our backup servers were accessed remotely. Oliver’s entire genetic history has been wiped from the system."

Nathan leaned back, a wry, cold smile playing on his lips as he supported his forehead with his hand. The air in the room grew heavy with his silent, chilling intensity. This was a level of infiltration Nathan hadn't fully anticipated. Oliver’s influence had moved beyond mere corruption; he had built a ghost network within the government, likely backed by the resources of the Nightshade Clan.

"Cole," Nathan called out, his voice low and steady.

Cole stepped forward instantly. "General, your orders?"

"Deploy investigation teams to every government department," Nathan commanded. "We are no longer just looking for a fugitive. We are weeding out traitors. Conduct a full-scale audit of every personnel file and access log. I want to know who held the keys to those servers."

"Yes, sir."

Nathan rose and walked out without another word, his stride purposeful.

It wasn't until evening that Nathan finally returned home. The moment he stepped through the door, Mila rushed to his side, linking her arm with his. "Nate, you’re back."

Nathan smiled warmly, the hardness in his eyes softening as he patted her head. "Did today’s encounter shake you too much?"

"I'm tougher than I look," Mila replied with a hint of pride. "I held my own against Yale. I doubt he’ll be looking for another confrontation with me anytime soon."

"You’re quite something, Chubs," Nathan said affectionately as they settled onto the living room sofa.

Mila leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "The data, Nate... did you find out who Yale really is? Is he who we think he is?"