Sophia exhaled slowly, her expression unreadable. Then, she finally spoke.

“Zoey crossed the person whom the leader of T Organization valued. Even her suffering could be considered a kind of favor for her,” Sophia explained.

Katelyn had long suspected that Zoey had provoked someone she shouldn’t have. And now, her suspicions were confirmed.

Katelyn’s gaze locked onto Sophia. “Who was it?”

Sophia chuckled, tilting her head slightly in Katelyn’s direction. A smirk played at the corner of her lips as she shook her head. “Not yet. But don’t worry, I’ll tell you everything you’re so desperate to know once the detox is done.”

A cold glint flashed in Katelyn’s eyes. Her stare, sharp as a blade, cut through Sophia’s casual demeanor.

Yet, Sophia remained unfazed. She sat there, composed and unbothered, as if Katelyn’s menacing gaze meant nothing.

Katelyn’s voice dropped, laced with ice. “Do you think I won’t kill you? I can stop your treatment whenever I please.”

Sophia merely shook her head again, her smile unshaken. She met Katelyn’s gaze directly. “You could, but we’ve been through this before. If I die, so does every bit of information you want.”

She was playing her cards well, and Katelyn knew it. Though Katelyn projected indifference, Sophia recognized the impractical compassion lurking within Katelyn, a weakness that prevented her from watching anyone perish before her eyes.

Without warning, Katelyn rose to her feet. Her hand shot out, gripping Sophia’s chin, fingers tightening with deliberate force.

“Sophia, let’s get one thing straight,” she said, voice low and cutting. “The only reason you’re still here is because you’re useful. But don’t mistake that for permission to toy with me.”

? ? ? ν．

Both women had studied under the same mentor in the past. While one had pursued medicine and the other specialized in poison, they still shared some connection as fellow disciples. That connection had meant something to Katelyn when she encountered Sophia before Sophia joined the T Organization.

But now, whatever thread of camaraderie had once existed between them had long since frayed to nothing.

With her head tilted slightly, a defiant smile played across Sophia’s lips, clearly unfazed by Katelyn’s attempt at intimidation.

But before Sophia could react, Katelyn moved. A small pill appeared between Katelyn’s fingers, and without hesitation, she shoved it past Sophia’s lips. A burst of sweetness spread across Sophia’s tongue. Sophia’s expression darkened instantly. She glared at Katelyn with cold fury. “What did you just make me take?”

Sophia tried to spit it out, but it was already too late. The pill had dissolved into nothingness, leaving only the faintest aftertaste behind. Katelyn cast a frigid glance at Sophia. “Indeed, I can’t kill you now,” she said, her voice eerily calm. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll let you defy me. Consider this a lesson.” With that, she turned and strode toward the door.

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