She Left She Thrived She’s Worth Billions novel Chapter 866

She had checked her contacts in Palisadia. There hadn't been a single reported outbreak.

"Who exactly did Elina interact with?"

"That's..."

Bryant frowned, struggling to recall. It felt like a lifetime ago.

"Between the airport and the party... she probably bumped into a lot of people. What's wrong, Melanie?"

"...Never mind. It's nothing."

Melanie hung up the phone.

According to her analysis, the Chimera Pathogen had a specific incubation period.

Roughly three days.

Counting backward from the day Elina's symptoms flared up landed exactly on the day Bryant took her to Palisadia for Vanessa's party.

He was right. An airport and a high-society gala were teeming with people.

She could have crossed paths with anyone.

But since the virus was a failure, it barely affected healthy adults.

Yet it had struck Elina with devastating force.

Every instinct screamed at Melanie that the virus in the little girl's system hadn't been an accident.

An artificial pathogen, deliberately administered.

But what Melanie couldn't wrap her head around...

Why Elina? Why target her?

Was there something special about her?

Or was it just...

A twisted coincidence?

Melanie squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, feeling completely out of her depth for the first time in her life.

Meanwhile, inside a private VIP room at the Sterling Integrative Wellness Lounge.

Shawn Sterling lounged on a plush sofa, listening to a subordinate's report.

"Alright, get out of here."

He dismissed the man with a casual flick of his butterfly knife.

When she heard those words, all the blood drained from Linda's face. In a sickening flash, she realized exactly what was happening.

"Mr. S-Sterling..."

"Shut up and do it."

Her eyes wide with primal terror, Linda trembled violently as she balanced the apple on top of her head, pressing herself flush against the wallpaper.

"I... I'm read—"

Before she could finish her sentence, Shawn flicked his wrist. The butterfly knife sliced through the air with a vicious hiss.

The blade embedded itself squarely in the center of the apple.

Linda shrieked.

Without missing a beat, Shawn grabbed a heavy fruit knife from the table and hurled it straight at her.

That was the breaking point.

She collapsed, curling into a pathetic ball on the floor, her legs giving out completely. The apple, with the butterfly knife still buried in it, rolled onto the floor.

Shawn sauntered over, yanked his blade free from the fruit, and roughly grabbed a handful of Linda's hair.