He would use every drop of Laurent's blood and every chunk of Laurent's flesh to pave his way to a second Noble Prize.
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The knot at Nikolai's throat bobbed up and down nervously.
Never had he imagined the secret he'd buried so deep would resurface, unearthed by the last person he wanted to know - Atticus Bates.
Yet, what did it matter now?
He was already hurtling toward the precipice of the Third Evolution.
What else could he possibly lose?
And so, Nikolai Morton opened his mouth and spoke the truth.
"The boy went missing. We did not find his corpse, so I... I...substituted another deceased child in his place."
Atticus took a deep breath, squeezed both eyes shut, and sank in his seat.
"But... It has been fifteen years now," Nikolai grunted. "I am sure that he died in the sea. Even if he didn't, he's just an autistic omega. He was harmless."
"Harmless, hm?"