She paused for a beat.

“Have you memorized these orders?”

“I have,” he said.

“Good. Do it now. I want results in twenty-four hours.”

“Understood.”

Without missing a beat, Miguel barked toward the door, “Someone—inside!”

His assistant hurried in.

“What do you need, Mr. Griffiths?”

“Erase all chip and virus research. Nothing leaves this room,” Miguel said, his face carved from stone.

The assistant froze.

“Are you certain? That’s decades of work. You’ve guarded it like treasure. Why destroy it now?”

Miguel snapped, “Do I need to explain myself?”

The assistant bowed quickly.

“No. I wouldn’t question you. I’ll carry out the order at once.”

Miguel’s expression softened for a heartbeat, but his voice hardened.

“I want everything destroyed completely—the finished chips, the viruses, and all research data. Leave nothing behind.”

“Understood. I’ll see to it right away,” the assistant said, though unease showed at the edges of his words.

“Mr. Griffiths, the scientists at the base see the research as their life’s work. If they resist, what are our orders?”

A cold, murderous light flickered in Miguel’s eyes. His voice was a razor.

“Kill them all.”

The assistant froze, stunned. Miguel had always prized talent and been lenient with those scientists—so long as they didn’t cross certain lines, he would never harm them. But just now, he had ordered their deaths. What on earth had happened to him?

The tales you love are at g?lnσνs?c?m

Though a thousand questions swirled in his mind, the assistant knew better than to voice them. He immediately placed a call, right there in front of Miguel. When it connected, he relayed the grim command.

“Destroy all finished chips, viruses, and related research. Anyone who interferes—no matter who—must be killed.”

The person on the other end sounded shocked and asked why several times.

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