Chapter 4

When her gaze fell on me again.

The woman seemed to think of something, a slight curve to her lips. She turned to her bodyguard and gave the order:

"Go to the villa, dig out every robot in the basement, and bring them here."

My head snapped up toward her.

Eyes bloodshot, I roared at Sabrina Blake:

"Sabrina Blake!"

"You were the one who took those robots?"

"Why? Why?!"

My family carries a rare hereditary disease, and only by developing a special-performance robot can it be fully cured.

For a full ten years, I worked on that research day and night.

I was just one step away, just short of putting them into clinical trials, but before my mother passed away those robots suddenly vanished.

I combed through all the security footage at home, questioned everyone who had come to the house, and searched every corner.

But nothing. Not anywhere.

In the end, I could only watch helplessly as the person I loved most slipped away from me, powerless to do anything.

During that time.

Sabrina comforted me again and again, saying:

"We'll find them. We'll definitely find them."

The woman seemed quite satisfied with the pained state I was in now. She stepped forward, took the little boy's hand, and said offhandedly:

"It was nothing, really."

"Right around then, Joseph suddenly wanted to enter a robotics competition, so I took them over and let him study them."

"Joseph finally showed an interest in robots, so of course I gave him my full support."

Her words done.

The woman leaned back into Joseph Henson's arms, her eyes full of tenderness as she looked at him.

"Ms. Blake, here are the robots you asked for."

When I saw those robots, I ignored the pain in my body and struggled up, staggering toward them.

The next second.

Sabrina waved her hand, and several bodyguards surrounded me again.

Then she said:

"Hand these robots out to the guests. Consider them gifts for coming to my son's naming celebration!"

I fought and struggled with everything I had, but in the end I could only watch helplessly as the robots were passed into the guests' hands, switched on, and toyed with at their leisure.

Once a special-performance robot has been activated, it can never be used a second time.

In an instant.

My ten years of effort came to nothing.

As I slumped to the floor, my face deathly pale, the woman's gaze settled on my face.

As if she couldn't bear it, she finally stepped forward and reached out a hand to me:

"Get up. I'll forgive you this once, but there can't be a next time. You—"

My phone rang.

It was the hospital calling, and a strange unease surged up in my chest.

"Hello, is this Mr. Rowe? Someone came to the hospital this morning and said something to your grandmother—we're not sure what. The shock was too much for her, and she's in emergency care right now—"

I couldn't make out the rest.

A tremendous ringing filled my world.

A flicker of worry crossed the face of the woman in front of me. Her mouth opened and closed as if she were saying something, but I couldn't hear a word.

I shoved the woman to the ground and stumbled out.

When I got to the hospital, the door of the emergency room opened, and once again I saw the doctor shake his head.

Joseph Henson's sister stood off to one side.

When Sabrina and Joseph came rushing over, I was gripping Joseph's sister's throat with all my strength, my eyes bloodshot.

Sabrina stepped forward and forcefully pulled the two of us apart. Without a word she raised her hand to slap me again, but I caught her wrist backhanded.

When she met my red eyes, the woman froze, a flash of pain in her own:

"Wilfred, you—"

The next second.

My palm landed across the woman's face:

"Sabrina Blake, did I forget to let you know? We're through."

The system's voice sounded again from above:

"Countdown complete. The Sever All Love program is now officially activated!"