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THE STARDUST FORTUNE Chapter 27: Return to Normal
"It's strange being back here," Luna adjusted her uniform, the faint white glow beneath her skin barely visible in the morning sun. "After everything."Alex squeezed her hand as they walked through Drake Academy's gates. "You sure you're ready?""The doctors cleared me. The transformation is stable now.""That's not what I meant."Students stared as they passed, some with their own subtle white glows, others completely normal."Did you ever think we'd be back here?" Luna smiled. "After saving humanity?""Technically, you saved humanity.""We all did." She touched her chest where the light pulsed strongest. "The collective consciousness saved us all."Rebecca appeared beside them, her holographic form now permanently white. "Incoming."Eleanor walked down the hall, no longer the intimidating figure she once was. Her own transformation had softened her somehow."Alex," she called. "A moment?"Luna squeezed his hand. "Go. I'll see you in class."In Eleanor's office, the atmosphere was di
THE STARDUST FORTUNE Chapter 28: Hidden Agendas
"Your father was brilliant, but reckless." Professor Kane's office smelled of old books and coffee. "Just like you, Alex.""You knew my father?" Alex leaned forward. "My real father?""David Conway? Of course. He was my best student, then my colleague." Kane pulled out an old photograph. "This was taken the day before he disappeared."The photo showed a younger Kane with a man who looked startlingly like Alex, standing in front of a massive terraforming chamber."Mom never talks about him.""Sarah probably thinks she's protecting you." Kane's expression darkened. "Or she's protecting herself.""From what?""From the truth about Project Genesis." Kane pulled out a worn notebook. "Your father's last project.""The terraforming initiative?""That's what Eleanor Drake wanted everyone to believe." Kane's voice dropped. "But David discovered something else. Something in the soil samples."The office door opened. Eleanor stood there, her white glow pulsing with barely contained anger."Profe
THE STARDUST FORTUNE Chapter 29: Dangerous Discoveries
"Look at these," Luna spread holographic files across Alex's dorm room. "Every major terraforming project in the last decade. Moscow. Beijing. Dubai.""All failures," Alex noted."Not failures. Sabotage." Luna's white glow pulsed as she connected to the collective consciousness. "I can see the pattern now. Drake Industries had people inside each project.""That's circumstantial-""Then explain this." She projected another file. "Marcus didn't just get reassigned. He's gone. Completely erased."Alex's throat tightened. "What do you mean erased?""Every trace. Like he never existed." Luna pulled up more files. "Just like these scientists. All working on competing projects. All vanished.""Like my father?""Alex..." Luna hesitated. "There's something else. About your father's lab.""What?""The readings I got before Eleanor's security blocked us out? They weren't just seismic. They were..."A knock at the door made them both jump."Alex?" Eleanor's voice. "We need to talk."Luna's light
THE STARDUST FORTUNE Chapter 30: Double Lives
"You're late," Eleanor's voice cut through the darkness of their penthouse.Alex loosened his tie. "Board meeting ran long.""Really?" She held up a holographic display. "Because according to security logs, you were in Archive Room B.""Research for the terraforming presentation.""For three hours?" She stepped closer, her white glow pulsing. "With Luna?"Alex's implant buzzed: Luna's voice in his head. "Careful. She's probing the collective consciousness.""She's helping with the data," Alex kept his voice steady. "You assigned her, remember?""I assigned her to assist, not to spend every waking moment with my husband." Eleanor's hand touched his face. "You're lying to me, Alex.""Eleanor-""Shh." Her fingers traced his jaw. "I can taste the deception. Your transformation... it's changing. Like your father's did."Alex's heart raced. "What do you mean?""David started lying too. Right before he found them." She smiled sadly. "Right before he tried to stop me."His implant buzzed agai
THE STARDUST FORTUNE Chapter 31: Breaking Point
"Ladies and gentlemen," Eleanor raised her glass, "to the future of terraforming."The Drake Industries gala buzzed with excitement. Alex stood beside her, his smile fixed, the evidence burning in his pocket.His implant buzzed. Kane's voice: "Are you sure about this?""He deserves to know," Luna cut in. "Show them all."Eleanor touched Alex's arm. "Say something, darling."Alex stepped to the microphone, pulling out an old data chip."Let me tell you about Project Genesis." His voice carried across the ballroom. "The real one."Eleanor's grip tightened. "Alex-""It started fifteen years ago." He projected the files. "When my father made a discovery."The crowd murmured as images filled the air."David Conway," Alex continued, "found something in the Mars samples. Something Eleanor Drake wanted buried.""Security," Eleanor whispered into her comm."Not this time." Alex raised his hand, his transformation energy blocking the doors. "Everyone needs to hear this."The holographic display
THE STARDUST FORTUNE Chapter 32: Beneath The Surface
The private elevator descended to Eleanor's sanctuary beneath Drake Industries. Alex watched his wife's reflection in the polished doors, her composure perfectly maintained despite the chaos they'd left behind."The security feeds are scrubbed," Kane's voice came through their implants. "The guests are being handled.""Memory wipes?" Alex asked."Standard procedure," Eleanor's voice was soft. "Would you prefer mass panic?"The elevator stopped. Eleanor's heels clicked against marble as she walked to the center of her private office. The city sparkled beyond floor-to-ceiling windows, oblivious to what had transpired."You promised me truth," Alex said.Eleanor poured two drinks. "The truth is complicated.""Try me.""Your father discovered something in the Mars samples." She handed him a glass. "Something that changed everything we thought we knew about evolution.""The beings?""No." Eleanor's form flickered momentarily. "What they were running from."Luna's voice cut through their im
THE STARDUST FORTUNE Chapter 33: Divided Hearts
The neural lab hummed with quiet energy. Alex sat across from Luna, their minds connected through the consciousness interface."Focus on the collective signal," Luna's voice echoed in his mind. "Feel its rhythm.""I can sense... others. Thousands of them.""That's the transformed population. Try to isolate individual streams."Their shared mental space shimmered. Alex felt Luna's consciousness brush against his, guiding him through the network."There," she whispered. "Do you feel that pattern?""It's... beautiful.""That's the baseline frequency Eleanor established. But look deeper..."Their minds merged further, losing distinction between self and other. Alex felt Luna's curiosity, her fierce intelligence, her hidden-"Sorry," Luna pulled back slightly. "That was too personal.""No, it's..." Alex reached out mentally. "Show me."Their consciousness intertwined, sharing memories, thoughts, fears..."Alex." Eleanor's voice cut through the lab's silence.They broke apart, neural interf
THE STARDUST FORTUNE Chapter 34: Three-Way Mirror
David Conway sat in Eleanor's office, looking exactly as he had fifteen years ago. Unchanged. Untransformed."You knew," Eleanor paced before him. "All this time, you knew what they really wanted.""I tried to warn you." David's smile hadn't changed either. "But you were so certain you could control it."Luna burst through the door. "The Mars samples are destabilizing.""Already?" David checked his watch. "Ahead of schedule.""You expected this?" Alex stood between Eleanor and Luna."I expected everything." David rose. "Even this fascinating triangle you've created.""We don't have time for games," Eleanor's form flickered. "The hunters are coming.""The hunters are already here." David touched Eleanor's desk, fingers trailing. "Inside each transformed human. Growing. Waiting."Luna pulled up holographic data. "The samples are showing increasing neural activity.""Of course they are." David walked to the window. "They can hear their siblings approaching.""The Mars samples are alive?"
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Chapter 191: A New Dawn
The majestic hall of the Imperial Citadel vibrated with excitement as delegates from throughout the galaxy convened for the festivities. Banners from every recognized colony draped from the lofty walls, and the atmosphere vibrated with a feeling of revival. Alex Carter was positioned at the front of the platform, his hands interlocked behind him, observing the audience. His image shimmered in the gleaming steel columns surrounding the room—depicting a man who carried the burden of an empire on his back. "Alex," Sophia called out, her voice rising above the chaos as she got closer, her face reflecting a blend of worry and humor. "You should be socializing, not sulking." People are starting to notice."He turned to her, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I’m not brooding. Just... thinking.""Yeah, you always say that," Sophia quipped, folding her arms. "Listen, I know this whole ‘leader of the galaxy’ thing is new, but you’re doing fine. Better than fine, actually. But tonight isn’t
Chapter 190: The Summit of Truth
The grand hall of the cosmic conference was filled with vitality. Representatives from every part of the interstellar empire filled the expansive hall, their voices a soft, buzzing murmur of eagerness. The chamber's glassy walls sparkled, bending the light of far-off stars that poured in through the clear dome overhead. At the heart of everything was Alex Carter, his jaw clenched, eyes surveying the crowd of faces. He could sense the pressure of each stare directed at him. "Alex," Sophia hissed, leaning slightly toward him. "You ready for this?"He gave a small nod, though his hands tightened into fists by his sides. "As ready as I'll ever be."Luna Vega tapped the device on her wrist, her expression calculating. "Maxwell's here. Far left balcony. He’s watching us like a predator sizing up its prey."Alex didn’t need to look. He could feel Maxwell Drake's presence—a dark, unrelenting pressure in the room. His rival’s plan was already in motion, and Alex knew he had only one shot to s
Chapter 189: Mom Please!!
Lucas returned home that evening feeling fulfilled. Although the words of Racheal kept ringing in his ears, he didn't want to dwell too much on them. "Are you okay?" Rickard asked, seeing through him that he was somehow bothered. "Yes, I am," Lucas replied, after which he dismissed Rickard and asked him to go home. The following day would be the meeting scheduled with the members of the board at Bryan Enterprises to decide the next chairman of the company. With Ivy now awake and Praise being humiliated, Lucas was ready to ascend back to power. Rickard was about to leave when one of the security personnel walked in. "Sir, we've found out who took the D-VEX drive from your office," the man said. "Who?" Lucas asked. "It's ma'am Beautrice. I'd love to show you the evidence in the control room," the man said. Lucas and Rickard followed him to the control room where he showed them the short clip that caught Beautrice. The CCTV was a tiny camera right on the bulb in Lucas's office. E
Chapter 188: Frosty Reception
Racheal excused Victor and went to meet Lucas and Rickard, her attempt at cordiality met with frosty reception."You didn't tell me you'd be coming," Racheal said with forced politeness."I don't see the reason why I should," Lucas retorted curtly, his demeanor aloof as he brushed past her. Rickard followed suit, his silence echoing Lucas's indifference.Racheal's heart quickened at their dismissive attitudes, a sense of foreboding settling over her like a shroud. But she pushed aside her apprehension, determined to maintain a façade of composure in the face of their disdain."Heard Ivy's finally awake," Racheal remarked casually.Lucas's footsteps faltered at the mention of Ivy's name, his gaze piercing as he turned to face Racheal. "And how did you find out?" he inquired."I don't see the reason why I should tell you," she retorted defiantly, her words laced with defiance as she turned on her heel and made her way to join the other guests.Everyone was already seated in the grand hal
Chapter 187: Let my Family be
**Lucas Bryan** was surprised to see **Sonya Bryan**, **Rickard Lain**, and **Flint Lockwood** at the hospital, his brow furrowing in confusion as he addressed them."What are you guys doing here?" he asked, his tone a mix of bewilderment and concern. "I thought I told Sonya I'd be home soon."Sonya exchanged a meaningful glance with Rickard before speaking up. "This isn't just about you, Lucas. It's about Ivy," she explained, her words heavy with unspoken implications."I'm yet to believe what you told me about the doctor's report," Rickard said."It's true, Rickard," Lucas confirmed solemnly. "Ivy's condition isn't good."Rickard's anger flared at the confirmation, his resolve hardening as he spoke. "Then it's time we dig in deep and find out who really did this to Ivy," he declared. "We can't just sit back and allow her to suffer like this."Lucas immediately recalled his encounter with **Racheal Lain** at the café. "I think I know who was responsible for Ivy's abduction and how sh
Chapter 186: The Dire Condition
Lucas Bryan arrived at the hospital around 9 p.m. that evening to find the doctors conducting various checks on **Ivy.** Despite his long and stressful day, the news of Ivy's awakening compelled him to set aside any thoughts of rest and rush to her side. Ivy lay still in her hospital bed, her eyes open but her body motionless, casting a shadow of concern over Lucas's hopeful anticipation.Approaching **Stephanie** with a heavy heart, Lucas inquired about Ivy's condition."The doctors are still trying to determine the exact aftermath of Ivy's condition, but I'm afraid it may align with the initial report we received when Ivy was found," Stephanie lamented, her expression portraying every bit of worry."Don't say that, ma’am. Ivy will be fine," Lucas offered words of encouragement, hoping to instill a sense of hope amidst the uncertainty.After a few minutes, the chief of police arrived, having been informed by Stephanie about Ivy's awakening."How's she doing?" the chief inquired, dire
Chapter 185: Caller Id
Lucas arrived at the café to meet Racheal seated all by herself with a glass of alcohol. He walked up to her almost startling her, "Why are you drinking?" He asked.Racheal, her thoughts consumed by the looming threat from Victor to disgrace her mother, barely registered Lucas' presence. Without preamble, she slid the stack of papers across the table."These are the documents," Racheal said, handing them over to Lucas. He reached for his pen and quickly signed them, having already reviewed their contents earlier."Thank you, Lucas," Racheal greeted with a nod of appreciation.Lucas was expecting her departure after he had signed the documents, but Racheal lingered. "Aren't you leaving yet?" he asked."No, not yet. I'm waiting for someone," Racheal replied, her gaze wandering towards the entrance."Lucas could already sense whom Racheal was waiting for, prompting him to anticipate the unfolding of events. He knew it was the person who had asked her to have him sign the documents for he
Chapter 184: Final Farewell
As the morning sun cast its golden glow over the quiet streets of Malibu, Sonia took it upon herself to drive Flint and his sister to the train station, determined to see them off and bid them a final farewell."I'll miss you, Flint," she said, her voice tinged with sadness as she shared a warm embrace with him, her heart heavy with the weight of impending separation."I'll miss you too, Sonia," Flint replied, his voice filled with genuine affection as he returned her embrace.Flint felt a lump form in his throat as he struggled to find the right words to express his feelings. "I'm really sorry for everything that happened between us. I—" But before Flint could continue, Sonia gently hushed him, placing a finger across his lips."You've already apologized, and I've forgiven you," she reassured him, her voice filled with compassion and understanding."Thank you so much," Flint replied, his gratitude evident in his eyes as he met Sonia's gaze."And just in case you change your mind, you
Chapter 183: Attempted Murder
Racheal was surprised, wondering why Lucas would look into her purse. Even if she knew that Lucas was at the verge of finding out about her involvement in Ivy's kidnapping, she needed to create some elements of doubt all the same."Why would you check my purse?" Racheal blurted out angrily."So you had a hand in Ivy's abduction. You're such a disgusting lady, Racheal." Lucas snapped at her, throwing the documents at her."And it didn't even end there, you also made an attempt on her life. You're despicable!" Racheal's brows furrowed at Lucas's false accusation of her having made an attempt on Ivy's life."What are you talking about?" Racheal asked, the surprised look on her face enough to convince Lucas that she had no idea what he was talking about."Stop playing innocent, Racheal. You and I know it's true. You tried to kill Ivy." Lucas said with so much anger in his voice."I won't sit back and watch you accuse me of something I didn't do, Lucas." She snapped back angrily."I won't
