Chapter 1118:

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Vincent lowered his eyes, concealing the violent ache surging beneath his composed exterior. A long silence followed, stretching so painfully that Hannah nearly believed he would never answer, until he finally gave a faint, reluctant nod.

Rising to his feet, Vincent moved toward the door and wrapped his fingers around the doorknob, yet he didn’t turn it right away. With his back to her, he paused for several seconds before speaking suddenly. “Could you give me Xander’s contact information?”

Hannah froze for a brief moment, her heart tightening instinctively. “Is something wrong with the chip? Did the headaches come back?”

“No,” Vincent answered flatly, not turning around. “I need to consult him about something.”

Noticing his clear reluctance to explain further, Hannah chose not to press him and quietly sent over the contact details. He thanked her softly, then turned and left, heading straight back to his apartment.

Inside, he didn’t bother turning on the lights. He leaned heavily against the wall and closed his eyes, exhaustion seeping into his bones.

The following day, Vincent contacted Xander and made his way to the private research lab.

𝗡𝗼𝘃𝘦𝗹𝘴 𝘪𝘯 t𝗿𝗲𝗇𝗱 𝗼n g𝖺l𝗇𝘰v𝗲l𝗌.со𝘮

As soon as Vincent arrived, Xander motioned for him to sit in the examination chair, habitually adjusting the brain scanner as concern colored his voice. “Mr. Jones, has the chip caused headaches or any other discomfort since going dormant? Lie down. I’ll run a comprehensive scan.”

Vincent didn’t move. Remaining seated with his back straight, he met Xander’s eyes calmly and spoke without preamble. “This is not about headaches. Dr. Ward, with the chip currently dormant, does that theoretically mean its command system can be reactivated and new instructions written?”

Xander’s fingers hesitated mid-adjustment as he lifted his head, his gaze turning sharp and probing. “Theoretically, yes. Dormancy only suspends the release of preset commands. The core logic and the writing ports remain fully intact.”

Xander’s expression tightened, his tone turning grave. “But, Mr. Jones, why do you ask?” A warning followed immediately, weighted with urgency. “I must remind you that this neural intervention technology carries extremely high risks. Any operation that is not necessary could trigger consequences that no one can predict. The last write operation—the one that forced the chip into dormancy—was already performed under tremendous risk.”

Vincent held Xander’s gaze without flinching, his posture unmoving as he delivered his decision with unmistakable clarity. “I want you to restart the chip and implant a new core instruction.”

Xander felt his chest sink. “What instruction do you want to insert?”

Resolve rang through Vincent’s voice, unyielding. “To love Hannah Scott unconditionally, until death.”

“What?” The word tore from Xander’s throat as disbelief spread plainly across his face.

Instinctively, he stepped back, as though the weight of what he had just heard physically struck him. “Mr. Jones, do you even understand what you are saying? This chip interferes with the human mind. It is not a kind or benevolent tool. Vera used it to harm you, and now you are thinking of using it to trap yourself?”

Unable to soften the truth, he chose the harshest word he could find.

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