Chapter 72: The First Lie They sat together on the narrow bed while Liam prepared to deliver the lie that would shape their relationship for years to come, his enhanced Perception picking up every micro-expression that would tell him whether she was accepting his story or becoming more suspicious. His hands were steady despite the weight of what he was about to do, and his voice remained calm and measured as he spoke the carefully constructed fiction. “Three days ago I was approached by recruiters from a classified government program,” Liam began while watching his mother’s eyes for signs of disbelief. “They’ve been monitoring exceptional students for potential recruitment into special training initiatives, and apparently I qualified based on my academic performance and some psychological assessments they conducted without my knowledge. They made me an offer that seemed insane but the money was real and we needed it desperately after everything with Uncle Collins.” Alice stared at

Chapter 74: A Trillion ReasonsThey left the shelter just before dawn.The sky had begun to lighten at the edges, the city transitioning from night to morning with reluctant grace. Liam carried their few bags without effort, his steps measured, his awareness spread wide. He guided her away from broken sidewalks and dim alleys without ever appearing to look, subtly steering them along safer routes.They didn’t go back to his uncle’s house. Instead, Liam booked a hotel room less than ten minutes later, paid upfront, and watched Alice stare at the confirmation email on his phone like it might evaporate. She didn’t argue.Once inside the room, Alice sat on the edge of the bed, exhaustion finally claiming her. Liam watched as she kicked off her shoes and lay down fully clothed, her hand still gripping the sleeve of his jacket until sleep pulled her under.He stood there for a long moment, listening to her breathing even out. Then he sat in the chair by the window and

Chapter 76: The First Moves IILiam spent the next hour setting up their new life with a methodical efficiency that his enhanced Intelligence made almost trivial.He drove toward the property management office where he had scheduled an early morning appointment.He parked the Centurion in their lot and watched through his enhanced Perception as employees arriving for work stopped and stared at the hypercar that was worth more than their annual salaries combined.He did not want to waste time with banks or traditional lenders. He did not wait for approval. He used the Nexus Card to buy a modest three-bedroom house in a good neighborhood for four hundred twenty-five thousand dollars. He paid the full amount in cash.The transaction processed in seconds. The realtor was a man named Miller who had spent thirty years selling property. He stared at the seventeen-year-old boy in a worn hoodie with a mix of shock and professional suspicion. The Nexus

Chapter 78: Building a New Life IILiam spent the next hour researching painting classes and European tours and cooking schools, using his Nexus Card to register his mother for courses that started within the next month.Alice protested weakly about the costs but her protests grew less convincing as she saw actual registration confirmations appearing in her email inbox, tangible proof that dreams could become plans when money stopped being the limiting factor.“I also need to set up your monthly stipend,” Liam explained while pulling up banking information. “I’m thinking twenty thousand a month deposited directly into your personal account. That should cover any expenses you have plus give you plenty of discretionary spending for courses or hobbies or whatever you want without needing to ask me for money constantly.”“Twenty thousand a month?” Alice repeated like she was testing whether the words would explode if spoken aloud. “Liam, that’s more than I made in an ent

Chapter 80: The Stone Wall II“I’m a friend of her brother’s,” Liam said while his enhanced Perception caught the micro-expression that crossed her face at the mention of Noah, a flicker of recognition that confirmed she knew exactly which case he was referring to before he provided any additional information. “Noah Carter asked me to check on her before he died.”Carol’s fingers stopped moving on her keyboard. “Noah Carter is listed as missing. Not deceased.”“He’s dead,” Liam said flatly, because there was no version of this conversation that benefited from softening that fact. “I was with him when it happened and his last words were about Emily and he asked me to make sure she was okay.”“I’m sorry for your loss,” Carol said in the mechanical tone of someone delivering a scripted response rather than expressing genuine sympathy. “But that doesn’t change the policy. Without legal guardianship or a court order you cannot see Emily Carter. And you