Dear Ex-wife Marry Me novel (Maja) novel Chapter 1602

Astronia.

Maja scrolled through the endless barrage of online posts confirming that Wendy had been virtually tarred and feathered by the unforgiving public. It was only then that she allowed herself a smidgen of satisfaction.

She couldn't bring herself to call Zoey. She knew it would just be another round of apologies and all that.

Right now it was better for anyone to disturb Zoey, who needed a little peace and quiet, some time to rest up. Rubbing her tired eyes, Maja shut her laptop, only to be gently chided by the woman beside her.

"You really should cut down on screen time, especially with the baby on the way."

Maja splashed some water on her face in the bathroom. When she returned, her eyes were still tinged with red. There had been no word from Ian for a week, she hadn’t really had enough rest recently, and her nights were riddled with nightmares.

After dealing with the online storm back home, all she felt was exhaustion. Another day passed without a peep from Ian. Maja was growing impatient. She called Beck, hoping for a shred of news.

"Nothing yet, Maja. Don't get too worked up. The research base's layout is a maze; they might be out of reach for now."

"And what about Forbidden Island?” Was Cynthia still giving everyone the silent treatment?

Beck's smile faded at the mention of Forbidden Island, "It's the same. She screams whenever anyone tries to approach. No way to communicate. The engineering department is working double-time, but the basement's design is too clever. It'll take months to crack."

Feeling the weight of her concerns, Maja pressed her lip and ended the call. No matter how worried she was for Ian, her only choice was to wait in the hotel.

Meanwhile, at the research base, Ian had spent days familiarizing himself with the layout, yet he still couldn’t find Dylan’s location. His exchanges with Walter had been enlightening.

Night fell, he delivered another batch of medications near Test Chamber 8; Ian noticed the researchers hadn’t slept for days and barely had the energy to greet as they saw him.

The teenage subject of Chamber 8 had gone berserk the previous night. The higher-ups had wanted to parade him out like a showpiece, but the boy had gruesomely clawed two men before being sedated and returned to his chamber. His fingernails still bore traces of blood, lending him an eerie aura.

Turned out, a conference held by the higher-ups was underway about the fate of the weapon. The weapon's ferocity had been demonstrated, and now a few chairpersons coveted it, though there was only one to claim.

All seven core members sat at the table.

Lowering her lashes, Sarah glanced at the only unmasked man. Her image filled the central conference screen, the lab behind her.

"If everyone wants it, then perhaps no one should have it. Let's keep him in the chamber a few more days. Isn't the chairperson election just around the corner?"

There were twenty chairpersons in the running; the position was deemed high despite the numbers, because the influence of the research base's drugs was global, and the privileges of the chairpersons were vast.

The unmasked man raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips, "Indeed, just a few days left. Some will be stepping down this term."

Retirement meant new appointments. Last time, Sarah single-handedly blocked Philip's ascension. It remained to be seen who the higher-ups would consider this time around.