Annette seized this opportunity to turn and bolt through a hidden door. Ada, holding Leon, had no choice but to fire blindly, her bullets thudding harmlessly into the concrete wall.
Seeing the hidden door slam shut and realizing pursuit was impossible, Ada had to help Leon sit down against the wall. Due to his injuries, Leon was drifting on the edge of unconsciousness. Frowning, Ada didn't hesitate for a second as she stripped off Leon's bulletproof vest and tore open his police uniform to begin dressing the wound.
As a battle-hardened agent, Ada knew at a glance that it was a through-and-through wound. Realizing it hadn't hit any vital organs, she let out a silent sigh of relief. She applied the First Aid Spray and quickly finished bandaging him up.
Once she was done, she turned her head only to see Lear leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, watching her with great interest as if he were enjoying a show. Ada was so irritated she nearly let a string of curses fly.
"Lear, is this appropriate? You didn't pursue the criminal, nor are you helping your colleague—you're just standing there watching the show?" Fortunately, Ada possessed enough decorum to keep her voice rely sarcastic.
Lear arched an eyebrow and smiled at Ada. "First, Dr. Birkin doesn't need to chase her; she'll be back on her own soon enough. Second..." He paused, his smile widening. "Taking care of a colleague... Ada, you have to give the chance. With how fast you moved, I couldn't have stepped in even if I wanted to."
Ada was stunned by his words. In truth, she hadn't expected herself to care so much about this rookie. Perhaps it truly was as Lear said—because of Leon's pure heart—or perhaps it was simply because Leon had lunged to take a bullet for her without a mont's hesitation.
Ada shook her head, but just as she was about to speak, a thought struck her. She turned her eyes toward Lear, her voice tinged with suspicion.
"You said she would co back? What do you an by that?"
"You'll see in a mont." Having said that, Lear walked over to Leon and inspected the wound. Seeing Leon's face twitching in pain, he thought to himself: Buddy, you still couldn't dodge that bullet after all...
Ada wanted to press further after such a cryptic answer, but at that mont, the hidden door opened from the inside. Annette Birkin walked out. Ada imdiately leveled her gun, but after seeing the full picture, she silently lowered it again.
Following behind Annette was Friday in his dark green suit, one of his sharp claws pressed firmly against Annette's neck as he forced her out of the secret passage.
"I should have known! Lear, you really do have a knack for providing unexpected surprises!" Even with her calm temperant, Ada's voice now held a trace of excitent.
Lear stood up from beside Leon and turned to look at Annette, the corners of his mouth curling upward. "A surprise? Perhaps. I just have a habit of making sure that when I promise soone sothing, I get it done!"
Ada didn't quite catch the aning behind his words at first, but she didn't dwell on it. At this mont, her only goal was to secure the G-Virus from Dr. Birkin as quickly as possible.
She stepped up to Annette, her tone teasing. "Dr. Birkin, looks like we et again. I bet you didn't expect it to be so soon." Annette remained silent, her eyes fixed on Ada with a fury that looked ready to burst into flas at any second.
"Doctor, there's no need to look at like that. I didn't bring the B.O.W. behind you," Ada said with a smile, stepping aside to reveal Lear, who had been standing behind her.
"I know you want the G-Virus, but I will never give it to you!" Hearing Ada's words, Annette shifted her gaze from Ada to Lear.
Lear raised his hands. "Wait, Ms. Birkin. I don't want the G-Virus. This lady and I don't share the sa employer."
His words did nothing to dispel Annette's suspicion. She narrowed her eyes, sizing Lear up with a skeptical look.
"You're not here for the G-Virus? Then you're here for..."
Beside her, Ada also looked at Lear with great interest, waiting to hear what he intended to do.
In the face of Annette's suspicion, Lear simply smiled. Then, he said in a low voice, "My employer is a twelve-year-old girl. I found her at the Raccoon City Orphanage. She commissioned to find her mother, and I accepted."
Upon hearing this, the suspicion in Annette's eyes transford into a complex array of emotions: guilt, longing, and a mother's love for her child—but it soon hardened into resolve.
"If Sherry sent you to find , then go back and tell her that her mother... is dead!"
As she spoke these words, Annette's body seed to slouch, as if all her strength had been drained in an instant. She stopped looking at Lear and Ada.
"Dr. Birkin, if you're worried about governnt accountability or public condemnation, I can guarantee on behalf of my boss that as long as you hand over the G-Virus, you will never appear on any liquidation list. Furthermore, no one will ever know what happened here. You can return to your daughter's side in peace."
Since Leon was unconscious and Claire and her companion hadn't arrived yet, Ada wasn't worried about her identity being exposed. She offered the highest price she could.
In all fairness, she didn't hate Annette. In her eyes, developing the G-Virus was just Annette's job, just as she herself was currently just working for a boss.
"Heh, you think I'm afraid of dying?" Annette looked up, her voice mocking. "I stopped being afraid of death long ago. Our sins must end. The G-Virus should not be allowed to leak out..."
At that mont, Lear suddenly interrupted, "I'm not in the mood for your performance, Ms. Birkin. If I rember correctly, the G-Virus has already leaked out. So what you're saying is aningless." As he spoke, he made a subtle gesture toward Annette, mimicking a necklace.
Annette's pupils contracted at the gesture. She didn't know how Lear knew about Sherry's necklace. But Lear ignored her reaction and continued.
"If you're worried about William, then I can promise you—I will kill him!" Lear's gaze suddenly turned sharp. "That child Sherry saved my life. I won't allow anyone to hurt her."
"How did you..."
"You don't need to worry about how I know. You just need to know that I'm not like this lady." Lear glanced sideways at Ada, then turned his gaze back to Annette, saying earnestly, "I just want you to see Sherry alive."
Ada rely shrugged. Annette's eyes betrayed her internal struggle. Lear didn't say anything more; he believed this mother would make the right choice.
After thinking for a long ti, Annette looked up at Lear and said firmly, "I won't hand over the G-Virus. I don't know how you know about William, and I appreciate your kindness, but I must see William disappear with my own eyes. I cannot leave any threats behind for Sherry!"
"I can agree to that. We have to get out of here anyway. I'll make sure you see William die, but I have one condition."
Annette asked hurriedly, "What condition?"
"You need to follow our arrangents for the ti being. And after we get out, I won't provide you with proof of innocence, but I won't require you to provide the virus, either. Or rather," Lear paused and glanced at Ada, "you could cooperate with this lady. I think what she said is true."
Annette Birkin didn't even think before saying imdiately, "I'll cooperate with you. Whether you believe or not, the G-Virus should never appear again. The Pandora's box we opened must be closed, and I must go and seek atonent."
(Translated by yourtl.app)
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