There was no time to rest.

Julius dialed a number immediately. And fortunately, after a moment, the call connected.

——Wow. Are you actually calling me? This isn't a prank, is it—

"Gabriel," Julius cut in. "Where is Doctor Isolde?"

——Is that really the first thing you—

"I'm not joking around."

There was a short silence on the other end.

——Alright, alright. Relax. I'll be there in a few minutes.

"Get here?" Julius snapped. "Just tell me now."

——It's better discussed in person.

Julius clicked his tongue. He didn't like it, but he understood what that meant.

"…Fine."

——Welcome back, Young Master.

After waiting for a while, the door finally opened. Julius turned just in time to see Gabriel step inside before taking a seat across the table.

There was a brief pause as their eyes met.

"When was the last time we saw each other again?" Gabriel asked. "A month? Two months?"

"Three months."

"I see. It's been that long, huh?"

Julius did not bother to humor the sentiment. "Where did Isolde go?"

Gabriel set his coat aside and leaned forward, his hands clasping together as his expression turned serious.

"Where should I start…"

At that, Julius fell silent and listened.

"Two months ago, Doctor Isolde recalled her share of SIBYL's ownership and transferred it to me. She told me not to explain the reason to you. Still, priorities matter, and you come first in the hierarchy list."

It was nothing like what Julius had expected.

Even so, he did not interrupt.

"Of course, I asked her why. She said it was personal. She also told me to pass her apologies along."

"If she's going to apologize to me," Julius snapped, the irritation surfacing at once, "then she should do it herself. That damned woman."

Gabriel let out a chuckle. "I figured you'd react like this. So I did a bit of digging on my own."

Julius lifted his gaze. "What did you find?"

"She's involved in a custody dispute with formal proceedings. Jurisdictional, too. Not a simple domestic case."

He paused, fingers interlaced.

"Her ex-husband filed a petition to reassume guardianship over their daughter. Anneliese."

Julius clenched his jaw, but he remained silent.

"He's arguing parental priority. Claiming Isolde is unfit due to occupational risk, classified research exposure, and extended absence from the household during critical developmental years. He even submitted proper documentation."

"...."

"Because of SIBYL's nature, the court flagged her position as a liability. From a legal standpoint, it doesn't look good. Especially not when the other party is presenting himself as stable and cooperative."

"So she had to leave…"

"She had to," Gabriel replied. "If she remained tied to SIBYL's ownership, it would have been dragged into discovery. Worse, questions about how her work might endanger the child. She removed herself preemptively and cut visible ties."

Julius leaned back.

"She's fighting for full custody," Gabriel continued. "Or at the very least, sole legal authority. If she loses, Anneliese gets relocated. Possibly even supervised visitation only."

Julius's hand clenched against the armrest. "And she thought disappearing was the best option."

"She thought protecting her daughter mattered more than explaining herself. That's the situation. Technical. And very much real."

Julius let out a sigh. "And when's the next proceeding?"

"Preliminary hearing's already done," Gabriel replied. "The next one's substantive in two weeks. That's when custody recommendations get reviewed and either ratified or challenged."

"And how does her case look?"

"…She might lose entirely. Because…"

"Because?"

"Because it's been discovered that the first test subject for SIBYL was Anneliese."

"...."

Julius's fists tightened at once.

This was something beyond his control. Technically speaking, SIBYL was originally meant for Anneliese from the very beginning.

No matter how cautious Isolde had been, no matter how many preliminary trials she had conducted beforehand, the narrative could still be framed a certain way.

On paper, it would appear that Anneliese herself had been the first recipient.

Even if every prior test had been completed before the chip was implanted into her daughter's brain, the conclusion remained easy to weaponize.

"And why didn't you help her?" Julius asked.

"What could I do?" Gabriel spread his hands slightly. "She rejected my help and cut off every formal tie with the Schneider Group. From a legal standpoint, I'm not even permitted to intervene."

He paused, then continued more quietly.

"If I had stepped in, it would be classified as corporate influence and conflict of interest. The opposing counsel would seize on it immediately. Best case, I get barred. Worst case, it strengthens their argument that she's incapable of acting independently."

The silence that followed was heavy.

"She made it very clear," Gabriel added. "Anyone associated with SIBYL or with you stays out of the courtroom."

Julius shook his head and leaned his head back on the couch.

"No break for me, huh?"

Gabriel regarded him for a moment. "Are you planning on intervening?"

"Of course I am."

"The law, Young Master—"

Julius met Gabriel's gaze evenly.

"So?"

A cold edge crept into his voice.

"Did you forget who my father is?"

* * *

"If she wanted to run, she should've hidden from me," Julius muttered. "I can't believe she went back to her old place."

Julius stepped out of the car and made his way toward the apartment complex where Isolde used to live. A guard moved to block his path, pointing out that it wasn't visiting hours. Julius merely flashed his Directorate badge.

That was enough.

Access was granted at once. The guard stiffened and even offered a salute as Julius passed.

Indeed, compared to his limitations in the USSR, Germany was practically his playground.

Ding— Dong.

Julius pressed the bell and waited.

"...."

But there was no response.

He tried again. And again. Still, no one came to the door. Nevertheless, Julius kept pressing the alarm, over and over to the point where he felt like breaking it.

"Doctor, it's Julius. Come out."

Ding— Dong.

"You signed a contract," he continued. "You don't get to walk away without notice. Especially when I wasn't informed."

Another press of the bell.

"I'll make you pay collateral," he said. "I'll fucking break your door if I have to."

The next moment, the door opened.

A woman came into view. Her black hair was disheveled, and her eyes were dulled, as though she had not rested in days.

"M-Mister Schneider… What brings you here?" Her voice was hoarse. "When did you get back?"

"Just today. You have some explaining to do."

"Ah… can this be put on hold for a moment?" She smiled, a forced one. "I'm quite busy. Goodbye, and welcome back."

She reached to close the door.

"...."

But Julius stopped it with his bare hand.

"Where's Anneliese?"

"Ah, she's at childcare. I left her there for the time being—"

"Don't lie to me."

Julius snapped the door wide open.

"Did he take her?"

Isolde bit her lip.

"…Please go home, Mister Schneider."

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