Amsterdam, Netherlands

Two middle-aged men were in a dark pub, drinking cheap whiskey with bitterness and anger on their faces. One of them looked murderous, but he did not have any way to vent the frustration building up in his chest.

He took another gulp of the brown liquor and felt the burn as it flowed down his throat.

A few months ago, they were living a comfortable life, and the world was their footstool. As part of the board of the International Health Alliance, they did not only have wealth from the large donations made by major corporations looking for public image improvement and tax deductions.

They also had the income from selling some of the information, drugs and devices discovered and made in their underground labs. Even though the main goal was to address genetic editing, their scientists were not completely useless.

They had come up with several valuable things in the course of their studies. After all, persistence, attention to detail and serendipity could not be ignored in scientific research.

Every failure brought some form of success if one was keen.

In addition to the income, the board members also had diplomatic privileges in most countries. They could come and go as they pleased, and the minor crimes they committed while having fun around did not cause a stir.

All in all, they were all living perfect lives with everything that they could desire.

However, things had come crashing down because of Harriet Brown's persistence in her pursuit to discover the secrets of manipulating the human genome.

The board had advised her against the careless behaviour, especially after they discovered that someone was following the breadcrumbs to them.

At the very least, they wanted her to lay low for a while until things blew over.

If only she had sat still for longer instead of sending countless mercenaries to capture a girl under the protection of that powerful man, they would not be facing the current situation.

It was all Helen Brown's fault.

"We should have killed that b*tch before she caused this mess." The angry man said.

The other man was a little calmer. His eyes had a calculating light as opposed to the burning flames in his companion's.

"You know how she could be. No one could control Dr Brown. In any case, she is already dead." He responded before sipping his drink.

The angry man banged the table with his fist, startling some of the nearby drunk patrons in the bar. He just wanted to vent his anger.

"You have to remain calm. We are probably being watched. Do not give them any excuse to detain you." His comrade counselled.

His eyes drifted meaningfully to a man with a simple black cap pulled over his forehead at the bar, drinking beer. However, the experienced and calm board member had noticed that the man had been nursing the same bottle for almost an hour.

Of course, they were being watched.

The current preliminary probe by the special task force formed by the international court was investigating them for nine out of the total eleven crimes against humanity.

Even though they were technically free men for the moment, they could not be allowed to walk around without supervision. They were flight risks. And if the current accusations showed anything, it was that the International Health Alliance knew how to hide.

So far, nothing directly incriminating had been found. Sure, there were some questionable things about their lives, but the task force was not able to connect them to any crime against humanity.

For the moment, they could only watch as their lives were turned upside down, and every aspect of their existence scrutinised by experts.

It was humiliating!

"I know, I know. I won't do anything. I just can't believe that woman managed to escape with only death. I want to stomp on her grave or desecrate her remains. You know, do something that makes her scream and turn over in her hell." He drained the glass and lifted a finger to ask for a refill.

The other man's eyes flashed, but his companion did not notice the strange expression.

"Actually, Dr Brown has…" He stopped suddenly. "It is not important."

He took another sip of his liquor and looked away as if he did not wish to talk anymore. His excitable companion realised that there was some kind of unknown secret.

"What do you know? I remember that you and Dr Brown used to drink together sometimes. If you have something that can make that witch turn over in her grave, tell me." The angry man burned with fury at the mention of that woman's name.

"The Chairman told us not to do anything unnecessary. It is not worthwhile to focus on revenge while we are in this situation." He responded calmly. "As long as we wait it out, we will be home free eventually."

"So you know something?" The man was like a dog with a bone. "Tell me!"

His companion sighed heavily like he was helpless.

"If I tell you, you must wait until the probe is over before taking action." He emphasised. "The Chairman is sure that we will be fine as long as we lay low. You know he has unknown connections beyond our comprehension. Do not cross him."

"Fine, fine! I will wait. As long as I have some information, I will be able to rest easy. I just need to know that Helen did not get away scot-free." He agreed.

His companion knew that this man was a loose cannon. Moreover, he did not have the self-control that was exercised by men in his position. It was precisely the reason he had been chosen as a member of the board by the chairman.

His impatience and lack of morals and fear made him a very effective tool when the board members had to do something unsavoury without involving external parties.

As soon as he got the information, he would not be able to sit for too long on it before acting.

The waitress delivered two more glasses of cheap whiskey before retreating. As soon as she was gone, the calculating man leaned a little closer.

"Dr Brown has an adoptive daughter. They were quite close. She was always boasting about how smart the girl was after drinking." He said in a low voice.

"That's impossible. There are no such records."

"I suspect she was guarding against the board from the beginning. She only talked about the girl when she had a few drinks in her. She intended to bring the girl into IHA once she was old enough. At least, that was what she claimed while inebriated." He responded with a scoff.

"What a b*tch!" The angry man exclaimed. "So, do you know her name?"

The scheming man leaned closer and whispered a name.

Of course, Harriet had not told him this name. She had only talked about her once, but she refused to expose her adoptive daughter, even though they could be considered friends at the time.

The secret was too alluring, so he investigated and discovered her name through her twin sister Helen Brown's background.

Unfortunately, he was unable to track that girl. It was like she disappeared after Helen Brown joined the International Health Alliance.

Otherwise, he would find that girl and send her to join her mother personally.

To think he had helped that b*tch keep the board off her ass when she tortured too many of those toyboys she liked…