Evan originally wanted to book separate rooms—one for himself, one for Fante Zhang.

  That would’ve made sneaking away at night much easier.

  But Zhang insisted on sharing a deluxe twin room “for safety,”

  which in practice meant:

  Evan had zero chance of escaping without alerting a Butterfly?tier evolutionist.

  Fine. I’ll wait until we reach Rovan. Then I’ll find a way out.

  After dinner, Evan showered and sprayed himself with the same pungent cologne Liam used.

  As long as Zhang was around, Evan felt like he was sitting on needles—every second was a risk of exposure.

  He swallowed two more blue Vitality Pills, grimaced at the bitterness, and crawled into bed with his phone.

  Technically, supplements like these should be paired with exercise to maximize absorption.

  But Evan didn’t care.

  He was rich now—wasting a little medicine was nothing.

  Eventually, drowsiness overtook him.

  He didn’t know how long he slept before someone shook him awake.

  He opened his eyes to see Fante Zhang’s stern face.

  A hand covered Evan’s mouth.

  Evan’s heart lurched.

  Did he find out I’m not Liam?

  But Zhang made a silent gesture and pointed toward the window.

  Someone… outside?

  On the 12th floor?

  Evan immediately understood and moved to the wall farthest from the window.

  Zhang vanished from his spot and reappeared by the curtains—so fast Evan didn’t even see the movement.

  He yanked the curtains open.

  Evan’s eyes widened.

  A face was pressed against the glass.

  A gaunt old man, skin grayish?white like a corpse pulled from a morgue.

  His dead?fish eyes stared past Zhang, locking directly onto Evan.

  His voice was dry, rasping:

  “Hope you haven’t forgotten our deal. Did you bring what we want?”

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  Deal?

  Evan instantly guessed his identity.

  “I don’t make deals with people who hide in the shadows,” Evan replied coldly.

  The old man grinned.

  “Interesting. So you absorbed the extract yourself. No matter. We can always take it back… from your body.”

  Zhang finally moved.

  He shoved the window open and threw a punch.

  The old man drifted backward like a weightless kite, suspended in the air.

  A wave of nauseating stench flooded the room.

  Evan recognized it immediately.

  The same stench the mysterious man had when he approached Liam.

  The same faint odor he’d smelled on Liam’s corpse—barely masked by cologne.

  They were from the same organization.

  The old man chuckled.

  “A deal made with the Organization is never abandoned. What you owe us… we will reclaim.”

  He vanished into the night.

  Zhang shut the window, locked it, and pulled the curtains closed.

  His expression was grim.

  “We leave at first light.”

  Evan nodded.

  “What tier is he?”

  “Same as me. Butterfly?tier.”

  A chill ran down Evan’s spine.

  Without Zhang, he would’ve died tonight.

  The Organization wanted Princess Seraphine’s extract—

  or more precisely, the Evolution’s Grace skill inside it.

  Liam had absorbed it.

  Evan had replaced Liam.

  Now the only way for them to obtain the skill again…

  was to kill Evan and extract his evolution material.

  Great. I’m basically a raid boss now. Kill me to drop a legendary skill.

  But one question gnawed at him:

  How did they find him?

  He flew on a private jet.

  No one could’ve followed him.

  He chose the hotel last minute.

  He crossed half the country in a single day.

  The Organization shouldn’t have been able to track him so precisely.

  Unless…

  Evan’s gaze drifted to the bag on the nightstand.

  Liam’s bag.

  Inside it—

  the fourth?tier extract the Organization had given Liam as a deposit.

  They’re tracking the extract, not me.

  He didn’t tell Zhang.

  He lay awake, analyzing his situation.

  On the surface, he looked wealthy, protected, and safe.

  In reality, he was walking a tightrope over a cliff.

  The Organization wanted to kill him for the skill.

  The Zhao family would kill him if they learned he wasn’t Liam.

  He needed Zhang’s protection—

  but also feared Zhang discovering the truth.

  Neither side is someone I can fight. I can only take things one step at a time.

  Morning came.

  Zhang woke him, and they washed up and ate breakfast.

  The taxi driver from yesterday was already waiting outside.

  As they walked toward the car, Zhang’s phone rang.

  He rarely received calls—

  the only person who contacted him during missions was Elias Zhao.

  Evan glanced at the screen.

  Elias Zhao.

  A sudden wave of unease washed over him.

  Zhang answered respectfully.

  “Minister.”

  “Is Liam with you?”

  “He is.”

  Elias’s voice was calm.

  Too calm.

  “Bring him back. He’s not Liam.”

  A pause.

  “Remember—bring him back alive.”

  Well… that escalated fast. Evan’s disguise didn’t just crack — it shattered. And now both the Organization and the Zhao family know something is wrong.

  Here’s the real question for you:

  If you were Evan, who would you fear more — the Organization hunting your skill, or the Zhao family who thinks you’re a defective clone?

  Tell me your pick. I want to see which side readers think is the bigger nightmare.