Hands Off

"Mm."

Lin Mo nodded.

"The sooner we get the Original Compound V, the better."

"We'll be back just in time for tomorrow's meeting."

Joanna narrowed her eyes slightly.

"What if she won't hand it over?"

"Then we make her."

Lin Mo saw no problem with that.

The three of them were about to leave when Lin Mo suddenly paused. Looking at the documents in his hand, he remembered something.

Clara used to be Liberty. She also seemed to have been involved with Soldier Boy, who was, in theory, Joanna's father.

At the thought, Lin Mo's expression turned a little strange.

So, strictly speaking, did that make Clara Joanna's mother, at least in name?

Wasn't that relationship a little too messy?

Joanna seemed to notice his odd expression. She moved closer and looked up at him.

"What are you thinking about?"

Lin Mo came back to himself and glanced at her.

"Nothing."

He couldn't exactly say it outright. Was he supposed to tell Joanna he'd just realized that, by that logic, Clara the Nazi might technically be her stepmother?

If he said that, Joanna would probably explode on the spot. She might even ask whether she had a father, too. But given her personality, she wouldn't necessarily acknowledge either that nominal stepmother or her biological father.

Forget it. I'll find an excuse to let Soldier Boy out later and see how Joanna reacts. Hopefully they don't start fighting.

Joanna stared at him for two seconds, clearly unconvinced.

"Really nothing?"

"Really."

Lin Mo nodded without a flicker of expression.

Joanna pursed her lips. She could tell Lin Mo was hiding something, but with Maeve standing right there, she couldn't cling to him and coax it out of him.

*Fine. I'll question him properly when we get back tonight. Let's see if he