As one of the first daughters ever born, Hailey had received quite a bit of attention. Among all those sisters, no one was given special treatment; the scales were kept perfectly even.
Moments later the Helicopter landed on the rooftop; Hailey popped the hatch. "Hop in!"
"This is a plane, babe!" Eddie cracked as he climbed aboard. "Flying solo?" Without waiting, he claimed the co-pilot seat.
"Same difference. They're all busy; unlike me, I dropped everything the second your text arrived." Hailey winked playfully. Ignore the numbers and she looked every inch the classic 25-year-old bombshell.
In reality she hadn't even hit ten—say it out loud and nobody would believe it.
"Mia, right? Pleased to meet you. I know you've joined the team; ask me anything you're not sure about." Hailey blew a smoke ring, looking effortlessly cool.
Mia looked puzzled. "Hi, nice to meet you. What should I call you?"
"Hailey—my daughter," Eddie added, ignoring the surprise on their faces.
"Wait, you're serious? She's in her twenties and you're not even thirty—are you two pulling my leg?" Zoey couldn't help exclaiming; her whole sense of reality felt warped. Much more of this and she'd forget what one plus one equaled.
"Biological. Let it go. Subject closed. Let's lift off—feast time. We're celebrating our escape from death." Eddie fired up the Helicopter as he spoke.
Without warning it leapt skyward; the rotors only began to whine once they were already airborne.
Mia's expression was odd; she studied Hailey and Eddie thoughtfully, noticing the unmistakable family resemblance.
Outside the city, every channel was broadcasting the bio-terror attack. No one knew how it had started—only that the situation was grim.
Eddie swirled a wineglass and cut into his steak, indifferent to the news. "Eat up. Good food, good drink—appreciate it. Clean your plates; don't fret about calories. Look at Hailey packing it away and still zero fat."
Hailey rolled her eyes. What did they expect? She was a Superhuman remade by an Age-Arresting Virus—getting fat was impossible.
Jessica and the other two women were also eating—at a separate table.
Whenever they dined off-island they never savored the meal; they wolfed it down and went straight back to bodyguard mode.
Only on Goddess Island did they relax and enjoy. Work and life—neatly compartmentalized.
Mia sensed something different: every woman around Eddie had been enhanced with a virus.
Common knowledge said viral enhancement always wrecked fertility—gain power, lose the ability to reproduce.
Yet Eddie clearly had plenty of daughters, proving he wasn't shooting blanks; the man worked perfectly fine.
That intrigued Mia: a scientist who could reverse a supposedly inevitable outcome, turning impossible into routine while the rest of the world was still struggling.
One step ahead—just thinking she now had access to biotech thirty to fifty years ahead of the curve sent a thrill through her. An indescribable sense of superiority.
Zoey's mind was weighed down; the longer she spent with Eddie, the more lost she felt.
Some things defied explanation—like the knife she'd noticed: Eddie merely crooked a finger and it flew straight to his hand. Totally unscientific.
Every bizarre feat, Eddie pulled off with ease.
It worried Zoey; she felt the need to visit her mother at the Mediterranean HQ. "Can I call Mom?"
Eddie handed her his phone. "Go ahead. Not to your taste? Try something else—my treat today."
Zoey took the phone, stepped onto the balcony and dialed.
On Goddess Island, Marguerite had just finished cooking for the little ones. When the phone rang she apologized: "Manuela, could you serve the kids? I need to take this."
Untainted by the E-Mold, Marguerite was the perfect wife and mother. Ever since Lucas called her shameless for cheating, she'd spent little time at Mediterranean HQ.
"Hello, dear, what's up?" Marguerite answered gently.
Zoey froze—why was Mom calling Eddie "dear"? "Uh… Mom, it's me, Zoey."
Marguerite blinked, unfazed. Accidents happened; she didn't know why Eddie had passed his phone to her daughter, but she had nothing to hide.
She'd already given Eddie two daughters—what was left to be shy about?
"Zoey, sweetheart, what can I do for you?" Marguerite stepped onto the balcony, switching to her Bluetooth headset.
Zoey frowned. "Mom, I need to see you. There are things I have to ask—can I?"
Marguerite sighed; there was no turning back. Given the choice, she'd rather stay here than return.
She wanted a pastoral life: no worries, raising kids, growing vegetables, tending flowers, occasionally fulfilling her duties as a wife—no need to earn the bread, just keep the home and everything would be perfect.
The quintessential housewife—simple happiness.
Marguerite wouldn't let anyone destroy that life.
"All right, I'll meet you. Same place, two days." She hung up, turned to smile at her newborn—barely a month old—and her face lit up again.
Zoey pocketed the phone, uneasy. Only two paths remained: cut ties completely—or join them.
Eddie asked no questions; he knew Marguerite would handle everything.
Chapter 627: The Father of the Pear-in-the-Way
The sudden change caught the Quarantine Camp off-guard; they immediately reported up the chain—this had gone beyond the scope of the plan.
Eddie took the call, spoke briefly, then beckoned Jessica. She clicked over in high heels, pulled a cigarette, lit it, took a drag and only then passed it to him.
Mia's eyes flickered—royal treatment, much? Wasn't she afraid of spoiling him rotten?
Zoey frowned at the sight; was her mother lighting cigarettes like that too?
Hardly. Marguerite only did laundry and cooking—no smoking, and she never learned. Maybe that's what made her the perfect wife.
After a few words Eddie ended the call. "All right, babe, drive Mia and Zoey back to HQ. Thanks—when this is over, I'll take you out."
The picture-perfect Hailey nodded. "Sure. Oh, Suri wants in too—heh-heh, she says we're all going to the movies."
"Got it, we'll bring her." Eddie trusted his daughter; young as she was, she handled things like a pro.
Everyone working at HQ were his daughters—Christine and even Excella had slacked off for vacation.
"Mia, once I'm done I'll come find you." With that, Eddie turned and left; someone was waiting outside.
"Okay, travel safe." Mia nodded; she knew her role.
"Don't worry—no one's slicker than him; the man's a sly fox." Hailey beamed, her heels clicking a rhythm that set hearts racing.
Hailey respected Eddie deeply—respect that came with genuine friendship.
Why can't fathers and daughters be friends? Only when they truly talk do bonds stay strong and daughters stay out of rebellion.
Compared with the aunts—Katherine and the others—who doted on them, Eddie focused on teaching the girls how to navigate society and deal with people.