?Chapter 698:

    To reach that level of hacking skill took more than talent. It demanded genius. The lock wasn’t just a safeguard—it was a test. If she was sharp enough to beat it, then maybe she was ready for whatever truthsy inside. If not, she had no business meddling with what was better left buried.

    Understanding that, Elliana’s curiosity only grew stronger. Whatever her mother had hidden must be explosive—figuratively or literally. It had to be something big, a truth heavy enough to justify this much protection. She had to know what it was.

    What her mother hadn’t predicted was that she would one day be Quinn—the world-ss hacker, the ghost in the system, the phantom behind the firewalls. And if Quinn couldn’t open this lock, no one could.

    With that, Elliana allowed herself a smirk and got to work. As she worked the mechanism, her appreciation for the craftsmanship only deepened. This wasn’t a run-of-the-mill lock. It was a masterpiece—proof that her mother hadn’t just been clever. She’d been brilliant. Who would’ve guessed? Then, with a quiet, satisfying click, the lock gave way.

    The lock yielded with a satisfying crack, and Elliana’s pulse quickened as anticipation surged through her veins. Her fingers trembled slightly as she lifted the wooden lid.

    Nestled within the boxy an ancient jade bracelet, its serpentine form coiled in eternal stillness—a mirror image of the treasure Cole’s mother had left behind.

    Elliana’s breath caught as she lifted the bracelet from its resting ce, cradling it alongside the one Cole’s mother had left behind. The weight of discovery settled heavily in her palms.

    Under the filtered light, she examined both pieces with the intensity of a schr deciphering ancient texts. The truth emerged slowly, like dawn breaking over a mysteriousndscape. These two bracelets shared the same jade essence, their surfaces bearing the unmistakable marks of identical craftsmanship—perhaps even shaped by the same skilled hands from a single, precious stone.

    At first nce, they appeared as twins born from the same celestial moment, yet closer inspection revealed their subtle but profound differences.

    The serpents themselves told different stories. Cole’s mother’s bracelet bore a male serpent, its masculine energy carved into every curve, while Rita’s bracelet celebrated feminine power through its delicately rendered female form. The patterns, too, whispered different secrets. Though both bracelets disyed intricate designs that seemed identical from afar, their details diverged like paths through an enchanted forest, each telling its own ancient tale.

    Elliana lost herself in contemtion, her mind racing through possibilities and questions that multiplied like ripples on still water. One certainty crystallized through her confusion: her mother, Rita, and Cole’s mother, Sophie, had shared something extraordinary, though the exact nature of their connection remained veiled in mystery, locked within these jade guardians.

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    The bracelets’ origins beckoned like unexplored territories, demanding further investigation. Their material and craftsmanship spoke of centuries past, and Elliana knew she would need to consult ancient texts to unravel the threads of their history.

    As Elliana gazed upon the twin serpents, she felt as though she stood before an ancient door carved from time itself, its mysteries calling to her across the ages. “Mom, what secrets did you weave into this jade legacy you left for me?” she whispered, her voice barely disturbing the silence.

    The forest offered no answers, only the echo of her own questions bouncing back through the trees.

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