Chapter 34: Heiress (2)
As Nathan explained the situation to Alesia, Darren could not keep his eyes off the screen. He looked in awe of the barely twenty-year-old young woman as she exchanged words with a man half a century older than her.
Alesia Wang-Haines.
Most people called her the Genius of the Millennia, while others called her a Child of God as many believed she would bring explosive change to the world.
Since she was young, Alesia was a brilliant girl, trumping children her age and surpassing most adults. Her family is the owner of the Wang-Haines Conglomerate, the largest company in the world, worth over 50 trillion dollars.
Her mother was a geneticist working in the arts and sciences while her father a business mogul. Early in Alesia's childhood, they took notice that she was different from other children as she understood difficult subjects that even some adults had trouble grasping. They searched far and wide for teachers and mentors to nurture the young genius.
Scientists from all over the world wanted to test her brain as many predicted she would soon surpass the great Albert Einstein.
Everyone knew of the young genius as she was almost always on TV. She could do anything she wanted to, from mastering chess in just a few games to writing the theory of Hyperspace travel. She established her own business, separate from her family's conglomerate by the time she turned 15.
She also became the youngest person in history to receive a Nobel Prize. When she was 11, she created a highly durable compound out of Silicon Nanotube threads. Two years later, she won the second prize in Physics when she was 13 after she published her research and formulated a Theory on Hyperspace Travel. In some circles, many believed she was overdue for a third prize.
In addition to all her personal achievements, she is the heiress of a conglomerate, with a net worth of more than most countries' GDP.
So many people wanted to be Alesia Wang-Haines. She was a brilliant star in the sky, not only beautiful but full of life-giving energy. Seemingly beyond the rest of humanity, causing many to become obsessed with her, to the point where some believed she was a gift sent by the gods.
As Darren looked at her on the screen, he did not see a child from heaven, but just a hardworking young woman. The dark circles under her eyes and her greasy disheveled hair were all too familiar to him. Her small arms looked fragile that could break with the smallest force.
Darren was no stranger to all-nighters when he was focused on a task. Whether it was studying for an exam or working on a new project for work, he was familiar with the raccoon eyes. After hours of working, he would not stop until he got a perfect score on his practice exam or complete the project several days before it was due.
As Darren reminisced, he could not help but pity Alesia. Just as she reminded him of his younger self who worked through the night without any sleep or food, he was also reminded that, like him, she had no one to tell her to go to bed.
Was it already three years since the death of Gideon Haines?
Three years ago, after the death of her father, Alesia disappeared from the public eye. The last photos of her were during the funeral procession behind her father's casket. Her long hair had been cut that he did not recognize her until he read the caption in the magazine. Since the funeral, no other images of her appeared in social media or the press.
Alesia simply vanished.
Every now and then, she submitted new research papers and new inventions to be patented. The scientific journals that published her work often used old photos of her in her younger days in the captions.
Her mother had passed away three years earlier when she was only fourteen years old. She cut her hair at that time too.
At the age of twenty, she was all alone, as she carried the weight that no child should have to carry. As she was still growing, Darren almost felt like telling her to stop working and go to bed.
Darren pitied the poor young woman as he could tell she was isolating herself after she lost her family, much like he and Tora did when they were younger. Although he could empathize with her loss, he feared it was worst for her as she was someone always in the public eye. Many people had high expectations of her, not just because of her name, but due to her gift.
As he looked at her, he could not tell if the determination and strength in her eyes were just a facade or her truly overcoming her traumas.
Nathan and Alesia finished their conversation. "Okay, I understand your summary. It seems there is some foreign genetics in the mixture. I will have to do my own research." Alesia looked at the tablet in her hand for a moment before placing it down before her. She dropped her formal academic tone as she said, "I have a house in Salt Lake City. I haven't used it in a while," she said softly. There was a sadness in her face as she looked at them hesitantly. She raised her hand again. The earlier hesitation disappeared. "You don't have to worry about lodging. I have lots of bedrooms."
"Why Salt Lake City?" Matt asked.
"I like the view of the mountains there. It's quite peaceful." She shrugged. She looked back at the tablet, typing for a few minutes before looking back up at them. "I got you a private jet for tomorrow morning. You can drive yourselves since Miss Etora is still a licensed pilot."
She looked from Tora to Nathan. "You and Matt will probably want to test his blood so you can use the medical research facilities in the lab. The building's yours for however long you need it. When you get to Salt Lake airport, I'll send you an Aerocar to take you directly to the lab."
"I want to ask for permission to see the results of your tests." She turned to face Darren through the screen. "I hope you will allow me."
Darren shook his head. "It's fine. You're already doing so much for us. Since Nathan trusts you, I trust you too."
For the first time, she smiled a brilliant smile as if she was a child who just received her favorite toy. "Thank you." Alesia turned when there was a sudden sound of an explosion offscreen. "Well, I have to go. I have work to do. I look forward to seeing you all again. Have a nice trip."
"Ah, wait," Darren said before she ended the call.
"Yes?" Alesia asked.
"You look like you've been working hard. If there's something I've learned it's that taking a nap and coming back to work with fresh eyes is better than working while tired."
Alesia looked at him, eyes wide without saying a word. She touched her face and looked at her image in the camera. She, then, smiled. "Ah, thanks. I'll keep that in mind." That same moment, the screen went black before the flame came on again.
"The call has been disconnected," Hestia said. "Nathan, if you and your guests need anything else, please don't hesitate to ask." The screen went completely dark.
The silence in the room didn't last long, as Tora stood up and stretched her body. "So, what should we have for dinner?"
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