Chapter 183
The room was spacious, and in the center stood a large green screen.
A staff member approached Briony, holding a pair of VR goggles. “Ms. Kensington, please close your eyes. I’ll help you put these on,” she said gently.
Briony closed her eyes.
The staff member carefully fitted the goggles over her face, then guided her forward by the
hand.
Once they reached the designated spot, the staff member let go and said, “You can open your eyes now, Ms. Kensington.”
Briony slowly opened her eyes-
And was greeted by the familiar sight of a sun–dappled country lane from her memories. In the distance, the intermittent sound of fireworks echoed, and red lanterns hung from the old trees
overhead.
It all happened in a blink. The sun dipped behind the hills, and the windows of village houses began to glow with warm light.
Briony took a few tentative steps forward. The scene shifted-
She now stood before a quaint country cottage, its porch adorned with red lanterns. The ancient wooden door creaked open, and a slender figure stepped out into the twilight.
Her grandfather leaned against the doorframe, chin lifted ever so slightly, gazing toward her.
When he saw his granddaughter, his eyes softened with affection. He smiled and waved. “Bryn, it’s getting dark! Come inside–dinner’s ready!”
Briony’s eyes burned as she struggled not to blink. She took a step forward.
“Grandpa…” The word escaped her lips before she could help it, and tears slipped freely down
her cheeks.
Beyond a pane of glass in the observation room, Marcus, Stewart, Cedric Clarke, and Stella watched in silence.
A technician sat at a complex control panel, closely monitoring Briony’s reactions and making real–time adjustments.
In front of him, a massive screen displayed the VR world as Briony experienced it–a faithful recreation of the countryside cottage where she’d lived with her grandfather as a child.
Her grandfather reached out and took her hand affectionately. “My Bryn is all grown up but still loves to play. It’s New Year’s Eve–I made all your favorite dishes tonight.”
Briony followed him inside the warmly lit cottage.
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Chapter 183
“You’re home!” came another voice.
Briony froze.
Julia, her mother, emerged from the kitchen carrying a plate of freshly fried vegetable fritters, smiling as she waved her over.
“Come on, didn’t you say you were craving chips the other day? That store–bought stuff is full of additives. I made you homemade veggie crisps–so crunchy!”
Briony’s lips trembled as she fought to hold back sobs.
As a child, whenever her mother managed to visit her in the countryside, she’d always make her those veggie crisps.
“Mom…” Her voice broke. “Mom, are you and Grandpa doing okay here?”
Julia smiled warmly. “We’re just fine, honey. The only thing we ever worry about is you.”
Briony shook her head, crying too hard to speak but still insisting, “I’m fine. I’m really okay…”
“That’s good.” Julia gestured at the table, laden with food. “Your grandpa and I cooked together today–everything you love.”
Briony looked down at the feast set before her.
Every dish was one of her favorites.
“Come sit, Bryn. Let’s have dinner together, all of us,” her grandfather said.
Obediently, Briony took her seat at the table.
Her grandfather served her a generous helping. “You’ve gotten so thin, Bryn. Eat a little more.”
“Don’t skip meals just to look pretty, sweetheart. You have to take care of yourself when we’re not around.” Julia added some vegetables to Briony’s plate.
The food had been carefully prepared in advance, syncing perfectly with the VR experience to engage all her senses–sight, sound, even touch–for total immersion.
Back in the observation room, Marcus explained, “We’ve upgraded the VR simulation. It now adapts the environment to the user’s emotions. But don’t worry, Mr. Wentworth–we build the world using your core information, then enhance it with Al to make it as real as possible.”
By now, Stella was openly sobbing.
She turned away, glaring at Cedric Clarke through her tears. “So that’s why you kept asking me a million questions? It was for this project?”
Cedric watched her cry, sighed helplessly, and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. “I was just doing what I was asked. Please, don’t cry.”
“And don’t think that just because you did all this, Bryn’s going to forgive Stewart!”
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