?Chapter 1366:


    Silence settled over the study, leaving only Emerson standing and Afara sprawled motionless on the polished floor.


    Emerson’s eyes descended upon the fallen man with profound contempt, his stare carrying the frigid detachment reserved for examining corpses.


    “Remove him from my sight,” Emerson directed the sentinel positioned at the entrance, “but ensure he continues breathing.” The treacherous fool retained value despite his betrayal.


    Emerson required intimate knowledge of every part Afara had performed throughout the preceding twenty years.


    Most crucially, he intended to drain every fragment of information concerning Brenda from the man’s reluctant lips.


    Hurst stumbled back into Noah’s hotel room empty-handed, his body weighted down by bone-deep fatigue and crushing disappointment. The room greeted him with hollow emptiness—Noah’s absence hung in the stagnant air.


    Dread crashed over him like a suffocating wave.


    Noah never vanished without exnation unless circumstances had spiraled beyond his control.


    Had Emerson’s operatives finally caught up with them, or had those mysterious figures emerged from the darkness?


    Both scenarios spelled disaster for his precarious situation.


    Restlessness drove him to action as he seized his jacket. Determination overrode caution as he prepared to venture into the dangerous night.


    The moment he yanked the door open, multiple figures materialized before him—men d in dark tank tops, their muscled arms decorated with intricate tattoos, forming an imprable barrier across his sole escape route. Menace radiated from their very stance.


    Hurst’s heart plummeted into his stomach with sickening speed.


    Survival instincts kicked in as he retreated one careful step, his fingers sliding stealthily toward the weapon concealed behind his back.


    The apparent leader’s mouth stretched into a predatory smile, exposing gleaming teeth that contrasted sharply with the arctic coldness dwelling in his calcting eyes.


    “Dr. Lawson, there’s no need for anxiety. Our boss simply requests the pleasure of your help.”


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    Within the confines of Unit 707 at Pearl Apartments, Sadie and Noah had endured captivity for what felt like endless hours.


    Every level above and beneath their position, including the structure across the street, crawled with operatives deployed by shadowy government authorities.


    An imprable web of surveince had descended upon the entire area, sealing every possible escape route.


    Sadie positioned herself near the window, her features maintaining perfectposure while her thoughts churned at breakneck speed.


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