With a sigh, Grady epted his fate and started to walk out. As he did, he exchanged a knowing look with the butler at his side.


    The butler caught the cue and followed him out of the main hall.


    Just as they reached the door, Grady stopped, turning slightly to face the butler. "Uncle Frank, what did those people want with Keir?"


    The butler didn''t hold back andid out the details.


    Grady''s eyes widened in shock. "Are you telling me Nellie might still be alive?"


    "It seems so," the butler nodded. Despite how unbelievable it sounded, he knew those visitors wouldn''t havee to deceive Keir on a whim.


    Grady''s expression shifted to one of realization. "No wonder..."


    No wonder Keir seemed different aftering back.


    But if Nellie was alive, why had she stayed hidden all these years? And why did she fake her death to the Davis family back then?


    Grady couldn''t wrap his head around it. He felt the need to dig deeper, especially regarding Santos and Asa.


    The issue of Nellie was sensitive within the Davis family, known only to a few trusted insiders. For Santos and Asa to suddenly bring this news, their motives had to be anything but simple.


    Grady narrowed his eyes, choosing not to press further. He simply waved a hand in farewell, "Got it, Uncle Frank. I''m heading out."


    The butler nodded respectfully, watching him leave.


    Once Grady was out of sight, the butler returned inside to instruct the kitchen to start preparing lunch.


    **After parting ways, Santos and Asa grabbed a cab to a private club where they were set to meet Joen.


    When Santos arrived, Joen wasn''t


    there yet, so he waited for about ten minutes until Joen finally showed


    up. "Sorry, got caught up on the


    way," Joen said, entering with a


    touch of urgency. He was polite with Santos, a stark contrast to his aloof manner at the university


    "No worries," Santos replied, putting down his phone without a hint of impatience over Joen''steness.


    Joen shrugged off his coat and hung it on a nearby rack before plopping onto the sofa, fatigue clearly etched on his face.


    Santos gave him a quick look, skipping the small talk. "Dr. Joen, is there something urgent you needed to discuss?"


    Joen, knowing Santos didn''t care for chit-chat, nodded right away. "Yes, theb equipment at our university broke down. I was hoping to borrow a few of your people, if that''s possible?"


    Santos was surprised by the request. "Was there an ident in theb?"


    "No," Joen sighed, rubbing his temples. "It was deliberate sabotage."


    Santos''s surprise deepened. "Deliberate sabotage? Who would dare mess with the campus?"


    Joen, still reeling from the incident, didn''t answer directly. Instead, he pulled out a small, clear stic bag from his pocket and handed it to Santos. "Can you see if this data


    Chil


    can be fixed?"


    Santos opened the bag and poured the shattered pieces of the chip into his hand, examining them closely before shaking his head. "It''s beyond repair."


    Joen''s face fell with disappointment. "Not even the slightest chance?"


    "The chip''s conductor is damaged beyond repair," Santos confirmed after a thorough inspection.


    With Santos''s verdict, any hope Joen had fizzled out. If Santos couldn''t fix it, there was no way it could ever be repaired.