The screen disyed a private number.


    Chad''s eyes darkened. His jaw tightened as he reached out with his pale, elegant hand, swiping the screen to answer.


    "Hello."


    "My dear nephew, how have you been holding uptely?" Thezy, mocking voice of his uncle, Mason Austin, drifted through the receiver.


    Chad drew in a sharp breath, his lips curving into a tight, humorless smile. "Thank you for your concern, Uncle. Everything is perfectly fine."


    "Come now, there''s no need to put up a strong front in front of your own flesh and blood."


    Mason couldn''t hold back a bark ofughter. "Even all the way out here in Country M, I''ve heard the news about what happened in Elmsworth tonight. For the mastermind behind the scenes, you certainly put on quite the spectacr show for the members of the KING CLUB—cops raiding your turf and all! How much did you lose this time? A billion? Two billion dors? I doubt you can afford to cover that, can you?"


    Thest traces of color drained from Chad''s face. Hisrge hand balled into a fist, his knuckles cracking sharply in the dim light.


    "Tsk, tsk, tsk... when I fly back, I''ll have to visit your mother''s grave andin about how expensive it is to raise a child, especially a son."


    Mason''s tone was drenched in ridicule. "You haven''t even settled down yet, and I''ve already poured billions of dors into you. By the time you finally seal the deal with that Ms. Evadne, given her family''s background, offering the entire Abernathy group as a dowry probably wouldn''t even be enough, would it? Speaking of which, is there any progress there? When exactly are you going to win that girl over? Your uncle is still waiting for a wedding invitation."


    "Uncle, did you call for a specific reason?"


    Chad forced down the surging rage in his chest. His eyes were bloodshot, his voice incredibly hoarse. "Since you clearly know what happened here, you should know that I''m very dealing with the fallout. I''m sure you wouldn''t want your domestic operations spiraling into total chaos, would you?"


    "Hahaha... I do love my nephew''s sharp tongue. You''re so articte. Far better than that clumsy, tight-lipped younger brother of yours who only knew how to work hard until he was unceremoniously discharged."


    Mason''s voice took on a sinister edge. "You know me. I''m no good at offering help in a crisis, but I excel at throwing gas on a fire. Soon enough, I''ll be sending you a grand gift. Just sit tight and wait for it."


    With that, the line went dead.


    Chad stared at the ckened screen with bloodshot eyes, an icy chill seeping into his bones.


    "Go. Track down Hans and 072. Once you find them, I don''t care what methods you use or how many men it takes. Terminate them!"


    ...


    On the way to the hospital with Hans, Thaddeus received a call from Aaron Ashbourne.


    Although Alexia had escaped, the core data for the drug trials was gone, and several victims had died, there was a silver lining.


    The police had managed to secure a substantial amount of evidence regarding the illegal human experiments. Miraculously, one survivor had been found alive and was currently undergoing emergency surgery.


    If this girl managed to recover, she would be a critical piece of the puzzle to bring Chad down.


    The darkness had been pierced by the dawn.


    The light of victory wasn''t far away.


    "The friend who helped you rescue Elsie Archer has sessfully regrouped with Elvis. Elsie has been rushed into emergency surgery, but... her condition is critical. She isn''t out of the woods yet."


    Thaddeus ryed the information calmly, though a shadow crossed his eyes as he expertly treated the gunshot wound on Hans''s shoulder. "I pray Ms. Archer pulls through. If anything happens to her dont know how Elvis will survive the fallout."


    Hans''s handsome face was pale and slick with sweat, but he didn''t show a hint of


    pain. He was built like stone.


    "How deeply does Elvis love Elsie?" he asked suddenly.


    Thaddeus frowned slightly, remaining silent.


    A faint, shallow smile touched Hans''s lips. "As deeply as you love Evadne?"


    Thaddeus''s fingers trembled. A sudden ripple tore through his emotional restraint.


    "Do you remember everything that happened on ROSE Ind? How Evadne was controlled by Avery Chambers, held captive on that ind and everything she endured? Do you remember how you went in alone, nearly dying in in a firefight with Avery''s men just to save her? Do you remember?"


    Thaddeus''s throat tightened. When he spoke, his low voice sounded like it was scraping over hot gravel. "I remember."


    "Good."


    Hans closed his red-rimmed eyes, a trace of soft emotion bleeding into his hardened tone. "You two have been through hell to get where you are. Even though I stood against you in the past, I''ve been a witness t your love. Since Evadne calls me ffer brother, I consider myself her family. Thaddeus Abernathy... I hope you never let her down."