?Chapter 1022:


    He had just gotten word that his men had cornered Cade on some rooftop. That private eye had shown nerve when feeding lies to Mnie, but now he looked like a scared rabbit trying to slip away.


    Instead of making a daring leap across two roofs, he had crouched on the edge, yelling, “I have something important to say. I need to see your boss, Hurst Cooper.”


    A reckless idiot! That was exactly what Hurst thought of Cade. With that in mind, he strode boldly deeper into the warehouse.


    One of his men stationed at the door quickly moved up to lead him.


    Walking past rows of old wooden crates, Hurst noticed the heavy mix of sea air and cold metal hanging in the space. Finally, under the glow of a lone overheadmp, heid eyes on Cade.


    Cade was shirtless, his hands bound behind him with ropes as thick as fingers, cutting into his skin. His wrists bore bloody marks, and his ankles were tightly secured.


    At the sound of approaching footsteps, Cade slowly lifted his eyes.


    The sight of Hurst drew a mocking grin across Cade’s face, and he spat out saliva tinged with blood.


    “Mr. Cooper, you took your sweet time… Anyter, and all you’d find is my dead body.”


    Hurst’s face showed no flicker of emotion as he settled into a chair brought by his men, checking his watch. “I don’t have time for games. You’ve got five minutes to talk.”


    His eyes hardened as they fixed on Cade. “Cade isn’t your real name. You used to be special forces, Emilio Riley. I’m guessing you’re no fool.”


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    Cade’s eyelids jerked sharply. This secret identity had stayed buried for years, yet Hurst had dug it up without missing a beat.


    Forcing a grin, Cade said, “I never thought you’d dig up my past, Mr. Cooper.”<fn9521> Newest update provided by find(?)ovel</fn9521>


    Hurst’s voice carried no warmth. “You have four minutes and twenty seconds.”


    Cade’s smile vanished in an instant.


    He had studied Hurst carefully, aware that this man was far from ordinary.


    As head of the Cooper family branch, Hurst’s influence stretched beyond the fa?ade of a “wine merchant,” with control over countless ventures, many outside Wront.


    Even more crucial, Hurst had military experience. After leaving the service, he recruited veterans, assembling not only resources but a cadre of elite, battle-hardened subordinates.


    Like now, these armed men moved with the precision of trained professionals.


    “Wow, wow, wow… Mr. Cooper, are you being serious? You wouldn’t actually kill me and dump me in the sea for the sharks, would you?” Cade had already smelled the brine and heard the crashing waves. If he ended up in the water, no one would ever know who’d done it.


    His thoughts raced as he begged, “Come on… We both came from the military. Technically, we’ve got some history inmon.”


    “Four minutes,” Hurst said tly, irritation creeping into his voice at the detective’s rambling.


    Luckily, Mnie hadn’t been hurt this time, but it still sent a jolt through him as a father.


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