?Chapter 1037:


    It hit him—Maia had been quietly bearing all these sacrifices on his behalf all along.


    Elsewhere, in a secret location, Shiloh finally found himself freed. His hood was pulled off. A woman stood before him, someone he had neverid eyes on before.


    “You may go now. Just remember what we expect,” she said, her tone calm and measured.


    Shiloh gave her a quick nce and nodded in acknowledgment. From her voice, he could tell she wasn’t the one who had interrogated him earlier.


    Even though the voice that day had been disguised, Shiloh felt almost certain that the interrogator was the woman who had apanied Kiley to the prison. It was clear that his answers hadn’t satisfied Kiley, which had led to his capture, the torture, and the questioning.


    “How am I supposed to reach youter?” Shiloh asked, narrowing his eyes.


    “No need,” the woman sneered. “I’ll reach out to you. And if you breathe a word about what happened here, your daughter’s corpse will be the consequence.”


    “Understood. I know the rules,” Shiloh replied, voice heavy with fatigue. “I also expect you to keep your word and leave my daughter unharmed.”


    The woman said nothing. She pivoted and melted into the shadows.


    Once her footsteps disappearedpletely, Shiloh began walking away slowly. No one noticed the faint smirk that tugged at the corner of his lips.


    The emergency room was wrapped in a silence so dense that it seemed to press down on the walls. Only the faint ticking of the monitors broke through the stillness, steady and unyielding.


    Ethan shifted restlessly on the bed, his impatience simmering beneath the sterile white lights. The door creaked open, and Hurst slipped inside, moving with unusual haste.


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    “Ethan, here I am.” His voice carried warmth, softened by an almost fatherly smile. “It’s just you and me now. Speak freely.”


    Gone was themanding aura of the Cooper family’s branch leader. In front of Maia’s younger brother, Hurst seemed approachable—almost eager, as though he wanted to earn the boy’s trust.


    Ethan’s eyes lit up, brimming with excitement. “Mr. Cooper, I never imagined Justiceze was truly you. Now that the truth is out, why not take the first step? I will help you.”


    Hurst held his smile, though confusion stirred beneath the calm surface.


    Justiceze? First step?


    How would this young man help him?


    Questions swarmed in his head, but his face betrayed nothing.


    Years of discipline had taught him the art ofposure.


    Then Ethan’s next words hit like a de to the chest. “Mr. Cooper, I know about your feelings for my sister.”


    Ethan bit his lip, the hesitation in his eyes shing with his resolve. “For Maia’s happiness, I will tell you something I promised never to reveal,” Ethan said in a rush. His voice dropped, almost conspiratorial. “Her marriage is fake. She is still single. Please… do not let her slip away.”


    The room seemed to freeze. Even the machines felt muted.


    Hurst stared at him, stunned. The truth in Ethan’s eyes left no room for doubt. No wonder Ethan had asked to speak alone, away from Maia’s watchful presence.


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    .<fnf6b8> Content originallyes from f?ndnovel</fnf6b8>