?Chapter 1171:


    His eyes drifted to a box at his side. Inside rested a crossbow, powerful enough to take out a target from twenty yards—a gift meant for Maia, and not the kind anyone would want to receive.


    In Drakmire, standing before a massive building, Cade lifted his hat and stared at the que on the gate in disbelief—No. 001, Enigma Road. He checked the address on his phone once more and shook his head. “Yeah… this is the ce!”


    Wiping the sweat from his brow, he moved cautiously toward the gatehouse.


    In an instant, two guards snapped their heads toward him. “Halt! This is private property. Do note any closer!” one of them barked, lifting his weapon.


    The second guard followed suit, raising his gun in the same sharp motion.


    Cade lifted his hands at once, but he still inched forward. “No, please don’t shoot! I’m here to see someone.”


    “Step back!” the two guards shouted in unison. “Get out of here—now!”


    Cade saw them flick the safeties off their guns. Cold sweat ran down his spine, and he backed away quickly.


    When he was about ten yards from the gate, the guards slowly lowered their weapons.


    “Damn it!” Cade swore. Those guards were impossible to deal with.


    He stared at the building in the distance, doubt knotting in his stomach. His recent digging suggested Maia’s birth parents had once worked there. In Drakmire, an estate like this—guarded by armed men—clearly belonged to someone with rank and clout.


    “This also tells me Maia’s birth parents weren’t ordinary folks…” Cade narrowed his eyes and quickly sent the details back to Hurst.


    Meanwhile, at Cooper Vineyard, Hurst typed on his phone. “Miss Watson, would you honor me as my date for the charity g? I could get you a front-row seat…”


    Just as he was about to press send, he paused. The words sounded wrong, so he deleted them.


    Lately, Maia had been missing, clearly shaken by the online rumors.


    L?t??t chαpt?rs ιn g??lnov?l??.???m


    “Kiley’s definitely stirring up trouble,” Hurst muttered, reshaping his message as he tried to invite Maia to the g.


    Usually, he needed a date for events like this, but he couldn’t just ask Maia to be hispanion.


    Suddenly, his phone buzzed, disying a message from Cade.


    Cadeid out thetest progress of the investigation in detail. Hurst read it with a frown. Then a thought struck him—he remembered a wine merchant in Drakmire and immediately called him to ask about the house at No. 001, Enigma Road.


    But the moment the merchant heard the address, he cut Hurst off. “Mr. Cooper, why are you asking about this? I don’t think that ce has anything to do with your business.”


    Hurst froze, catching the warning beneath the words. Before he could reply, the call ended abruptly.


    At the same time, a message popped up from the merchant: “Some things are better left alone. I suggest you don’t dig any deeper.”


    Hurst felt even more confused. Who could possibly live there? What link did Maia’s parents have to the owner? And why was that address treated like a red line?


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