Chapter 1336:


    Her fists clenched. Heavy thoughts weighed on her mind, darkening her expression.


    Raegan clearly wasn’t Maia’s nt. So who was pulling her strings?


    Pushing her suspicions aside, her nails nearly digging into her palms, she focused on facing her father first. She quickened her pace.


    In the third-floor conference room, Kolton stood with his back to the door, looking out the window—his usual posture when deep in thought.


    Three cigarettesy crushed in the ashtray on the table, all extinguished halfway in apparent irritation. His mood was obviously foul.


    Not long after, Kiley knocked and entered. She approached carefully and gave her report. “Father… I tested her. Raegan doesn’t work for Maia. She was willing to risk her life to prove her loyalty.”


    Her fingers tightened as she watched her father’s back. In the end, she decided to withhold her discovery about Raegan’s falsified history.


    She spoke with assurance instead. “I trust herpletely. I can vouch for her.”AdChoicesADVERTISING


    “You trust her?” A low snort came from Kolton as he turned and walked toward her with measured steps. “She has been the sole point of contact with Shiloh these past several days. Remember this: you must stay vignt, especially with those you deem trustworthy.” His cial stare met his daughter’s eyes.


    Kolton tilted his head slightly, squinting at her, his tone icy. He had never been quick to trust anyone—not even his own children.


    Anyone who trusted too easily andcked independent judgment could never take over Cooper Group. Managing an empire would be impossible for them.


    This was his fundamental rule, expected of every Cooper heir.


    udius would have understood this once. But everything changed after he met Maia. He had discarded the family’s teachings entirely. The principle of putting family interests first now meant nothing to him.


    Kiley’s brows drew together slightly. After a moment’s thought, she asked, “Doesn’t that point to Shiloh being the problem, Father? Are you still doubting Raegan?”


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    She recounted everything that had happened in the lounge, emphasizing, “She passed the test.”


    Kolton looked at her, disappointment flickering in his eyes.


    Rumors about his daughter’s personal life came to mind. He spoke coldly, “Whatever rtionship you have with that woman, I expect clear thinking from you, not decisions clouded by sentiment.”


    He paused briefly, then a sneer appeared on his face. “Want to know why I suspect her? Shiloh answers to me.”


    Kiley froze. Her blood ran cold.


    Shiloh? Her father was the one behind him? How was that even possible?


    Kolton waved a dismissive hand through the air, his gesture carrying the weight of long-held indifference. His voice emerged calm yet edged with a philosopher’s resignation. “You need not feign such shock. People prove disloyal time and again, and betrayals weave through the fabric of existence. History brims with countless examples of trust shattered and alliances broken.”


    He pivoted the conversation smoothly, his curiosity sharpening like a de. “What precisely did Raegan murmur to Shiloh topel my own subordinates to turn against me?”


    The spotlight of suspicion swung back to Raegan with renewed intensity.


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