?Chapter 1438:


    Kiley’s instincts screamed that it was the only exnation that made sense. If udius’s own men were behind this, why would the doctor describe it so forcefully as him being taken? Besides, udius was barely hanging on — he couldn’t handle any chaos. There would be no reason to move him unless it was their father’s doing.


    The cold realization hit her. Kolton had found this ce and arrived before her. Those armed men were almost certainly the covert operatives he had sent.


    Damn it.


    A chill crawled down her spine. If udius had already been taken, then her reckless dash here wouldn’t save him — it would only expose her. She had walked straight into a trap.


    She needed to get out. Now.


    Kiley holstered her gun and spun toward the exit, her steps quick and decisive. But the moment she reached the lobby doors, she froze.


    Beyond the ss, the threat revealed itself in full.


    A convoy of roughly eight ck armored SUVs surged into the hospital courtyard — a coordinated pack of predators cornering their target. They screeched to a stop, forming a fan-shaped blockade that boxed in her unmistakable red Ferrari. Doors burst open. Dozens of covert operatives in ck uniforms poured out, their movements synchronized, their presence radiating lethal precision.


    Kiley’s pulse spiked. She had seen what was on the USB drive — more than enough to earn herself a ce on her father’s kill list. If they took her now, there was only one oue. Death.


    But what terrified her more was the thought of udius. Her deepest fear was that he had already met a grim fate. Their father was capable of anything.


    “udius…” she whispered, hopelessness flickering in her eyes.


    But survival instinct struck hard. She couldn’t use the front entrance. Whirling around, Kiley sprinted down the opposite corridor toward the service wing. The rear exit led straight into South Lake Park — a dense, winding maze of trees and shadows. It was her only chance. She had to vanish into the darkness before they caught up.


    Meanwhile, the operatives had already stormed the hospital lobby, sweeping through the building like a rising ck tide andunching a floor-by-floor search.


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    Back in the doctor’s office, the young doctor had only just begun to recover from the shock. He slumped weakly in his chair, gulping air, hisb coat soaked through with sweat.


    “This is insane… I’m quitting. I’m definitely quitting,” he muttered, trembling.


    Heavy footsteps thundered down the hallway.


    The doctor bolted upright like a frightened animal, torn between dread and curiosity. He edged to the door and cracked it open to peek outside — and instantly locked eyes with something cold and merciless. A man in ck stood right there, apact submachine gun resting in his hands.


    Another gun?


    The doctor’s eyes went wide, his breath catching in a silent scream. Before he could make a sound, the operative shoved the door open and delivered a sharp blow to the side of his neck. The doctor crumpled without a cry, his eyes rolling back as he folded to the floor like a discarded rag doll.


    Expressionless, the operative grabbed him by the cor and dragged him out into the corridor, hauling him toward the lobby as easily as dragging a sack.


    Momentster, the unconscious doctor was dumped at Kolton’s feet. A basin of ice-cold water crashed over him. He jolted awake immediately, sputtering and gasping, scrambling to sit upright. He blinked in confusion at the scene before him.


    The lobby swarmed with armed operatives, the tension thick enough to cut. At the center of it all stood a middle-aged man whose presence was sharp enough to draw blood.


    The doctor rubbed his eyes — and recognized that face instantly. Kolton Cooper. The chairman of Cooper Group. He saw that face every day: in the bronze statue near the hospital entrance, on posters, in the news. The man who funded the hospital. His ultimate boss.


    Relief flooded the doctor’s eyes, desperate and pure. He scrambled to his feet and lurched forward as if rushing toward salvation itself. “Mr. Cooper! Thank goodness! You’re here to rescue us, aren’t you? There were terrorists —”


    Kolton raised an eyebrow and stepped back in distaste, as though avoiding contamination.


    Was this man an idiot?


    “Where is Kiley?” Kolton asked, his tone ice-cold.


    The doctor blinked. “Who?”


    Kolton’s brows drew together instantly. He had no patience for fools. He flicked his gaze sideways. The operative beside him understood at once, stepped forward, and drove a heavy boot into the doctor’s abdomen.


    The doctor folded over and curled on the floor like a boiled shrimp, bile rising in his throat. Only then did it finally dawn on him — these people and the woman who had aimed a gun at him earlier were clearly not working together.


    At least… he was fairly certain they weren’t.


    The operative pulled out a phone, brought up a high-resolution photo of Kiley, and shoved the screen in the doctor’s face. “Have you seen this woman?” he demanded coldly.


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