?Chapter 1463:


    Questions flooded Carsen’s mind. Earlier, while Maia had helped treat this old man, she had remainedposed and professional — showing no personal reaction whatsoever, just as she would with any ordinary patient. If this man truly was her grandfather, herck of response made no sense at all.


    “You are misunderstanding the situation, and I can exin it.” Dominic caught the confusion on Carsen’s face and began speaking in a rush, which immediately triggered a harsh coughing fit. Pressing a hand to his chest, he turned toward Cade. “Cade, exin it to him. Tell him everything!”


    Cade straightened at once and delivered a sharp salute. “Yes, General!”


    After Cadeid out the facts in a concise and orderly manner, rity finally dawned on Carsen.


    It was a long-dyed reunion — one that had waited more than twenty years to happen. Maia was the granddaughter this elderly general had lost so many years ago.


    Hearing the full ount stirred a rush of emotion inside Carsen. That calm and capable young woman, who carried herself with such quiet strength, had endured a life filled with hardship. For years she had lived without her real family, suffered under her adoptive household, and had even been imprisoned along the way.


    As those thoughts settled, Carsen looked at Dominic again, and his expression softened with newfound respect.


    “Sir, you do not need to worry anymore,” he said gently. “Now that this bond is clear, Maia will definitely want to see you as well. Please lie back down and rest — I will bring her to you right away.”


    “Is that true? Where is she right now?” Hope red in Dominic’s eyes.


    “She is on this floor. She was just in the operating room saving a patient,” Carsen answered, then turned and left in haste.


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    His first stop was the observation room adjacent to the intensive care unit, where Chris had been ced. When he opened the door, the room was empty. Only a rumpled bed remained behind.


    “Where did Chris go?” rm jolted through Carsen as his pulse jumped. “What happened here? Maia is gone too.”


    Without hesitation, he hurried straight to the nurse’s counter.


    “Dr. Walsh, are you trying to find Dr. Watson?” The nurse looked up when she saw his strained expression and quickly continued, “She stopped by earlier to ask about the patient in Room 302, then rushed off. It looked like she went after the patient.”


    Tension locked Carsen’s features in ce. Something was very wrong.


    A heavy sense of dread pressed against his chest. Chris had vanished, and Maia had left the hospital as well. None of it pointed to a good oue.


    Without pausing to think further, Carsen spun around and headed back toward the elderly man, intending to tell him that Maia was already gone.


    Reaching the observation room, he froze in shock. Dominic was being supported by his soldiers and escorted into the corridor. An IV line trailed from his arm, one soldier holding the bottle aloft to keep it flowing. Despite the unsteady way he moved, the authority he carried was so overwhelming that no one dared meet his gaze directly.


    Carsen had barely opened his mouth to speak when Dominic suddenly barked orders at several soldiers who had just returned. “Go investigate immediately. I want everything uncovered.”


    Fury zed in Dominic’s eyes, his voice shaking with anger. “Who dares to attack our elite soldiers inside a hospital? Mobilize the troops at once. Lock down the entire city. I will not tolerate criminal forces running rampant in Wront — this madness has to end. Our soldiers risk their lives on the battlefield, and they will note home only to be attacked while saving others.”


    Though his voice was rough from strain, it carried undeniable force, and every word struck with crushing authority.


    The soldiers surrounding him were just as furious. They answered as one: “Yes, sir!”


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