?Chapter 1469:


    Falcon studied the digital map carefully, his brow tightening. South Lake Park? Why would she be there?


    “Everyone, prepare forbat. Night vision on,” he ordered without hesitation, his voice carrying the sharp authority of years on the battlefield.


    Inside the van, metallic clicks echoed as the squad chambered their weapons. Though only part of the team was present, they were the elite — special operations soldiers capable of overwhelming multiple enemies on their own.


    They exited the vehicle swiftly, breaking into groups of three and moving toward the park like phantoms swallowed by the rain and darkness.


    Falcon tightened his grip around his submachine gun, his gaze cold and predatory. Two possibilities yed through his mind: either Kiley had already been captured by Kolton and this was a trap, or she was still hiding and the phone signal had been a silent cry for help.


    No matter which it was, there was no turning back. The order hade directly from udius — and orders like that were absolute.


    Soon, the group reached the outer edge of South Lake Park.


    Rain came down in relentless sheets, smearing the world into a blur of shadows and motion. Visibility shrank with every step, the downpour swallowing sound and sight alike. Ahead, the path dissolved into a chaotic sprawl — twisting trails vanishing into dense vegetation, branches and undergrowth intertwining into natural cover that was ideal for ambushes, concealment, and silent kills.


    Falcon raised a hand, his movements sharp and precise. He leaned toward his earpiece and lowered his voice to a breath. “Be careful not to harm our own. Spread out. Advance and search.”


    At the same moment, Maia’s car rolled to a stop at a side gate on the opposite end of South Lake Park.


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    Beyond the windshield, the world was swallowed by night. Darkness pressed in from every direction, broken only when lightning split the sky, illuminating the forest in stark, ghostly shes. The wipers swept across the ss in steady arcs, their scraping rhythm monotonous and hollow — a sound that matched the tension settling in Maia’s chest.


    She reached forward and switched off the headlights. The car disappeared into the dark.


    Lowering her gaze, she checked her phone. Its dim glow brushed across her face, calm andposed, betraying nothing of the storm around her. She was waiting for Siena’s call — waiting, watching, listening.


    Then her eyes narrowed.


    Through the curtain of rain, movement flickered. Figures. Shadows advancing through the storm, closing in from her direction.


    Elsewhere, Chris had been relocated to the vi that once belonged to histe father, Kyle.


    He reclined against a soft leather sofa, his face still drained of color, though the dazed haze in his eyes had finally lifted. Consciousness had returned in full — sharp and unrelenting.


    At his side, a personal doctor worked methodically, recing bloodstained bandages and checking his vitals with careful precision.


    The door opened abruptly. Grayson entered with brisk strides, rain still clinging to his coat. He stopped beside Chris, straightened, and bowed slightly.


    “Sir,” he reported, his voice controlled and respectful, “we just received word from the team assigned to protect Maia. She has gone to South Lake Park.”


    Chris’s gaze shifted almost imperceptibly. South Lake Park? At this hour, in rain like this? What was she doing there?


    “Anything unusual?” he asked, his voice deep and steady.


    Grayson shook his head. “No ambush detected so far. However, I have authorized full weapon ess. If anyone attempts to harm her, no mercy will be shown.”


    Chris did not respond. His eyes darkened, unfathomable — like an ocean beneath storm clouds. Whatever thoughts churned beneath the surface, none were revealed.


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