?Chapter 1482:
Maia gave a slow nod, drawing a deep breath to quell the storm of fear and frustration in her chest. Her expression was a mask ofposure, but her eyes burned with a fierce, unyielding light.
“Chris will be safe.” She looked directly at Zoey, her voice clear and deliberate, each word a vow. “I am going to take control of Cooper Group. And then, I am going to give it back to him.”
Her gaze never wavered. “You once said that only the head of the Cooper family can authorize your release from this prison. You made a promise, and Kolton used it to trap you here for twenty years.”
Maia’s tone hardened with resolve. “Then I will make Chris the head. He will set you free. And Kolton — that scheming old man — will answer for everything.”
Zoey’s hands trembled slightly around her coffee cup, a profound emotion stirring within her. She looked at her protégé — now fully forged in fire — with immense pride.
“It seems you’ve pieced my n together, Maia.” A faint, wry smile touched Zoey’s lips as she set her cup down. “My initial design was to train you to help Chris im the position of family head and, in doing so, secure my freedom. But now, after seeing the dangers you’ve both faced… I find this prison isn’t so terrible. Your safety and happiness matter more than my release.”
Then Zoey’s eyes brightened with recollection. She leaned forward, a spark of strategic excitement returning.
“Speaking of your safety — since you intend to move against Kolton, and every faction is hunting for you now, there is something worth considering. My eldest brother, Kyle — Chris’s father — owned a secluded vi in the southern suburbs. He purchased it under an alias years ago. Only Chris and I know of its existence.”
Her gaze turned sharp and analytical. “The third party that attacked you is still searching, and the intentions of this false Sparrow remain unknown. Perhaps you should stay there for a while. Use your disappearance. Turn it from a vulnerability into a position of strength — and prepare to strike Kolton where he least expects it.”
Maia paused.
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With Chris missing, she had nned to return to Elysium Apartments. But safety there was no longer guaranteed.
“I understand,” she said atst, a cold, resolute smile forming at the corner of her lips. “You want me to vanish — and make them bleed in the dark.”
Zoey returned the smile, her expression one of deep satisfaction. “Maia, never underestimate your own influence. You are now a figure of public interest. This time, even Cooper Group’s expert PR team will not be enough to contain the fallout. The tide of opinion is turning. I predict Kolton will soon be forced to make a desperate move — perhaps even attempt a quiet escape. Our task is to wait for him on the road he must take.”
Inside the study at the Cooper Estate, heavy curtains blocked all daylight, creating a stifling, airless gloom.
“Damn it all! How did ite to this?”
Kolton stumbled into the room, mming the solid mahogany door behind him and turning the lock. Gone was theposed patriarch — he moved now like a cornered animal. His tie hung crooked, sweat soaked through his cor, and his hands trembled so badly he could barely steady himself.
Panic drove him forward. He crashed into the desk, his knee mming painfully against the edge. He didn’t even flinch.
With unsteady fingers, Kolton powered on the specially encryptedputer, adjusted the camera, and dragged in a ragged breath. Facing the ck screen, he straightened his cor and forced himself to look presentable. He had to convince Thomas. If Thomas believed he had lost control of the situation, Kolton would not live to see the end of the night.
To the outside world, Kolton was the omnipotent head of Cooper Group — untouchable, absolute. But only he knew the truth. He was nothing more than a puppet. Those so-called loyal covert operatives had never answered to him. Their allegiance belonged to one man alone, known as the Master of Shadows. Thomas.
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