?Chapter 1504:


    Everything aligned.


    “Onest thing,” Maia said. “Was someone from your organization inside this vi earlier? Or was that person taken away with the convoy?”


    Maynard froze. He avoided her gaze, lips sealed.


    Sometimes, saying nothing spoke louder than words.


    The pieces clicked into ce. Chris had been part of the departing convoy.


    Lowering her weapon, Maia straightened and turned toward Siena. “Siena, your interrogation skills exceed mine. I’m entrusting these people to you.”


    Siena gave a calm nod, understanding immediately. A sharp light flickered in her eyes. “Don’t worry. Leave it to me.”


    With a brief wave of her hand, her team moved in at once, restraining Maynard and the others tightly before dragging them deep into the forest, where the shadows swallowed them whole.


    “I’ve already ced my people all around this area,” Siena said firmly. “No one will get close to you.” With that, she turned her attention back to the captives.


    Maia returned to the vi alone.


    She sank onto the sofa, tapping her knee absently while her thoughts collided and unraveled. Chris had been ambushed in an alley. At the auction, someone in a mask had tried to kill her. And now — another team of masked figures had stepped in to protect her.


    The contradictions didn’t add up. What was really going on behind the scenes? Was The Mask divided from within — one side bent on eliminating her, the other determined to keep her alive? Or was something even more calcted at y, her survival being deliberately preserved to serve a muchrger scheme?


    There were too few clues to draw a clear conclusion. Still, one thing stood firm: since the people who had left the vi and those shielding her outside shared the same allegiance, Chris was safe for now.


    Buzz. Buzz.


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    Maia’s phone vibrated. The call was from Pris’s chief hacker.


    “We’ve uncovered something,” the subordinate said, urgency creeping into his voice. “Those ck vehicles just reached the Wront highway entrance, but—”


    “But what?” Maia asked.


    “They were stopped. Five minutes ago, the entire city suddenly went into military lockdown.”


    “Military lockdown?” Maia frowned. “What happened?”


    “The details haven’t been released. The authorities have sealed everything off,” the hacker exined. “Highways are blocked,mercial flights are grounded, and even private jets are barely getting clearance. A full no-fly order may being at any moment.” He paused before adding, “It might be connected to the fire at Harmony za. The officials seem furious.”


    Maia’s gaze sharpened. A military lockdown meant one thing — Chris and the people who had taken him were now trapped inside Wront. For her, that was a rare opening.


    “I understand,” Maia replied coolly. “Now listen carefully. I want you to investigate an organization called The Mask.”


    “The Mask? The ones who attacked you at the auction?” the subordinate snapped. “Those bastards. I’ll get everyone on it — every hacker we have. We’ll dig until nothing’s left.”


    “What happened at the auction wasplicated; we’ll discuss thatter,” Maia cut in, her voice dropping to ice. “For now, let others continue their current operations. Use the chaos in the media and the financial markets. Tear away Cooper Group’s remaining disguise. I want thempletely destroyed.”


    She looked out at the darkened sky beyond the window, her posture steady — like amander delivering a final order. “Launch a full-scale attack. Take control of Cooper Group as quickly as possible.”


    “Understood.”


    The line went dead.


    After a moment of reflection, Maia ced another call — this time to Siena.


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