?Chapter 1588:


    There was genuine humility in his tone—an instinctive trust that allowed him to speak openly with her, as if she were already someone standing firmly on his side.


    Maia stared down the long stretch of highway, her gaze thoughtful as she assessed the situation. “Route 103 is one of Wront’s main logistics corridors,” she said evenly. “Heavy trucks pass through constantly—finding a single one among them won’t be easy.” She shifted her attention to Chris and lifted her hand, gesturing toward the sky. “Has aerial surveince identified the vehicle Maynard mentioned along this route yet?”


    Her question clearly referred to the helicopter reconnaissance.


    Chris shook his head slowly, his expression growing more somber. Ever since the explosion, updates from aerial support had been streaming in. Every segment of Route 103 had beenbed over, yet neither the police vehicle nor anything suspicious had appeared. In fact, traffic had thinned significantly after the tunnel copse.


    Normally, once a target was lost, every vehicle along the route would be tracked to prevent any hostage transfer. A massive ck truck should have stood out immediately against the night, given its sheer size and lighting.


    Addictive novels on


    Unless it had never taken Route 103 in the first ce.


    Chris organized his thoughts before replying quietly, “No… nothing hase through so far.” He pulled out his phone and added, “Give me a moment—I’ll double-check with them.”


    Just then, renewedmotion erupted from the wreckage.


    “Move faster! Another vehicle’s trapped under here—we need more people!” “Everyone over here, now!”


    The rescue effort had reached a critical turning point.


    Amid the controlled chaos, a staff officer wearing a Major’s insignia pushed through the crowd toward Dominic. He was one of Dominic’s most trusted aides, and tension showed clearly in his face as he carried a sealed confidential file.


    “General Watson.” The Major snapped into a salute before presenting the dossier with both hands, lowering his voice. “This is the background report you requested—Chris Cooper’s personal file. Intelligence haspleted full verification.”


    Hearing Chris’s name, Dominic’s brow lifted slightly. He epted the file and cast a nce toward the distant figure.


    Cooper. The same surname.


    Was he connected to Cooper Group? He certainly hoped not.


    “Do not breathe a single word of this to anyone,” Dominic ordered the Major in a low, iron-hard voice. “Go help with the rescue first, but keep Chris Cooper under constant watch. Make sure he doesn’t vanish.”


    “Yes, sir!” The Major snapped a crisp salute and hurried off.


    Dominic remained rooted in ce, eyes locked on the tall figure standing protectively beside Maia in the distance.


    Chris Cooper.


    Thinking of the young man’s surname, he exhaled almost soundlessly, a faint crease forming between his brows as doubt flickered in his chest. Orders from the higher-ups were clear—every Cooper was to be investigated and punished to the full extent of thew. Yet here was Chris, a Cooper, standing far too close to his beloved granddaughter. Worse, something unspoken crackled in the air between them.


    Dominic flipped open the dossier to the first page. His suspicion was confirmed. Chris Cooper, born into the recently scandal-gued Cooper family—lineage traced in ck and white.


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