Chapter 1607:


    Maia had nerve. She was clever. Fearless. Even under pressure, she had remained calm — thinking quickly and acting decisively. In some ways, she had proven sharper than he was, which made her unmistakably his blood. To him, she embodied the makings of a natural leader.


    And still… why did she have to be so foolish when it came to love? Why did she have to choose someone like Chris?


    “No. Absolutely not.”


    Dominic’s gaze hardened, his resolve bing even more unyielding. “That’s exactly why I won’t allow Maia to throw her future away on that worthless man. Someone with her potential belongs with the Watson family. She belongs in Drakmire.”


    Drawing a steady breath, he forced his anger back under control and issued hismand in a low, cold voice. “Immediately ry my orders — bring Maia and Chris back to me. No matter where they’ve gone, track them down and return them here. This time, I’ll supervise everything personally.”


    “Understood, sir.”


    Realizing he too had been deceived, Joshua clenched his jaw and hurried out of the hospital room.


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    Elsewhere, a ck car tore down the highway at high speed. The engine thundered, and the speedometer needle edged dangerously toward the red zone.


    Maia gripped the steering wheel firmly, her sharp gaze locked on the road ahead. Chris sat in the passenger seat, watching her quietly from the side. Wind rushed through the partially lowered window, whipping her hair across her face, yet nothing could shake the unwavering determination burning in her eyes.


    Chris spoke quickly, delivering the update without hesitation. “We’ve got new information. Grayson located both the missing police car and the heavy truck, but they were abandoned — no upants, engines still warm. Another unit is heading toward the Cooper Estate right now.”


    Maia overtook another vehicle, her mind working through the details with cold precision. “The vehicles are there, but the people vanished. If they changed transport, there would still be tracks — tire marks, signs of movement, something left behind.” Her expression sharpened as a realization struck. “Unless they never left in the first ce.”


    She jerked the steering wheel. The car sliced across thene with a sharp screech. “That repair shop — something about it isn’t right.”


    Chris turned toward her, approval flickering in his eyes. “We’re on the same wavelength. I already had the team sweep the area, but they haven’t found any hidden ess points yet.”


    “Send me the exact coordinates.” Maia pressed the elerator down hard, her gaze turning razor-sharp. “If this is one of the secret sites of those covert operatives, standard search methods won’t uncover anything. I’ll locate it myself.”


    At that very moment, far beneath the abandoned auto repair shop, a hidden underground operating roomy sealed behindyers of lead designed to block all signals.


    Harsh surgical lights flooded the table in sterile white.


    Koltony strapped down, leather restraints securing his limbs while a rigid mp held his head immobile. He waspletely still — like a lifeless body awaiting dissection.


    Zzzzzzt — zzzzzt —


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