Chapter 1176:

Phil sounded thrilled. “Everyone knows Ares Global operates out of the Indoria Federation, but its sheer scale — spread across continents, hidden among countless factories and military installations — has kept its true headquarters a secret. This is the first confirmed trace.”

Brad gave a slight nod. “I’ll have the department initiate satellite surveillance on that location.”

“Kristen is likely at her breaking point,” Rylie commented evenly.

Phil scoffed. “The daughter of the world’s most powerful arms dealer, reduced to drifting and sleeping in motels? She must despise you, Rylie.”

A subtle, cold smile curved Rylie’s lips. “It’s still not enough. People who have always looked down on others can’t bear being crushed by someone they see as beneath them.”

Cillian’s family found themselves mired in one crisis after another, each deeper than the last.

Their initial plan had seemed flawless: travel to Eshea under the pretense of a family reunion, use Frieda’s maternal status as emotional leverage, secretly monitor Brad, feed intelligence to an adversarial nation to foment conflict, and then flood the ensuing chaos with Ares Global’s weapons, reaping astronomical profits. On paper, it was perfect. In reality, nothing had gone as intended.

Frieda’s position as a mother had proved worthless. Their greed-fueled attempt to usurp the Morgans had been exposed. Their current state could only be described as a humiliating, total failure.

𝘙𝗲а𝖽 𝘄𝘪𝘵𝗵о𝘂𝗍 𝗶𝘯tе𝘳𝘳𝗎р𝗍iоn𝘴 𝗼𝗻 𝗀𝗮𝗹𝗇𝗼𝘃𝖾𝘭𝗌.𝖼o𝗆

“Ares is furious. And Brad is no easy target — not just because of who he is, but because of the woman backing him.” Cillian let out a heavy sigh. “If we try to retreat after failing this catastrophically, they won’t let us live.”

Frank frowned deeply. “Carter can barely protect himself now. The President has him under strict surveillance — he wouldn’t dare act rashly. What options do we even have left?”

Frieda hesitated before speaking. “What if we ask Brad for help one more time?”

“Mother, don’t delude yourself,” Frank said, his tone blunt. “Brad doesn’t need you, and he certainly doesn’t respect you — not after you favored me all these years. You gave birth to him, but you never raised him. Blood alone won’t sway him. He likely despises you deeply.”

Frieda’s face paled. She had no rebuttal.

Frank continued, “I’ll take Kristen out to shop and unwind. I can’t have her complaining to her father. I need her firmly on our side.”

Through Kristen, they received unsettling news: Eshea had drastically tightened border security. It would be nearly impossible for her father to send operatives in, and for Kristen herself, leaving had become equally difficult.

Kristen couldn’t afford to sever ties with Frank completely — being stranded alone in a foreign country was perilous. Reluctantly, she accepted his overtures, and they went to a discreet, upscale restaurant nestled at the foot of the mountains outside Crolens.

Inside the private dining room, wooden shutters muted the outside world. Frank attentively placed a slice of premium Wagyu beef on Kristen’s plate. The warm amber lighting and the haze of fine wine began to soothe her frayed nerves, if only slightly.

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