Chapter 1203:
Carter’s breathing turned uneven, his chest rising and falling faster than before. “I remember that incident — it dominated the headlines back then. The city’s wealthiest man lost his son in a car accident, and the police ruled it a simple traffic case. What does that have to do with me? I honestly don’t understand.” His eyes locked onto VS’s mask. “Why do you keep circling back to these irrelevant topics?”
“Stop — just stop talking!” Frieda finally burst in, her ankle visibly injured, her hair a tangled mess, and sheer panic written across her face. She grabbed Cillian’s arm and shouted, “Go! Cillian, you have to leave right now!”
Seeing her so shaken, Cillian froze for a moment before catching her by the arm to steady her. “What’s going on? Why are you this panicked?”
“They’re live-streaming it — it’s a worldwide broadcast!” Frieda’s voice came out sharp and unsteady as she clutched his arm, shaking uncontrollably. “A news alert popped up on my phone! You’re all on screen — everyone in the world can see it!”
Her words crashed through the silent chamber like a bolt of lightning, detonating with an invisible yet overwhelming force.
The blood drained from Cillian’s face in an instant, leaving him frozen and lightheaded, his thoughts wiped clean save for the sharp ringing echoing in his ears. He turned stiffly, scanning the chamber — the jagged stone walls, the uneven corners, the stalactites hanging overhead — all of it looking like untouched formations carved by nature itself. A terrifying chill crept up from the soles of his feet and spread rapidly through his entire body.
He looked back at VS as though searching for denial, his voice shaking. “This… this has to be a joke, right?”
He would sooner have believed Frieda had lost her mind than accepted that his own acts of betrayal during the negotiations were now being exposed to the entire world.
The instant Frieda shouted “live-streaming,” Carter’s pupils constricted sharply. A violent surge of terror mixed with rage tore through him as the full weight of the deception came crashing down.
No — this had never been a negotiation at all. From the very first moment, it had been nothing but a carefully laid trap.
“Live-streaming? What does that even gain you?” Carter snapped, his body going rigid as rage and fear made him tremble. “There’s far more money right here in front of you — why throw that away? What could Eshea possibly offer you that’s better than this?”
𝖱𝘦a𝘥 on 𝖺𝗇y 𝗱𝗲𝘷𝗂𝘤𝘦 on 𝘨𝖺𝘭𝗻о𝘃𝖾𝗅𝗌.𝘤𝘰𝘮
He could not comprehend why VS would choose such a self-destructive path to drag him into the open.
Despite his outburst, VS remained unnervingly calm. Then, slowly, VS lifted one hand — slender fingers gripping the edge of the cold metal mask — and removed it.
In the dim light, a striking face was revealed: her gaze steady and sharp, a faintly mocking smile resting on her lips. Carter, Cillian, and Frieda all recognized her at once. They had seen her not long ago on television, standing confidently at Brad’s side.
Rylie. How could it be Rylie?
“It’s… it’s really you?” Carter cried out.
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