Chapter 1234:
Sean slowly raised his head, his aged eyes still carrying a sharp, penetrating clarity. “All these years, Brad stood beside Kalel — closer than family. I truly believed the President would be good to Brad. I never imagined he would grow so fearful of him that he’d try to have him eliminated. Brad trusted him completely after so many years together. When he walked into that meeting… he must have dropped his guard entirely.”
Sean released a long, exhausted sigh. “I’ll reach out to every contact and resource I have and begin searching immediately. Rylie, please mobilize the Owen family’s network as well. We need to track Brad’s whereabouts. We may still have time to find him.”
Only a few hours had elapsed since the incident, which meant there was still a chance to act. Rylie immediately reached out to the Owens and Britton, mobilizing every resource at her disposal — including contacts buried deep within encrypted underground networks.
The situation was escalating rapidly, yet an unseen hand working behind the scenes appeared to be moving even faster. The Havenridge Group employed every strategy and covert measure available to erase Brad’s trail and keep him completely concealed.
By midday the following day, after mounting an extensive search operation, they finally uncovered information on his supposed location.
The update Phil delivered, however, carried devastating implications. “Brad departed yesterday at 5 p.m., fully equipped, and boarded a helicopter. Around noon today, the aircraft crashed in the western desert, disintegrating and igniting instantly on impact. All ten individuals on board, including the pilot, were confirmed dead.”
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As the words settled, the entire study was swallowed by a crushing, airless stillness.
The coffee mug slipped from Sean’s grasp and struck the carpet, spilling steaming liquid that spread into a dark stain. He struggled to rise, but his vision dimmed and his body lurched sideways before the butler caught him. His breathing turned erratic, his lips trembled, yet no words came. His eyes were wide with shock and terror. “That’s impossible!”
Kendrick was equally shaken. “There is absolutely no way something like this could happen to him!” What frightened him most was the thought of how his cherished granddaughter would survive if Brad were truly gone.
All three Owen brothers were gathered in the room, and each of them struggled to absorb what they were hearing.
Felix spoke with grave seriousness. “Rylie, this doesn’t feel right at all. Brad is extremely meticulous — he would never make such an elementary mistake.”
Marcus looked toward her, worry plain in his eyes. “He wouldn’t just end up killed like that. Someone must be interfering. Someone set him up.”
Deandre looked utterly bewildered. “I thought all the conflicts had already been resolved. Why would anyone still be targeting him?”
Every gaze in the room drifted slowly toward Rylie, who stood motionless at the center. Her expression showed no tears, no panic, and not the faintest trace of emotional disturbance. The only sign of anything at all appeared in her eyes, which tightened briefly before settling into a cold and unreadable emptiness. Her composure was so absolute that it felt deeply unsettling.
Into the heavy silence, the large television in the living room switched from advertisements to a military news broadcast.
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