Chapter 1236:
“Look.” Rylie gestured toward the cuff around the person’s wrist. “When Brad entered, his cuff carried that faint, worn mark left from his last mission — he never bothered to replace it. But the man who walked out had a flawless, freshly pressed cuff with no signs of wear whatsoever.”
The footage zoomed in before cutting to the exact moment the figure dipped his head while stepping into the vehicle.
“Check behind the ear,” Phil said, his voice turning cold. “Brad has a small light-brown mole near his hairline. This man has nothing there.”
The evidence was undeniable.
The man leaving the presidential office was not Brad.
“Kalel Henderson.”
Rylie spoke the name with deliberate precision, her composed expression fracturing to reveal a fury and resolve powerful enough to level everything in its path.
“Very well,” she said quietly, almost as though she were admiring a perfectly crafted trap. “Since your presidency means so much to you, then you had better never step outside that office again.”
Drawing on her dual identities as Healing Hand and VS, she released a complete assassination directive and search bounty across the dark web. Rylie personally pledged cutting-edge military weaponry from the island as a reward for anyone who could locate Brad. In addition, she placed a billion-dollar bounty on Eshea’s President, Kalel, and included a token issued by Healing Hand — a guarantee that she would personally intervene to save the holder whenever they faced mortal danger.
The moment the announcement reached the dark web, chaos erupted. Organizations everywhere were stunned by the staggering size of both bounties. Healing Hand was known for her pride and secrecy — she had never lowered herself to public bounty hunts and never interfered in political affairs. This was completely without precedent.
𝗔c𝘁𝗶𝘃e 𝘤om𝘮𝘶𝗻𝘪𝗍𝗒 𝗼𝗻 𝘨а𝘭n𝘰𝗏𝘦𝗅ѕ.𝗰om
As a legendary arms dealer, VS already commanded a fearsome reputation. Now, having absorbed most of Ares Global’s manufacturing facilities and recruited countless workers from the collapsed empire, she had built the largest independent arms operation in the world. Nearly every legal and illegal weapons trade functioned under her influence, and with such overwhelming dominance, her declaration drew the immediate attention of factions across the globe.
The Owen family moved as well.
Marcus made his first public appearance since completing his national tour, addressing reporters with visible grief. “My brother-in-law, Brad, devoted half his life to serving this country, with my sister Rylie always beside him, supporting him through everything. They survived countless life-threatening situations, believing they could finally live in peace. Yet on the day of the crash — his wedding day — he was sent out on a mission. I don’t understand why the President would allow that. Brad had only just returned home, with a leg injury that left him barely able to move. Even setting aside the crash, I doubt he could have survived a high-risk classified mission in that condition.”
Marcus’s eyes reddened as he continued. “When Brad was trapped deep inside enemy territory, it wasn’t the country that saved him — it was Rylie. They have endured unimaginable hardships together. They are heroes, and they do not deserve to be treated this way.”
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