?Chapter 1164:


    His tone sounded casual—no cracks, no slips.


    ine nodded slowly, giving him a brief once-over. “Mr. Howe, your assistant… Stan. I haven’t seen him for a while. How is he?”


    Alex’s smile faltered for half a second before shifting into mild confusion. “Ah, right. I haven’t seen him in a while, either. He hasn’t been answering my calls. Figured he was just beingzy again—probably took a leave without telling me. You know, guys getting more and more careless.” He shook his head, then smoothly shifted topics. “How’s Sadie? Has she woken up yet?”


    ine didn’t respond right away. He just kept staring.


    Alex stood there, all calm smiles and casual concern. Nothing in his expression raised rms.


    But ine couldn’t shake the feeling that something didn’t sit right.


    That easy smile. Those open, steady eyes. There was something wrong.


    Alex noticed the lingering look and raised his brows, almost yfully. “Mr. Castro, you’re staring. Is there something on my face?”


    ine let out a shortugh, more awkward than amused. He was about to speak when a bodyguard burst in from outside, breathless and wide-eyed. “Mr. Castro, I have bad news!” He ran over, barely able to get the words out. “We just got word—Stan’s been found. He’s badly hurt. Can’t talk. Can’t move. They left him near the edge of the urban vige.”


    The words mmed into ine like a blow to the chest. He stood there, stunned.


    What the hell was going on?


    How could this happen?


    Who would do something like this? Who could be so ruthless?


    ine instinctively turned to Alex.


    He looked just as stunned—his worry and urgency seemed real.


    “What?” Alex grabbed the bodyguard’s arm, his voice unsteady. “Where is he now?”


    New chapters now on .c?m


    The guard, thrown off by the reaction, pointed toward the corridor with a shaky hand. “He’s in surgery.”


    Alex’s face drained of color. Without saying another word, he bolted down the hall.


    ine snapped out of his daze and followed.


    Outside the operating room, the red “In Surgery” sign glowed faintly, casting an eerie hue across the hallway.


    The air felt thick. Still.


    Alex stood there, fists clenched, chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. Then he turned suddenly.


    “Mr. Castro… did you know Stan was missing this whole time?”


    The look on his face—raw anguish, disbelief—made something in ine’s gut twist. But it didn’t shake the feeling that had been gnawing at him.


    “Mr. Howe, calm down. Let me exin,” ine said. “Here’s what we know. A few days ago, when Hailey was taken, those thugs took Stan, too. Jack—our man—was also hurt by them. He’s still in the ICU. I’ve had people searching for Stan, but I didn’t expect this.” He stopped, the weight of it all pressing down.


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