Chapter 1137

Hailey faced Forest again, her voice now tinged with genuine interest.

“By the way, that backup plan you referenced—what does it involve? Stuart was already captured by Sadie’s people, correct? Without him, who will perform the operation?”

She had never fully trusted this mysterious backup strategy.

Now, her suspicions returned with renewed force.

Forest blinked rapidly, the question yanking him from his spiral of panic.

He cleared his throat and manufactured a cunning smile, attempting to rebuild his shattered confidence.

Instead of responding, he clicked his fingers sharply.

A door near them groaned open at the signal.

From the darkness, a lean figure emerged into the light, his features concealed behind a thick mask.

He approached without any sound, then gradually began stripping the mask from his face.

As his features became visible, Hailey’s eyes sharpened, her expression crumbling into pure astonishment.

“Stuart? Why are you here? I believed Sadie’s team had captured you!” This revelation blindsided her completely.

Forest laughed softly, satisfaction creeping into every weathered line of his features.

“Hailey, the man they seized is Hurst Lawson. He’s Dr. Lawson’s younger brother—missing for years, but a dead ringer.”

Hailey blinked as understanding flooded through her mind. So that explained everything.

She had misjudged her father’s cunning. No wonder he had remained so collected, so confident.

Clearing her throat, she steadied her tone—restoring its smooth, controlled quality.noveldrama

“Dr. Lawson, as long as you perform your role perfectly, your compensation will exceed your expectations.”

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Stuart bowed his head slightly, a subtle smile playing across his lips.

“Ms. Burgess, I feel privileged to participate in such groundbreaking work.”

Hailey offered no response. Her focus had already shifted back to the glowing monitor.

Regardless of the price, this time Noah would belong to her completely.

Noah guided his team through a systematic search.

They had already combed through multiple areas, yet discovered nothing of value.

Frustration began to etch itself into the harsh lines of his face.

Noah and Blaine reached a fork in the road.

The alley was dark as it was, but it split further into two paths that stretched into a seemingly endless abyss.

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