Chapter 269
Author: Mel Hope
last update2025-11-10 23:17:31

When Antonio and Cynthia reached the hospital where Marianne had been admitted, the tension that had been building all day tightened around them like a noose.

The corridors were crowded and chaotic, filled with the constant shuffle of nurses’ shoes and the distant hum of machinery.

The air carried the sterile sting of disinfectant, mixed with the faint metallic scent of blood.

Cynthia’s trembling hand clung to Antonio’s arm.

Her face was pale, drained of all color and her lips trembled as she
Continue to read this book for free
Scan the code to download the app

Latest Chapter

  • Chapter 583

    The silence in the operations room stretched longer than anyone was comfortable with.The message still glowed on the screen:“Proceed, Antonio Morris. Let us see if you are like your father.”Cynthia stood very still, her eyes fixed on the words.Elias broke the silence first.“They’re not just watching anymore,” he said quietly. “They’re provoking you personally.”Antonio didn’t respond immediately.He stepped closer to the screen, studying the message as though it contained layers beneath the text.Finally, he said:“This isn’t a threat.”Cynthia frowned.“What do you mean?”Antonio’s voice stayed calm.“It’s a verification attempt.”The technician looked up.“Verification of what, sir?”Antonio turned slightly.“Identity. Pattern. Response behavior.”Elias narrowed his eyes.“So they’re analyzing how you react.”Antonio nodded once.“Yes.”Cynthia’s expression tightened.“And your father?”That question made the room shift subtly.Antonio paused.Then replied:“They’re confirming

  • Chapter 582

    The controlled collapse protocol began rolling through Bellagio’s systems like a carefully staged illusion.Screens flickered between “failure” and “recovery,” financial dashboards dipped unpredictably, and external feeds were deliberately throttled to simulate instability.To anyone watching from the outside, Bellagio Group looked like it was losing control.Exactly as Antonio intended.Inside the operations room, Cynthia watched the data shift with a tight expression.“This feels dangerous,” she said quietly.Elias stood beside her, arms folded.“It is dangerous,” he replied. “We’re basically inviting whoever’s watching to step closer.”Antonio stood a few steps away, eyes fixed on the central monitor.“That’s the point,” he said calmly.A technician looked up nervously.“Sir, external monitoring activity has increased again.”Antonio nodded once.“Good. Let them gather confidence.”Cynthia turned toward him.“And if they don’t fall for it?”Antonio finally looked at her.“They alre

  • Chapter 581

    The corridor outside the holding room felt colder than before.Cynthia walked a step behind Antonio, her thoughts tangled and heavy.Elias followed quietly, his expression tight with concern.For a few seconds, no one spoke.Then Cynthia finally broke the silence.“If Victor is telling the truth…” she said slowly, “…then this isn’t just about Bellagio or Marcus.”Antonio didn’t slow his pace.“It never was,” he replied.Elias exhaled.“So what do we do now? Wait for another attack?”Antonio stopped near the end of the corridor and turned slightly toward them.“No,” he said. “We stop reacting. We take control of the board.”Cynthia frowned.“The board?”Antonio nodded.“Every system Victor mentioned—financial, security, institutional—they all connect somewhere. If we trace enough pressure points, we find where the ledger rotates.”Elias studied him.“And you believe that’s enough to reach whoever is behind it?”Antonio’s gaze hardened.“It’s the only path that doesn’t rely on guessing.

  • Chapter 580

    The room went still.Victor’s words hung in the air like something heavy that refused to fall.“Why are they suddenly afraid of you?”Cynthia felt a chill run through her spine.Elias narrowed his eyes.“That sounds like a threat disguised as a question,” he said sharply.Victor gave a faint, tired laugh.“Call it whatever you want.”Antonio didn’t react immediately. He simply studied Victor—quiet, controlled, unreadable.Then he spoke.“Fear implies awareness,” Antonio said calmly. “So let’s be precise. Who is afraid of me?”Victor tilted his head slightly.“You really don’t know, do you?”Antonio’s tone hardened.“Answer the question.”Victor exhaled slowly.“The people who built everything you’ve been fighting against… don’t like loose ends.”Cynthia frowned.“We already know there’s a network,” she said. “What we don’t know is the ledger’s location.”Victor glanced at her briefly.“The ledger isn’t just a list of names,” he said quietly.Antonio’s eyes narrowed.“Explain.”Victor

  • Chapter 579

    A heavy silence settled over the conference room after Antonio’s words.No one moved.No one even seemed to breathe properly.The people who destroyed our fathers.Cynthia stared at Antonio, trying to process what he had just revealed.“You mean…” she said slowly, “…everything that happened years ago wasn’t just business rivalry?”Antonio shook his head once.“No.”Elias frowned deeply.“Then what was it?”Antonio looked toward the black symbol frozen on the screen.“For years,” he said quietly, “I believed my father died because of failed business dealings and the hatred that followed.”His eyes darkened slightly.“But before his death, he left behind documents—records he hid carefully. At the time, I thought they were meaningless.”Cynthia stepped closer.“What kind of records?”Antonio exhaled slowly.“Transactions. Names. Meetings. Secret partnerships.”Elias folded his arms tightly.“And this symbol appeared in them?”Antonio nodded.“Yes.”The technician looked uneasy.“So this

  • Chapter 578

    The night stretched on with sirens, smoke, and flashing emergency lights surrounding the Bellagio headquarters.By dawn, the fire beneath the building had finally been contained.News stations across the city were already broadcasting nonstop coverage of the attack.Reporters crowded outside the company gates.Employees stood in groups whispering nervously.And everywhere, one name kept surfacing again and again—Marcus Adams.Inside a secured conference hall on the upper floor, Cynthia sat quietly at the long table, staring at the screens displaying the damage reports.Financial systems partially corrupted.Parking structure destroyed.Several injured workers.Millions in losses.Her chest felt heavy.Elias sat nearby, unusually silent.Even he looked exhausted now.Antonio stood near the massive windows overlooking the city, his hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable.One of the executives finally broke the silence.“The media is tearing us apart,” he said anxiously. “Some

More Chapter
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on MegaNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
Scan code to read on App