Stone let out a bitter laugh. He’d already gotten into the car, but for some reason, something had felt off—so he had the family send a replacement vehicle.
At that moment, aside from his own people and Jonathan’s team, he trusted no one.
Thinking back to the brief encounter at the door with Maddox, he hesitated before saying, “I ran into Maddox.”
“I don’t know if today’s incident had anything to do with him.”
Maddox had said he was being overly cautious. At the time, Stone hadn’t thought much of it. Now, the fear was setting in.
Once close friends… now reduced to this. He couldn’t help but feel a bit of regret.
But Jonathan simply said, “It probably had nothing to do with him.”
“He’s not that stupid.”
Getting involved in something that might cost lives—Maddox wouldn’t dare. Not with Stone involved.
If anything had happened to Stone, the Hayes family wouldn’t have let it slide.
Stone rubbed his face. “Once all this is over, I’m requesting to be sent out on field missions.”
Compared to all this scheming and backstabbing, missions were much more straightforward.
Jonathan understood his friend’s nature. He also knew this situation had pushed Stone to his limits.
“By the way, that number White gave—?”
“We’ve confirmed it. His sister really was taken.”
Jonathan tapped his fingers lightly. Even when he’d looked into White’s background before, there hadn’t been a trace of a sister.
Victor’s reach abroad still exceeded his.
“Should we tell White?” Stone asked.
“He’s probably already figured it out.”
“Asking me to check was just a way to confirm it—and also to force himself into cooperation with me.”
Jonathan’s insight surprised Stone.
After everything that had happened, they were still going to work with White?
“There are no permanent enemies,” Jonathan said quietly.
Before learning the full extent of Victor’s schemes, White had been the first name on his list to eliminate.
Now, that top spot belonged to Victor.
“Then I’ll find a way to pass the message to him,” Stone offered.
But Jonathan shook his head. “No. You stay out of this.”
“He’ll find a way. Don’t underestimate White.”
Victor’s arrogance was his weakness. He didn’t realize his sons had grown up. Even hyenas, when there are enough of them, can bring down a lion.
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