Chapter 1169:

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“Because I stopped him.” Rudolf’s admission came out heavy with shame. “I don’t understand what’s happening between my children, but Eaton must have reasons for this — he must. I can’t abandon either of them. Please, Gracie — tell me what’s truly going on.”

Gracie shook her head slowly. “I wish I could, but I don’t know his real motives either.”

Even now, she couldn’t decipher what drove Eaton — financial gain, or some twisted attempt to rewrite the past.

“What matters right now is extracting Jessie safely.” Gracie’s voice hardened to steel. “Eaton’s already committed arson — attempted murder. Whether he was targeting me or his own sister, he’s proven he’s willing to kill.”

She bit back the urge to challenge Rudolf’s decision to suppress the police report.

Before Eaton’s recent descent into madness, she had actually liked him. She understood why his parents were struggling to accept what he’d become.

“We need you to extract Jessie quietly — no attention, no spectacle.” Rudolf exchanged a weighted glance with Marley. “Until we understand what’s driven him to this, we can’t let Jessie anywhere near Eaton. For now, let the world think she’s simply vanished. Marley and I are in agreement on this.”

𝖶𝖾е𝘬𝗹𝗒 𝘳еl𝘦а𝘴𝖾𝘴 𝘰n 𝗴a𝗅nо𝘷𝗲𝘭𝘴.𝖼𝗼𝗺

Gracie’s expression darkened further still. This felt like willful blindness — refusing to face reality head-on.

She rose to her feet. “I’ll send people to get Jessie out. What you guys do afterward is your business, not mine.”

She wasn’t a saint, and she’d already gone out of her way for the Holt family once. She had no intention of making it a habit. All that mattered was getting Jessie to safety.

Rudolf caught the edge in her voice and scrambled to his feet, bowing low. “Regardless of everything else, you have our deepest gratitude.”

Gracie didn’t waste another second. She turned on her heel and strode from the café, already pulling out her phone. “Charlie, we have Jessie’s location. Take your team tonight and pull her out. I’ll keep Eaton occupied.”

That same evening, at an upscale private club, Eaton pushed through the entrance and scanned the assembled crowd until his gaze locked onto Gracie’s position across the room.

She stood beside Conroy, chatting easily with a glass of orange juice cradled in her hand.

“Quite the gathering you’ve assembled tonight. What’s the occasion?” Eaton’s tone remained pleasant, but his eyes stayed sharp and watchful.

Gracie turned to face him, a carefully crafted smile touching her lips. “Even with your grand scheme reaching its climax, life continues, doesn’t it? Conroy approached me about developing a landmark amusement park to revitalize Wafland’s tourism sector. These guests can provide expertise and connections. Interested in partnering with us?”

“An amusement park?” Eaton’s eyebrow arched with skepticism as his gaze bounced between them. “Neither of you has any real estate experience that I’m aware of. The sudden pivot into theme park development seems… oddly timed.”

“Money talks.” Conroy’s interjection came smooth as silk. “A successful launch would trigger growth across multiple sectors. Surely that interests you?”

“Naturally. Let me see what you’ve put together.” Eaton’s smile remained perfectly composed as he extended his hand.

Conroy passed him a thick, professionally bound project proposal.

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