Chapter 1052

The whole family was gathered in the living room, all eyes glued to the door, waiting anxiously for Brandon's return.

Brandon burst through the door, breathless and on edge, with Bennett supporting him and Oliver and Josefina trailing behind. Josefina had thrown on a long black down coat over her clothes to fend off the night's chill.

Brandon, his voice tinged with desperation, made a beeline for the stairs. "I swear, if I catch the scoundrel who tried to steal from me, they'll wish they'd never been born!"

He exuded authority and determination as he reached the entrance, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw the door was intact.

Sandi, her voice a little shaky, piped up, "Grandpa, what's going on? A burglar at this hour? It's terrifying."

Wilder chimed in reassuringly, "Thank goodness for this sturdy door. Grandpa, take it easy, your health's more important."

Cole, feeling the weight of responsibility, interjected, "Dad, I'm sorry. I should've been more vigilant. It's on me."

His apology was sincere, his demeanor heavy with remorse.

Oliver glanced around the room, noticing an absence. "Where's Makiko?"

Everyone else was present, but Makiko was conspicuously missing. Josefina, too, noted her absence but held her tongue, aware that she was just an observer amidst the Baldwin family.

Cole explained, "Makiko's got a bad cold, been coughing all day. I didn't want her spreading it around, so she's resting in her room."

Sandi added, "Yeah, Mom's been on medication all day. Her cough's pretty bad."

Cole turned to Sandi, "Honey, go check on your mom, see if she can come out." Brandon interrupted, "Let her rest. I'll handle the investigation. She wouldn't be much help in this state anyway."

He looked at the door lock, his emotions a cocktail of anger and frustration.

Oliver stepped forward, inspecting the lock, and deftly extracted a tiny camera from inside. "Grandpa, don't worry. There's a camera here. We can check the footage and find out who did this."

His confident tone suggested he already had a good idea of who might be behind it. Brandon nodded, "Cole, you should all get some sleep. This won't take long to sort

out."

But Cole stood firm, "Dad, I'm part of this family. The thief struck while we were all here. I need to see this through."

His words were careful, but Brandon understood his underlying need to clear his name, to prove he wasn't complicit.

Brandon, empathetic to his son's plight, agreed, "If you want to stay, then come with us and watch the footage sandi, Wilder, you two should go get some rest."

Wilder shook his head, "Grandpa, I won't sleep until we catch whoever did this. I'll stay up and watch the footage with you."

Sandi echoed his sentiment, "I'm wide awake too. I need to know who had the audacity to target Grandpa."

Josefina chuckled, "Guess I'll join the party too. Can't resist a little drama."

She was here for the spectacle, eager to be in the loop. No way was she missing out on this intriguing development.

Oliver, sensing Josefina's enthusiasm, gave her a fond look as Brandon led the way

to the living room. "Alright, let's go check the footage."

With Brandon at the helm, the little troupe made their way downstairs. Josefina

walked alongside Oliver, who accepted a tablet from one of the staff.

They all settled into seats, eyes on Oliver as he prepared to reveal what the hidden camera had captured, Cole watching intently, his gaze thoughtful and steady.