Chapter 1055

Juniper and Shanley both leaned in to look. In the heavily pixelated photo, the wrist of one of the men in black was exposed, revealing a very distinct watch.

"We ran a trace. This is an incredibly expensive timepiece, and the buyer pool was extremely limited," the operative explained. "We cross-referenced everyone who purchased this model prior to sixteen years ago and narrowed it down to a few key suspects."

The screen flickered, displaying several profile pictures.

"We located all the others and cleared them. All except this one." The operative pointed to a photo of a striking young man with short hair, wearing a white lab coat and gold-rimmed glasses.

"His name is Corvus Thorne. Originally from the Orient Country, he was a researcher at a pharmaceutical institute in Moralia Country. But twenty-five years ago, the facility exploded. There were supposedly no survivors including him. Yet, six years after that fatal explosion, he appeared at the site of your parents' shipwreck."

"Could he have sold the watch to someone else?" Shanley's deep voice resonated in the room.

"We ruled that out, Boss, because we matched the biometric markers on his hand," the operative clicked the mouse, zooming in on a scar near the wrist. "There's an 'X' tattoo right here."

So, the supposedly dead Corvus Thorne had resurrected and been present at the shipwreck. It was basically a guarantee that Corvus was the one who took Juniper's parents.

"We're still digging into his family connections," the operative added respectfully. "He's not a normal guy. His records have been scrubbed flawlessly clean."

A pharmaceutical institute?

Juniper pressed her lips together, her second brother's words echoing in her mind. He had said their parents loved reading medical texts and experimenting with drug formulations.

Could it be...

"Were my parents researchers at that institute?" Juniper and Shanley asked in perfect unison.

The operative's head snapped up, momentarily unsure of who to answer. After a brief internal panic, he looked at Juniper, his tone incredibly deferential. "It's highly possible. However... the explosion in Moralia Country wiped out all the physical data. We still have to dig deeper."

"See if there are any other surviving researchers who worked there," Juniper said, her voice slightly hoarse. "I know this is a massive undertaking. Thank you all for your hard work."

With that, Juniper stood up and offered a deep, respectful bow. Finding her parents was paramount, but the Sanctum Holdings situation was a ticking time bomb. If Corvus succeeded, countless innocent lives would be at risk.

"Miss Payne!" The operatives practically jumped out of their skin, nearly dropping to

sheet pante Bossknees in

How could

they possibly accept such a massive gesture of respect from her?!

"Cybernetie Shadows is putting all operations on hold. Shift every single resource toward finding these people." Shanley stood up, walking over to wrap his arm protectively, around Juniper's waist.

Putting all operations on hold? The financial loss would easily run into the millions!

"That's an order. Get to work."

"Yes, Boss." The operatives exchanged a quick glance before scattering back to their stations.

The room emptied, leaving just the two of them.

Juniper didn't move. She stood perfectly still, looking up at him. Shutting down the network's contracts would cost him an absolute fortune, yet he hadn't hesitated for a second.

"What are you looking at?" Shanley hooked a finger under her chin, a soft smile playing on his lips.

"I agree," Juniper said quietly, her eyes locked firmly onto his.

"Hmm?" Shanley blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "Agree to what?"

"What you said the other night. I heard you."

What did he say? Shanley's mind raced for a few seconds before his eyes suddenly widened, practically sparkling with unadulterated joy.

That night, he had whispered: Juniper, when we find your parents, let's get married.

And she just said... she agreed?

She agreed to marry him?!