Chapter 1728: Who holds it now?

"...It’s possible he did it to gain information on the fake Naylani’s real son."

All these theories—and not a single one could be discarded. Even so, everything remained circumstantial until Jonathan confessed. With his knowledge and involvement of the Zorken Family, Jonathan could become a key piece in the case.

Not just to the Zorkens, but to all the other connected cases. After all, numerous people in power and within influential businesses had supported this operation from the shadows. They had all benefited from these, and once this was all revealed, it would be a scandal that could shake the nation once the truth exploded.

"Mint and I know this might not seem urgent right now," Hugo said after a long silence, "but we thought Zoren and Dean should know. Especially since First Brother is heavily involved with the Pierson Corporation, this information is critical for damage control."

"Because it’s already clear Jonathan struck deals with some members of the Pierson Family in secret," Mint added. "And once this all comes to light, the Piersons will take a major hit—especially Zoren and Atlas, as the heads of the family and the company."

"It’s alright," Atlas replied casually, nodding. "Even if they try to drag me into this, my conscience is clear."

"Atlas, having a clear conscience doesn’t always mean you’ll be seen as innocent in the eyes of the law," Charles reminded his son sternly.

The two locked eyes for a moment before Atlas nodded mildly.

"Don’t worry about me," he said. "Everyone on my end will be fine."

Then, he turned to Dean. "You," he called.

Dean raised his brows, everyone bracing for something significant, only for Atlas to say:

"Stop wasting paper with repeated copies and do some proper work."

Dean’s face twitched. He clicked his tongue and looked away irritably.

’Damn this guy!’

"Since Zoren will be preoccupied, Atlas will likely need to take over the company," Finn muttered, deep in thought. "Good thing Dean’s here—and honestly, his stalking skills aren’t all bad. Zoren stepping away due to ’health issues’ won’t surprise anyone, but without him, vultures will try to cause trouble for Atlas."

He then snapped his eyes to everyone. "Not just those who had openly opposed him, but I’m sure the enemy will take advantage of this as well."

"Let them try," Atlas said. "You and Dean are here, and you both were deeply involved with the company. Once I become the focus, you’ll have the perfect chance to move."

Finn and Dean looked at Atlas’s blank expression, while the rest nodded in agreement.

"Don’t worry," Atlas continued. "If I’m right, these people always focus on whoever they think is the greatest threat. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be here right now, and we wouldn’t have gotten those vault clues unscathed."

"Atlas is right," Mint said. "Commander Nam—one of Naylani’s most trusted soldiers—still hasn’t talked. The only time he did, during the ambush, he assumed it was a setup by me and Jonathan. They had no idea the rest of you were even involved. And I don’t think he already caught on that the people in that vault weren’t me, but the two of you."

In other words, no one had been watching them closely.

Penny and Zoren’s recent bold moves—her investigation at the orphanage and his confrontation with Jonathan—were met with immediate consequences, proof that they were being monitored. Mint and Hugo had been followed too.

They were the biggest threats in the game.

Charles had already taken a hit, so their enemies likely assumed he was preoccupied with the Millers’ company. Haines was also off their radar—injured, with a bad leg, unlikely to pose a physical threat.

But did that mean they were completely unwatched?

It was possible they were still being monitored occasionally. But Penny’s original plan ensured that neither Charles nor Haines did anything overt enough to raise alarms. That subtlety gave them breathing room to work behind the scenes.

As for Atlas, their enemies only needed to monitor his business decisions. That was where Atlas operated best—through strategies and leverage. They wouldn’t expect him to get physically involved. He wasn’t a fighter.

Zoren, Penny, Mint, and Hugo—these were the hybrids.

Penny’s flourishing business, and the nature of it, made her a significant threat. Approaching her directly would be difficult, especially with her strong network. And even if someone managed to bypass her defenses, Penny had proven she could defend herself. Her connections weren’t as vast as Zoren’s, but they weren’t trivial either.

If she ever showed a high interest in this case and made a move, it would surely gain attention.

Zoren, on the other hand, not only had terrifying reach—his "rumored" connection to the Phantom Circle would’ve already drawn attention. He had enough of a private army to mount real retaliation. It wouldn’t destroy the Zorken Family completely, but it would hurt them badly.

Besides, Zoren, being the head of the Pierson Family, and known as Naylani’s son, was something Nathalie would surely take into account. After all, even if Nathalie knew Zoren was not Naylani’s real son, some people would think he was. Meaning, a problem.

Then there were Mint and Hugo, both holding high ranks within the government. Out of everyone, they were the most dangerous to Nathalie. With the right allies, they could trigger a full-scale war—a bloody reckoning against one of the world’s largest criminal syndicates.

Hence, the threats in Mint’s life and perhaps a brewing scheme against Hugo.

"Hugo and I already reached out to the people we trust," Mint explained. "Today, we’ll be meeting with them. The goal is to form a joint operation involving the military, Homeland Security, Interpol, and Central Intelligence."

She paused, eyes narrowing. "There’s a high chance this won’t go as smoothly as we hope. We have to assume there are moles in every agency. And even if we manage to form a group, I can’t risk my men’s lives because someone in this operation doesn’t share the same goal as we do."

"That’s why..." She turned to Zoren. "Zoren, you didn’t mention this last night, but aside from knowing where their hive is... do you know anything about the code the Zorken sisters have been searching for?"

All eyes turned to Zoren. He stayed quiet for a moment.

Then he exhaled.

"Yes," he said. "I know where it is—and who holds it now."