Chapter 164

Chapter 164

Jack heard those words.

A cold laugh escaped his lips.

His eyes darkened as he stared at Jeremy. "At this point, do you really think you have any choice but to cooperate?"

That single sentence became the final straw that shattered Jeremy's psychological defenses.

The interrogation room fell into a deathly silence.

Jeremy stared fixedly at the search warrant on the table, his chest heaving violently.

His mind kept flashing back to The Illuminati's brutal methods of silencing people, and those unfathomably deep eyes of Jack's. He knew Jack wasn't bluffing. He'd been backed into a corner—one step back meant certain death, but one step forward might offer a slim chance at survival.

After what felt like an eternity, Jeremy closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, the fear and struggle had faded, replaced by the grim determination of someone who had nothing left to lose.

"Fine... I'll issue the search warrant."

Jeremy ground out those words through clenched teeth, as if it took every ounce of strength he had.

However.

He raised his head to meet Jack's overwhelming gaze, his voice still trembling but carrying a desperate edge of ruthlessness.

"Jack, I can give you this special search warrant, but I need you to give me something in return."

Jack paused slightly, raising an eyebrow. "You think you're in a position to negotiate?"

"Of course I am!" Jeremy's voice suddenly rose several notches, his eyes bloodshot. "The moment I sign this warrant, Fidelity Tower Technologies' executives will be immediately alerted, and The Illuminati will stop at nothing to silence me! I'm putting my life in your hands!"

Jeremy took a deep breath, staring hard at Jack as he said with deadly seriousness:

"I need you to guarantee that after this operation is over, regardless of whether Fidelity Tower Technologies goes down or not, you'll use your authority to get me into the federal witness protection program and ensure my safety!"

Jack narrowed his eyes slightly, studying Jeremy.

This was a smart man.

Even at the edge of the cliff, he could still find himself a way out with precision.

Jack looked at those bloodshot yet calculating eyes, a slight smile playing at his lips.

"Alright."

Jack nodded lightly in agreement.

Jeremy immediately relaxed.

But before he could fully let his guard down, Jack's next words instantly tightened his nerves again.

"However, you still need to tell me one more thing."

Jack's gaze leisurely shifted to Jeremy.

"What?" Jeremy seemed to already know what Jack was going to ask, his lips trembling slightly.

"Who's your handler?"

Jack asked directly.

Even if Jeremy had been part of The Illuminati for ten years, he must have had someone who brought him in.

Ten years ago, Jeremy was already a bureau chief.

And as Jeremy's recruiter, that person behind the scenes must now hold an even higher position than Jeremy.

And within The Illuminati, they were undoubtedly a core member.

At the word "handler," Jeremy's body, which had just begun to relax, instantly tensed like a fully drawn bow.

His face, which had regained a hint of color from receiving Jack's promise, turned deathly pale once again.

He stared hard at Jack, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty, as if that name were a piece of broken glass lodged in his throat—unable to swallow it down or spit it out.

Once he revealed who his handler was, there would be no room for maneuvering whatsoever.

The organization would certainly subject him to the most brutal purge.

"Jack, you're forcing me straight to hell..." Jeremy squeezed his eyes shut in agony, his hands clutching at his own hair, his entire body curling up in the chair as if completely consumed by some invisible terror.

"You think not telling me will keep you alive?" Jack's voice was cold as ice. "Jeremy, the moment you agreed to sign that search warrant, you already descended into hell. The only difference is whether you die being tortured as The Illuminati's traitor, or whether you seek survival as my informant in witness protection."

Jack leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp as a blade.

"Your handler is the one who pushed you into this abyss. As long as he's still out there, you could run to the ends of the earth, and you still won't escape being silenced."

Jack's voice was low and steady, each word like a nail being driven hard into Jeremy's heart.

"But if you give him to me, I can help you completely sever that chain."

Jeremy's eyes flew open, his pupils contracting violently.

He knew Jack was right.

As long as that person remained, he would forever be an ant that could be crushed at any moment.

Jeremy trembled all over, cold sweat soaking through the back of his shirt.

He stared hard at Jack, his eyes filled with struggle, terror, and the final instinct for survival.

The interrogation room was terrifyingly quiet, only Jeremy's heavy breathing echoing through the space.

After a long while, Jeremy seemed drained of his last bit of strength, his entire body slumping limply in the chair.

He raised his head, staring at the ceiling with hollow eyes, his voice hoarse as if floating up from hell itself:

"His... his name is Duke Vaughn."

"Duke Vaughn?"

Hearing the name Jeremy had just uttered, even Jack's expression changed.

He was a senator from Viridis State.

"That's right, it's him."

Jeremy's face was ashen as he said quietly, "He's the true founder of Fidelity Tower Technologies."

Jack didn't respond immediately.

The air in the interrogation room seemed to solidify completely in that moment, even breathing becoming heavy and labored.

"Duke Vaughn..." He repeated the name in a low voice, his tongue pressing against the roof of his mouth as if chewing on a poisoned blade.

Viridis State Senator.

A core member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

And moreover—

He seemed to be preparing to run in the next presidential election!

Jack finally understood why Jeremy looked as if his soul had been extracted when he spoke that name.

They weren't facing an ordinary politician at all, but a beast about to devour the entire country.

"No wonder..."

Jack murmured under his breath, his voice carrying a trace of suppressed rage. "No wonder Fidelity Tower Technologies dared to use living people for experiments. No wonder they dared to assassinate a police chief in broad daylight."

Jeremy slumped in his chair, a bitter smile of near-despair on his lips.

"Ten years ago, I was just a local prosecutor who couldn't even scrape together campaign funds. He was the one who put me where I am today. He didn't need me to do anything shady for him. He just needed me sitting in that position, ready to block certain things from being seen when he needed it."

"He himself is one of The Illuminati's core members."

Jeremy raised his head, looking at Jack with hollow eyes. "And now, he needs a victory. A clean, impeccable victory. So Fidelity Tower Technologies must be whitewashed, The Illuminati must stay hidden. Those people standing in the way..."

He didn't finish.

But Jack already understood.

Those standing in the way would either be bought off or destroyed.

And his adoptive father William clearly belonged to the latter category.