Chapter 103 Your Heart Is Truly Cruel

Chapter 103 Your Heart Is Truly Cruel

Daniel picked up the conversation.

"I think Mal's behind this. He has connections with the Emberlyn royal family. He deliberately leaked your information to them, hoping they'd help him get rid of you. Think about it—when the previous CEO was choosing a successor, Mal was the top candidate, but then you, an outsider, swooped in and took the position. You think he's okay with that?"

James shook his head.

"Mal isn't even a big shot at Apex Global Enterprises. What makes you think he has the ability to get the Emberlyn royal family to do his bidding? He probably doesn't even know which door leads to the palace."

"Not necessarily."

Daniel's voice rose a bit.

"He may not be smart, but he's loaded! He could buy off a middleman..."

"Buy off a middleman to kidnap a country's PhD holder? And casually mobilize the Desert Legion?"

James cut him off, his tone calm and measured.

"Daniel, think about it. What level of organization is the Desert Legion? That's the Emberlyn royal family's own military force, not hired security. The number of people who can order the Desert Legion to execute missions abroad wouldn't exceed three in the entire Emberlyn royal family. You think Mal can afford to buy that kind of person?"

Daniel fell silent.

Matthew seized the opportunity to speak.

"So it's not Mal. I think from the beginning, the Emberlyn royal family's target has been your technology, boss."

James turned to look at him.

"Technology?"

"Yes."

Matthew turned his laptop back around and pulled up a file.

"Boss, you livestreamed making that C6 bomb on the dark web before. Although you had your back turned and didn't show the key steps, everyone saw...

that you made that bomb.

Not Bianca, not Michael—you.

The Emberlyn royal family has been scouring the globe for top scientific talent, especially in weapons development. They've set their sights on your technology,

but they could never find you, so they could only go after people around you."

Matthew paused, then continued.

"They found Michael first.

Because Michael has a reputation in the engineering field, and he's Bianca's father.

They figured if they kidnapped Michael, Bianca would panic. If Bianca panicked, she'd ask you for help.

Once you helped, you'd show yourself. Once you showed yourself, they could find you."

James's fingers stopped tapping on the desk.

"You're saying kidnapping Michael was to draw me out?"

"I think so."

Matthew sounded certain.

"Of course, there's another possibility...

Let's say you didn't show up, and Bianca tried to rescue her father on her own.

Michael himself is an engineering PhD—making explosives is just a matter of time for him.

Bianca inherited his talent, and with your formula, her making C6 would be inevitable.

Either way, the Emberlyn royal family wouldn't lose.

They'd either get you, or get the formula from Bianca."

Daniel snorted from the side.

"Your theory sounds reasonable, but there's one thing that doesn't add up.

If the Emberlyn royal family wants the technology, why not just negotiate directly?

They have money and power. Name a price—maybe the boss would be willing to sell.

Why go through all this trouble?"

Matthew adjusted his glasses.

"Because they weren't sure if the boss would be willing to sell.

What if he refused?

What if he turned around and sold the technology to someone else?

Royals like to keep control in their own hands.

Kidnap Michael, draw him out, then negotiate face to face...

If he doesn't agree, they don't release the hostage.

That's their leverage."

"Then why didn't they just kidnap the boss directly?"

"Because they can't."

Matthew's voice rose a bit.

"Who is the boss? The head of Apex Global Enterprises.

He always has bodyguards around him, his whereabouts are always confidential.

And more importantly, anyone who knows even a little about the boss wouldn't want to kidnap him.

That video of him single-handedly taking on the Ghost Legion years ago spread widely on the dark web.

Many underground fight clubs even downloaded it to use as training material for new fighters.

Only a lunatic would try to kidnap the boss directly."

Daniel opened his mouth to argue but found he had nothing to say.

Every point Matthew made was logically sound.

Both of them looked at James.

James leaned back in his chair, hands crossed over his chest, eyes closed, as if thinking.

Outside the window, the sky had gone completely dark, with only the city lights in the distance leaving a dim yellow band along the horizon.

"You both make good points."

James opened his eyes and sat up straight.

"But there's one thing you haven't mentioned."

"What?"

They both asked at once.

"The Emberlyn royal family might have known who I was from the very beginning."

James's voice was calm, but the weight of this statement made both Daniel and Matthew's expressions change.

"They might even know more than I do."

"What do you mean?"

Daniel asked, narrowing his eyes.

James let out a cold laugh but said nothing.

Daniel raised an eyebrow at Matthew, who shook his head slightly, signaling Daniel not to press further.

Especially when James went silent—it clearly meant he didn't want to continue this topic.

"Whatever the reason, I need to figure it out. So I have to go to Emberlyn.

Not just for Michael, but to get to the bottom of everything.

Why they're looking for me, why they're kidnapping people around me, why they've set up such an elaborate scheme."

Daniel and Matthew exchanged glances, neither speaking.

The office was quiet for a long time.

Then there was a knock at the door.

Not an urgent knock, but a light, hesitant, somewhat tentative two taps.

James turned his head.

"Come in."

The door opened.

Iris walked in carrying a tray.

On the tray were three cups of coffee, steam rising from them, the aroma spreading through the room.

She wore a dark blue sweater, her hair tied in a low ponytail, no makeup on her face, looking somewhat pale.

Her left arm was still wrapped in bandages... from when she'd taken a bullet for James in Emerald City. It hadn't fully healed yet.

She walked in with her head down, not looking at anyone.

She set the tray on the edge of the desk, placing one cup in front of James, one in front of Daniel, and one in front of Matthew.

Her movements were quick and light, as if completing a task she had to finish but didn't want to linger over for even a second.

Then she turned to leave.

The whole time, she didn't look at James once.

Her steps were quick—so quick that before Daniel and Matthew could say "thank you," she was already at the door.

Daniel opened his mouth to call after her, but seeing James's expression, he closed it again.

The door closed.

Iris's figure disappeared behind it.

The room was quiet for three seconds.

Daniel was the first to speak.

He leaned back in his chair, took a sip of coffee, then looked at James with an expression that said "I've been holding this in for so long and can finally say it."

"Boss, you're really heartless."