Chapter 266

On the other end of the call, Joseph's voice sounded rough and exhausted, every syllable heavy with sorrow. "Luis, you can't imagine how hard this is.Seeing your mother like this breaks my heart..."

Luis stayed silent, listening to the pain in his father's words. He frowned, a sharp pang of guilt flickering across his face.

He knew the weight his father carried. Years of caring for his fragile wife, all while grieving the loss of their daughter, had left Joseph worn thin. The hardship was deeper than words could reach.

"Dad, I really do understand. You've done so much for all of us. Try not to worry. Things will change now.We found my sister. I believe Mom will start to get better, little by little," Luis replied, keeping his voice gentle, hoping his words would bring a sliver of hope. Joseph's breathing steadied, his tone softening "You're right, son. If your mother gets to see her daughter again, it might help her heal."

When Joseph finally sounded calmer, Luis ended the call.

A wave of relief washed over him. For the first time in days, his shoulders loosened, and he slumped back in his seat.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, massaging away the tension behind his eyes.

Once he'd caught his breath, Luis pulled himself together and reached for his phone again, this time dialing Verena.

At that moment, Verena was in the middle of briefing department heads when her phone buzzed, the urgent ringtone cutting through the meeting.

She glanced at the screen, her expression souring when she saw Luis' name.

Memories of his recent odd behavior made her

instantly irritated.

She hit decline without a second thought.

But the phone barely had a moment's rest before Luis tried again.

Seeing his name appear a second time only deepened her annoyance. She hung up once more.

Tucking her phone away, Verena chose to ignore it,throwing herself back into her work.

Still, Luis refused to give up. The phone rang again,the sound cutting sharply through the silent office.

Verena stared at the screen, feeling her irritation mount. After storming out on her, now he was blowing up her phone. She wondered what new scheme he might be pulling.

With a resigned sigh, she picked up, hoping to get it over with and return to work.

"Mr. Sampson, my schedule isn't exactly open. If there's something urgent, say it now," Verena said, tone edged with impatience.

Luis hesitated, at first wanting to break the tension with a few polite words, hoping to ease her mood before raising the real reason for his call.

But Verena's brisk impatience made it clear she had no time for pleasantries. Not wanting to risk another hang-up, Luis went straight to the heart of the matter. "I'm calling to let you know l've decided to accept your proposal."

Verena was taken aback. "Come again?"

It wasn't that she hadn't caught his words. She was simply shocked by his sudden change, especially after all his earlier doubts and evasions.

Picking up on her disbelief, Luis continued, voice sincere, "I mean it. I won't help Simon against you anymore."

He could not contain the rush of relief in his tone."And do you know why? Because the person l've been looking for all these years-I finally found her." Verena felt a wave of disbelief. After years of chasing shadows, Luis had finally tracked down the one person Simon used to control him.

Everything changed in that instant.

Steadying himself, Luis spoke with a cold clarity."Simon isn't your problem anymore. I haven't even started settling my score with him. The man had the nerve to try and threaten me. He's' got no idea what that's going to cost him. I promise you, he'll wish he'd never crossed me."

Luis caught sight of his own reflection in the rearview mirror, his eyes as hard as stone. Every ounce of steel and ruthlessness he'd learned in the underworld flickered there, plain for anyone to see.

Verena listened to his voice through the phone,steady and merciless, and her brows drew together in unease.

People rarely doubted the reach of the Sampson Group's underground power. She had never witnessed it firsthand, but stories about Luis' harshness were enough to paint the picture.

Now that he had found the person he cherished most, Simon's threats meant nothing to him, and letting Simon walk away alive seemed unlikely.

He had a reputation for being ruthless, and once he set his sights on Simon, there was a good chance he would stop at nothing. He might even take Simon's life without a second thought.

As that realization hit her, Verena said, her voice leaving no room for argument, "You can't go after Simon now."

Luis was confused. "What do you mean?"

Her determination was clear as she answered, "I still haven't figured out the truth behind what happened to my family. If Simon really is the one l've been searching for, the one who hurt them, then it has to be me who faces him. That's not up for debate." She paused to gather her thoughts and then continued, "Mr. Sampson, since you've agreed to work with me, that means you owe me a certain level of respect. Once everything comes to light, I won't stand in the way if you want to take your revenge.But until then, don't interfere with mine. If you act too soon and go after Simon now, everything l've done will unravel. All the progress I've made, all the information I've dug up-it'll all disappear just like that."

Her defiance left Luis quiet, the weight of her words settling heavy over him.

Conflicted emotions twisted inside him.

He felt powerless.

All his efforts to find his sister had led to this moment, yet there was a wall between them.

Every time she spoke to him, it was as if they were nothing but strangers. The chill in her voice stung more than he cared to admit. He also felt a deep sense of gu't His reckless choices in the past had ruined whatever chance he had to mend things with his sister. Now, everything between them felt awkward and forced.

But then another thought settled in his mind.

Regardless of everything, she was still his sister.He would do right by her.