Chapter 994

Patrick Alpinus had reached the limit of his patience. He couldn't wait another second to uncover the truth, even putting aside his rivalry with Ethan Roscente for now.

"Ms. Laurent, please continue," he urged.

Vivian Laurent took a sip of tea before speaking. "I went to see Annika for one reason—to confirm whether Zero truly wanted me dead."

Patrick's pupils constricted sharply. "Zero wants to kill you? That's impossible."

In his understanding, Zero and Shadow were the most seamless duo in the intelligence world, with a flawless track record. Some even whispered they were lovers.

Vivian's lips curled into a cold smile. "See? Even you don't believe it."

"That's not what I meant..." Patrick frowned. "But why would he do this?"

"That's exactly what I want to know." Her gaze turned icy. "Zero claims ignorance about Annika's actions, but she confessed he ordered it. And..."

She paused. "He already poisoned me once when I was abroad. By the way, you've actually met Zero before—during your vacation in Canada."

A memory flashed through Patrick's mind—the man standing beside Vivian at that bar. He'd introduced himself as Liam Valdemar?

He sucked in a sharp breath. The truth had been right under his nose all along.

"Don't blame yourself." Vivian saw right through him. "Even if you'd known his identity then, you couldn't have captured him. His skills...you're no match for him, not even ten of you."

Patrick's face darkened. Harsh, but true.

"So that prison break on the Dark Web..." He suddenly connected the dots.

"Was my doing." Vivian admitted freely. "But I gave you the coordinates. You arrested plenty of people—call it even."

Patrick gave a bitter laugh and raised his thumb. "Impressive."

Ethan Roscente's lips quirked upward unconsciously, as if the praise had been directed at him.

Felix Valdemar looked utterly lost, but Isabella Langley silenced him with a single glance.

Vivian continued, "Zero has wanted me dead for a long time. Sophia Evans' death, Bianca Semona's parents, Sophia Sherwood—he's behind them all. He'll keep killing unless..."

Patrick nodded in understanding. "You want to team up to capture Zero. But capture alone isn't enough—we need irrefutable evidence to eliminate him permanently."

His fists clenched, battle flames igniting in his eyes. This time, he wouldn't let the criminal escape justice.