Chapter 196

VastReach Group. Thorsten Drago. The moment I saw the company name and the bold signature, everything clicked. Both were too familiar to ignore. VastReach Group is RiverwaveCorp's largest partner, and Matthew had a particularly close relationship with its chairman, Thorsten Drago.

What confused me was my father's contract with VastReach, dated ten years prior. As far as I knew, he hadn't been working for RiverwaveCorp then. The contract detailed an agreement for a new energy development project—the same project that's now a hugely successful RiverwaveCorp division. Technically, this contract should have belonged to RiverwaveCorp, but Matthew's signature was absent.

I set the contract aside and opened my father's notebook, a work diary filled with project plans and indecipherable symbols. The last page contained five words in his handwriting: "Wishing for a smooth signing." Then, nothing.

I remembered the night before his fatal car accident. He'd told me, "Kiki, after tomorrow, Daddy's going to be able to build you your very own amusement park." As a child, I'd been too excited to question it. Now, I understood. That VastReach contract, signed ten years earlier, represented a potential breakthrough; he could have built a commercial empire. His death had shattered that dream.

A chilling thought took root: was his accident connected to this contract? Could his death have been more than just a tragic accident? Overwhelmed, I collapsed in the storage room. I had to investigate, starting with VastReach Group and Thorsten Drago.

I couldn't simply demand answers, but I recalled something: Matthew and Lindey had mentioned Thorsten's bladder cancer diagnosis and subsequent retirement, leaving the company to his son. If I could find Thorsten's location, I could visit under the pretense of concern.

Chapter 197 (Beginning)

But I couldn't simply ask Matthew. He's worked for Matthew for over a decade, longer than I've been with the Johnston family. He's reliable and discreet—qualities that explain his longevity. Any overt move would arouse suspicion. He was my best hope, but I needed a subtle approach.

I began by researching Seavora's top medical facilities, narrowing it down to three possibilities. Without knowing Thorsten's exact location, however, I was at an impasse. Then, an idea struck me.