Chapter 997

Debra reached out to take his hand. On the surface, Marion acted as though nothing fazed him. But deep down, he was far more vulnerable than he let on. The employees they had just dealt with were likely people who had worked loyally by his side for years. The enemy’s methods were insidious, aiming to force them to destroy their own foundation piece by piece.

“I’m fine,” Marion murmured, squeezing her hand. “Let’s go check the back room.” Debra nodded and followed him.

Burnt-out stubs littered the floor, and the faint haze of smoke still hung in the air. Rows of gambling machines lined up along the walls. She recognized them immediately. She’d seen machines like these back in Orkgate. She remembered the day Drake had shown her a vacant lot under construction, boasting about his plans to create a playground of sin.

Her lips tightened, and she broke the silence. “Drake must have a part in this.” Nothing moved in or out of Orkgate without his approval. With a flick of his hand, Marion signaled to the team waiting outside. “Send all of them to the police station.”

Debra leaned against the doorframe. “This is far from enough. There are probably dozens of arcades like this by now. This shop’s been running for at least a month. That means these operations had started before we went overseas. After we left, they ramped up their efforts.”

She felt a creeping unease. It was as if they were being led by the nose, every step falling into a trap set by their unseen adversary.

Chapter 998

At the docks, two workers used a conveyor belt to move wooden crates from a cargo ship to the dock. When the last crate was unloaded, the foreman waved them over and pointed to the stack. “Open them up and check.”

The two workers exchanged glances before cautiously prying the lid off the crate. Inside lay smashed gambling machines and a severed hand. The foreman was taken aback, but before he could react, one of the workers pressed a blade to his throat.

Drake pulled off his cap. The uniform he wore seemed out of place against his aura. “Talk,” he demanded. “Who’s your boss?”

“Please, spare me,” the foreman begged, his voice cracking. “I don’t know. I’m just here to unload cargo.”

“You won’t talk? Fine, I’ll send you straight to hell.”

“No, wait.”

Suddenly, the sound of sirens rang out in the distance. Kale yanked off his cap and shouted, “Boss, it’s a setup.”

Drake’s eyes narrowed. “I know.”

But in the split second his attention wavered, the foreman shoved him aside and bolted toward the dock. Drake intended to go after him, but Kale held him back.

“Boss, we need to go. It’s the police.”

“So what? Step aside. I need to know which bastard set me up.”

“It’s Seamar City’s cops. If they catch us with this kind of equipment, there’s no way to explain it. We have to leave now.”

But it was too late. The police had arrived and surrounded the dock.