Chapter 1226

Skylar and Natalie quickly left the mall and found a nearby restaurant for a quick meal. Before they finished eating, Skylar received a call from Jeremy, urging her to come to the Hughes Group. He explained that he couldn't explain everything over the phone and they needed to meet in person.

After finishing their meal, Natalie accompanied Skylar to the Hughes Group. Natalie had visited before, but much had changed; even the receptionist was new. Skylar introduced herself, and the receptionist promptly escorted them to the elevator, taking them directly to Jeremy's office.

Jeremy looked surprised to see Natalie. It had been six months since their last encounter, a chance meeting at a restaurant.

"When you called Skylar, we were having dinner, so we came together," Natalie explained. "If it's inconvenient for me to be here, I can wait in the lounge."

Seeing Jeremy glance her way, Natalie assumed he had something he didn't want to discuss in front of her. She started toward the door, offering them privacy.

Jeremy averted his gaze and said calmly, "No need to go to the lounge. There's nothing you shouldn't know." He believed Natalie would keep the conversation confidential.

Natalie hesitated. "I think I'll wait in the lounge anyway. It gives me a chance to play on my phone."

After Natalie left, Jeremy frowned and turned to Skylar. "I called you here to show you this."

Skylar approached Jeremy's desk. He opened an email—a message from an unknown sender containing a single, haunting photograph. The photo showed a person with cuffed hands, his face deeply scarred.

Initially, recognition was impossible. But upon closer inspection, Skylar realized who it was. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"This…," she stammered.

Jeremy wasn't surprised by her shock. "I was taken aback too," he said quietly. "This is my personal email, which I rarely check. I don't usually open emails from unknown senders, but I did today. At first, I thought it was a prank, but I quickly realized the person in the photo was Paul!"

"Can we trace the sender's location? Has Paul ever taken similar photos before?" Skylar asked urgently. If the photo was recent, Paul—and therefore Joe—was still alive. The timing and location were crucial.

Jeremy shook his head. "We'll need a tech expert to track the location. Those scars don't look like makeup; his condition doesn't suggest a fake."

Tears glimmered in Skylar's eyes. "So, Joe is alive. My determination these past few years has been justified, hasn't it?"

Jeremy felt a pang of emotion. "Before you arrived, I contacted specialists. They'll investigate as quickly as possible. Skylar, I have a feeling you might be right. Perhaps Joe and Paul are both still alive."

He couldn't bring himself to say that, given the photo, Paul's situation didn't seem optimistic. If Joe and Paul were together and managed to send this photo, they had lived in dire circumstances for years, with little to no contact with the outside world. This was likely their only chance to reach out, and they could only send one photograph.