Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 1503

She figured that since those two were thick as thieves, Steve might know certain secrets that even Keaton wasn't privy to. Her guess was entirely correct, Steve knew exactly what was going on. But there was no way he'd dare say a word. James had issued strict, lethal orders prohibiting anyone from telling Emmy his whereabouts.

Steve immediately played dumb. "Huh? Old James went on a business trip? Even you, his own wife, don't know where he went, so how the hell am I supposed to know! Anyway, Emmy, I just called to ask about the person you put a bounty on. Now that I have the details, I gotta get back to work. If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up. Bye!"

Without giving Emmy any chance to press further, Steve abruptly cut the call.

Emmy felt completely helpless. After some thought, she dialed Brett's number. Brett was currently serving as a drill instructor at the South Bay Command military base near Cloudrest Peak. The base had strict regulations, making him notoriously difficult to reach. As expected, the phone rang for a long time before automatically disconnecting. It wasn't until noon the next day that Brett finally called back.

"Emmy, I'm really sorry. I was training new recruits yesterday and didn't have my phone on me. Is there an emergency?"

Emmy quickly walked over to the lounge area in the lab, lowering her voice. "Brett, do you know where your commander went and what he's doing? He left in a hurry and didn't give me any details."

Brett paused on the other end, his tone completely earnest. "I really don't know much about that. Ever since the captain went to Country M to be with you, he hasn't contacted us at all. We've all retired from active duty and taken up regular posts within the military system now. Without a specific reason, it isn't appropriate for us to actively inquire about or contact the captain."

The light in Emmy's eyes dimmed. "Alright, I understand. Sorry to bother you."

Just as all the bidding had concluded and everyone was preparing to head home, a local boss suddenly sought them out. He claimed he had one last mining sector left in his hands. Since he was eager to flee Nelia, he hoped any interested buyers would take it off his hands immediately, promising a highly negotiable price. These wealthy men had come to this godforsaken place specifically to plunder cheap resources, so naturally, they all scrambled to jump at such a lucrative opportunity.

Early the next morning, a massive convoy of over a dozen off road vehicles set out majestically, following the local boss toward the mining zone. But nobody expected the route to become increasingly desolate. The surrounding landscape grew ever more barren, littered with the shattered remains of bombed out houses. They had unknowingly entered the very heart of the most intense conflict zone!

The sharp, piercing shriek of artillery shells began to tear through the sky above them. Terrified by the horrifying noise, several of the more cowardly tycoons immediately demanded to turn back. However, the mine owner's asking price was incredibly low, and he was desperate to sell and escape. Tempted by the lethal allure of pure profit, only a portion of the convoy turned back. The rest bolstered their courage and continued deeper into the warzone.

Sitting in the back seat of an SUV, James stared vigilantly out the window at the ruins. Just as the convoy passed through a narrow hillside, disaster struck without warning!