Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 974

The officer snapped to attention. “Sir, we found a lot of fire accelerant residue around the ruins.”

“This was planned. Dean knew we were coming for him.”

The officer hesitated, then kept going. “If we extradited him, he’d be facing life in prison, maybe even the death penalty.”

“And Dean’s father is still in custody. As long as Dean was alive, he was evidence.”

“This fire wasn’t just about ending his own life. He wanted to wipe out everything that could be used against them.”

“If he’s dead, there’s no one left to testify. The case is dead too.”

“He used his own life to protect his father, and to keep the last of the Sparrow family’s assets from being seized.”

The logic was flawless.

Major General Carlos fell silent. He might be a warlord in Fiji, but he’d heard plenty about how those powerful families in the States played their games. Sacrificing a pawn to save the king happened all the time.

Dean was ruthless… especially to himself.

“Take photos of everything. Send them to James,” Carlos said coldly. “Tell him what happened. Dean’s dead.”

“Yes, sir!”

“And,” Carlos narrowed his eyes, scanning the island, “send a team. Search every inch of this island. Leave nothing unchecked.”

“Yes, sir!”

The special ops team scattered, combing the island for hours.

They searched the jungles, caves, beaches, even the rocks below the cliffs. Not a single spot was missed.

Except for one place. The sewage outflow pipe, reeking so badly no one wanted to go near it. Not even a homeless person would climb in there, let alone someone like Dean. Plus, the place was full of methane. Going in would be suicide.

“Report, General! The island’s clear. No suspicious people found!”

“Report! The blockade held. No boats slipped through!”

Carlos listened, then waved his hand. “Take the body. We’re done here.”

Helicopter blades roared overhead, whipping the air into a frenzy.

The special forces team took the charred remains of “Dean” and left Blackwood Island behind, leaving only wreckage and the fading smell of smoke.

Underground, in that filthy pipeline, Dean crawled forward like a dying rat. He was caked in grime, every move a struggle.

He listened as the helicopters faded into the distance. A bitter, twisted smile crept onto his face.

James.

You won this round.

She turned pale, slapped a hand over her mouth, and twisted away, stomach lurching.

Whatever that was, it didn’t look like a person anymore. More like a hunk of burned, rotten wood—grotesque and terrifying.

“Teresa!”

Andrew caught her quickly, one arm around her as he shoved the photos face-down with the other.

Teresa leaned against him, still shaking. “That… was that Dean?”

The soldier nodded. “Forensics confirmed it was Dean. The bones match.”

James said nothing. He stared at the upside-down photos, tapping his fingers on the table, slow and distracted.

“I want a DNA test,” James said suddenly. His voice was ice-cold, no room for argument.

The soldier hesitated. “Mr. Nelson, the body’s features are… there’s no doubt, and the island’s isolated. No one else could have gotten in or out…”

“I said,” James looked up, his gaze freezing, “I want a DNA test.”

He knew Dean too well. The man was obsessive, relentless. He would never give up that easily.

A guy like Dean? No way he’d kill himself just like that.

James didn’t buy it for a second.