Hearing about the shell companies, Julian Sterling slightly narrowed his eyes. A specific person immediately came to his mind, and that was Dahlia Thorne. Previously, he and Ethan Caldwell had tracked down Dahlia Thorne through the cash flow issues surrounding Gabriel Cole. Afterward, they even discovered the hidden things lurking behind CORE.

Wait a minute...

Julian Sterling’s eyes darted around, and he suddenly gave a pinch to Ethan Caldwell’s arm, which was currently playing with Julian’s waist. The man might be discussing business, but his hands were incredibly naughty, rubbing against Julian’s clothing through a layer of fabric. Being pinched by him, Ethan simply assumed Julian was reminding him not to cross the line. Consequently, the man pressed himself tightly against Julian’s back, his deep breath fanning over the other’s neck: "What is it?"

They were in the middle of discussing serious matters, yet Ethan could not be decent in the slightest. However, considering that the man had to dig up his past emotional wounds today to explain everything clearly to him, Julian let it slide. Julian shook his head, indicating that he did not have an issue with Ethan’s wandering hand. He merely lowered his voice and asked: "Do you remember how we discovered Dahlia Thorne?"

Ethan Caldwell also narrowed his eyes slightly.

He suddenly realized that this woman, who appeared to be a variable, had gradually shrunk her presence, causing him to completely forget about her. This was one of the signature skills possessed by those belonging to CORE. They could easily diminish their own existence, seemingly disappearing from the sight of anyone who was keeping track of them. Naturally, this was just a figure of speech; the people of CORE were most adept at pretending and disguising themselves as though they were nothing more than ordinary individuals.

They were so exceedingly ordinary that if anyone ever harbored suspicions about them and decided to monitor them for a period of time, the observers would eventually grow bored and simply leave them alone.

Ethan Caldwell admitted to himself that he had completely overlooked Dahlia Thorne. Under normal circumstances, he might have merely considered her a low-level operative working for CORE. But now, he had reconsidered the matter, because the cyclic money transfer behaviors of the Cole family and Gabriel Cole were remarkably similar.

"Hey, are you two even listening to me?" Louis York tapped his fingers against the tabletop. Seeing that the two people who were whispering to each other finally looked at him, Louis leaned casually back in his chair, adjusting his collar to hide the hickey on his neck.

"I am in the middle of analyzing the situation. Stop being all lovey-dovey in front of me, it is an absolute eyesore."

Hearing this, Kieran Talbot, who was sitting on the bed, could not help but cast a sideways glare. "The person who should be saying it is an eyesore is me. Acting as if you guys do not act all lovey-dovey right in front of my face?"

Kieran Talbot genuinely felt that he was the most miserable person in the room. There were two couples here, openly and secretly being affectionate with each other without showing him any regard whatsoever. One only needed to look at the bright red hickey on Louis York’s neck to understand. That mark was obviously freshly made; to put it bluntly, when Felix Tate arrived earlier, those two saw that Kieran was lying on the bed taking a nap, so they dragged each other into a dark corner to make out.

They truly acted as if no one else existed.

Damn these people who are in love.

"But I am not flirting while discussing business like some people." Louis York shot back a sideways glance, yet he did not even bother to defend himself against the accusation of being lovey-dovey. In fact, from Kieran Talbot’s vantage point, Kieran could clearly see the toe of Louis’s shoe intimately rubbing against Felix Tate’s calf.

Was he absolutely sure he was being proper and not acting affectionate?

"We are discussing business, we did not do anything." Ethan Caldwell cleared his throat, and then proceeded to recount the matter that Julian Sterling had just reminded him of.

This whole group of people might look unreliable at a glance, but whenever it came to crucial matters, they were significantly more serious. Louis York sat up straight, his brows slightly furrowed. The entire group began to discuss the related issues among themselves, and only Julian Sterling seemed slightly distracted, keeping his head down as he tapped away on his phone.

Felix Tate noticed this and cast two glances at Julian, but he chose not to say anything.

However, the gaze of a military man was exceptionally sharp, and Julian Sterling could completely feel it. On the third time that Felix Tate glanced toward Julian, the young man coincidentally raised his head and offered Felix a smile.

Julian even gave a slight, subtle wink.

Felix Tate furrowed his brows.

Felix was a military man, and his demeanor was incredibly resolute. With his sword-like eyebrows and sharp eyes, merely staring fixedly at a single spot was enough to make anyone feel an immense pressure. Yet, Julian Sterling treated it as if it were nothing at all, leisurely returning the gaze while still maintaining a smile.

Ethan Caldwell also noticed this interaction. He leaned in slightly and asked Julian, "What is it?"

Julian Sterling smiled until his eyes curved into crescents. He spoke up, except his voice was no longer small like the initial whispers; rather, he deliberately spoke loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

"Everyone has been analyzing for a while now, but it seems we have yet to discover the core reason, have we? Why would the Cole family align themselves with CORE? Are they truly utilizing the very lifeblood of their own family to act as a solid backing for CORE?"

Louis York explained, "The Cole family’s business has been performing terribly over the past few years, and they are standing on the brink of bankruptcy. Suddenly, they received a massive source of investment, and the condition in exchange was to act as hunting dogs for CORE within the country, serving as a protective shell for CORE to launder money and transfer funds. During this recent media attack, CORE borrowed Gabriel Cole’s name under the guise of seeking revenge for Aaron Sterling, but in reality, CORE is testing the Cole family’s machinery’s capacity to manipulate public opinion."

Julian Sterling looked directly at the general manager of the top entertainment company and curled his lips into a smirk: "Do you actually believe this incredibly childish and foolish reason?"

"No."

Louis York’s tone was exceptionally straightforward. The others always claimed that he was a man who lived purely for enjoyment, seeking only pleasure without caring too much about anything else. Louis never denied this assessment. He truly was someone who adored extravagant things and reveled in indulgence.

However, being a playboy did not equate to being stupid.

Even though all that information had been extracted by their top-tier forces, just as Julian Sterling had pointed out, this reasoning was far too puerile.

Nobody could possibly believe it.

The atmosphere within the room suddenly fell into a brief, heavy silence. Julian Sterling’s question was like a stone thrown into a tranquil lake, stirring up countless tiny ripples that were nevertheless powerful enough to shatter the deceptive shell of artificial peace.

Julian Sterling did not keep everyone waiting for long. He used his long, slender fingers to tap lightly on the screen of his phone, and then he slid the device across the glass tabletop toward the center, where absolutely everyone could see it clearly. The screen was rather small, but all of their eyesight was excellent, enabling them to read it. Only Kieran Talbot had to physically move a little closer.

Displayed on the screen was a series of intersecting data streams, complex cash flow charts, and several medical documents that had been partially encrypted.

"What they are aiming for is not money. Or to be more accurate, it is true that the Cole family floundered for a period of time, but that is merely the truth that those people want us to see."

As Julian Sterling spoke, he let his gaze sweep over the faces present in the room. Every single one of them understood perfectly well just how immense the ambitions and wild desires of the Cole family truly were. Although their foundation was not as profound as that of the Caldwell Empire, they were still considered a longstanding aristocratic family. Wealthy families with this kind of historical tradition always prided themselves on possessing what they called a noble and lofty disposition.

There was absolutely no way they would willingly bow their heads to act as hunting dogs for anyone else.

The immense pride of a prestigious family would never permit them to do such a thing, unless... the crisis they were facing was not a financial collapse, but rather the collapse of their core lifeline.

Ethan Caldwell reached out his hand to pick up the phone, his deep, profound eyes sweeping over the dense clusters of specialized medical terminology. At this moment, the man’s face also darkened slightly, and his eyes narrowed as if he were deeply calculating something.

"A while back, Conrad Cole was showing an inclination to relinquish his power. However, in the children’s generation, there was his youngest daughter, and in the grandchildren’s generation, there was his capable grandson. He simply did not know whom to choose." Julian Sterling explained at a measured pace, his clear voice carrying a weight that compelled others to listen closely. "It was originally a highly competitive situation, but then, out of nowhere, he kicked his youngest daughter, Seraphina Cole, out of the house and severed all ties with her."

"Beginning from that specific timeframe, the wealth and authority of the Cole family were gradually transferred into the hands of Gabriel Cole. Up until the present moment, even though Conrad Cole has not completely relinquished his control, that day is certainly not too far away."