Pampered by my three brothers: the return of the neglected heiress

Chapter 1546: Surrogacy

[Prime Group: Penthouse]

Hugo sat on the living room couch, a laptop open on the coffee table in front of him. His brows were knitted as he read through all the soft copies of Mint's investigation files. These documents were highly confidential - technically, Hugo shouldn't even have access to them. After all, they had nothing to do with his role as lieutenant general.

But Mint trusted him. And he wanted to help.

This case, after all, could affect their family. So while Hugo still hadn't been called back to base, he wanted to make sure things here were handled before he left. Otherwise, he would just worry about his family and might wind up dead because he couldn't focus.

"Ah, Mint..." he murmured. "Just what were you doing to miss this?"

The files were split into two main cases: Mint's original investigation into the killer drug and the baby swap.

Since she'd been tracking the lethal drug longer, most of the documents focused on that. There was plenty of information — distribution patterns, lab records, and arrest reports - but still no clear lead on who was behind the current resurgence. The original syndicate had been busted, its members locked up. The chemist who cooked the drug? Dead. The one who stole the recipe? Killed during the raid.

It was supposed to be a closed Chapter.

And yet, somehow, the killer drug had resurfaced on the black market, now selling for a premium price. Ridiculously high, in fact. And still, people were buying like they were some sort of candies.

The most shocking part? According to their informant, who had tried to place an order, there was a waitlist of over a hundred. That alone showed how many buyers were lined up across the globe. They could already imagine the long line after that.

But that wasn't what surprised Hugo the most.

"They're the same people," he whispered, holding his breath. "The ones selling the drug... and the ones who swapped Penny and Nina."

Deep lines formed between his brows as he double-checked the files.

But the pattern fit. This syndicate didn't just deal with some sort of lethal drugs. They had a documented history of kidnapping-for-ransom and illegal surrogacy. It wasn't a one-lane operation. It was a sprawling web of organized crime. A

his knees, hands clasped in front of his

all. Which made it dangerous. The baby swap was probably the messiest operation of all — no clean

he muttered. "If it was surrogacy or ransom, why not just follow through? Why go through the trouble

down on him

his phone buzzed on the table. He glanced

picked up

mother is dead?" Mint asked, skipping any

a brow.

have a theory," she said.

her quiet voice. "It might sound crazy, but when

It's been a while since I last reviewed them...

took a breath, pacing restlessly on the

it's Nina's

do you mean, her

files, there are cases of surrogacy and

I saw that," Hugo nodded. "But I still don't

I thought the same many, many times. But... what if Nina's

made Hugo pause.

there are legal

mothers women who help

if, somewhere along the way, she fell in

gave birth, they'd take the child