Pampered By My Three Brothers: The Return Of The Neglected Heiress - Chapter 1546

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.

It was still circumstantial — he could be wrong. 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 huge ring of criminality.

Hugo leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped in front of his mouth. His eyes sharpened.

In other words, investigating the baby swap could lead directly to the heart of it all. Which made it dangerous. The baby swap was probably the messiest operation of all — no clean cover-up, too many loose ends. But also… clues. If one knew where to look.

“But… why the baby swap?” he muttered. “If it was surrogacy or ransom, why not just follow through? Why go through the trouble of switching Nina and Penny?”

Silence pressed down on him like a weight.

Then his phone buzzed on the table. He glanced at the screen. It was Mint.

He picked up immediately. “Mint —”

“Second Brother, are you sure Nina’s mother is dead?” Mint asked, skipping any greeting.

Hugo raised a brow. “Why?”

“I have a theory,” she said. There was urgency in her quiet voice. “It might sound crazy, but when you told me I might be close — that the truth was already in front of me — I checked the files again. It’s been a while since I last reviewed them… not since the incident. But a fresh new eye surely helped.”

She took a breath, pacing restlessly on the hospital rooftop.

“I think it’s Nina’s mother.”

“What do you mean, her mother?”

“In the files, there are cases of surrogacy and kidnapping-for-ransom,” she said.

“Yeah, I saw that,” Hugo nodded. “But I still don’t see how it connects to the baby swap.”

“I know. I thought the same many, many times. But… what if Nina’s mother was a surrogate?”

That made Hugo pause. His brow lifted.

“I know there are legal surrogate mothers — women who help couples that can’t conceive. But what if Nina’s mom had a change of heart?” Mint continued. “What if, somewhere along the way, she fell in love with the baby growing inside her? Or just a different reason altogether?”

“And she knew that once she gave birth, they’d take the child away from her,” she added. “So… she swapped the babies.”

Hugo considered it. “But if that’s true, Penny shouldn’t have ended up with Aunt Jessa.”

“I know. But what if there was another child involved? Or… maybe she had already agreed to deliver the baby to them?” Mint said. “According to the reports, Nina’s mother gave birth earlier than expected.”

“Oh…” Hugo’s brows furrowed. “So she delivered early, giving herself time to escape. Time for the babies to be picked up… by my parents and Aunt Jessa.”

“Exactly,” Mint said. “And she swapped the babies as extra protection. She knew the Cortez family couldn’t protect Nina. But the Bennets—or anyone who gave birth in that hospital—were from wealthy, powerful families in Anteca. Any baby in that nursery, except Nina, would be going home to a safer place.”

Hugo opened and closed his mouth, lost for words.

It was just a theory — but it was the only one that made sense after months of digging into the baby swap.

“And that coma patient?” Mint continued. “I think he was close to uncovering the surrogacy and ransom operations. That’s why they attacked him. Because if he kept digging, he would’ve uncovered names — big names.”

She hesitated, then added, “Second Brother, you need to watch that uncle of yours. The one they gave the pill to. I have a feeling another name is coming soon.”

Hugo’s eyes darkened. “Got it. It’s already in the plan.”

After all, that had been his plan from the beginning—to keep a close eye on Stephen.

It had been a while since they had hospitalized Chairman Bennet under the pretense of a heart attack. And with both Hugo and Mint trained to recognize a criminal’s modus operandi, they could feel it in their bones:

It was almost time for the syndicate to strike again.