Chapter 1163: A Request from Zoe

Some questions are destined to have no answers. Rachel's antisocial personality disorder was likely not the result of family or environmental factors, but rather something innate—especially considering her mother, Valerie, was a professional psychiatrist.

Faced with this heartbroken husband and father, Jack chose silence.

When it comes to matters like this, debating whether human nature is inherently good or evil is completely meaningless. As for so-called treatment—if spending a lifetime in a psychiatric hospital counts as treatment—then perhaps it is what it is.

Initially, Jack was a little worried that the more emotional members of the team, JJ and Clay, might have a hard time adjusting their mood in the short term.

But fortunately, everyone had been through a lot by now. That evening, Jubal found a bar, ordered lemon water for himself, and treated everyone to the first round of drinks.

After some sighing and reminiscing, everyone’s mood quickly recovered, and they no longer discussed the previous case.

After all, they were all professional agents, trained to understand how dangerous it is to project personal emotions onto a case.

The group began discussing what kind of relaxing activity to do once they got back—maybe a group dinner, or perhaps they’d have Aubrey organize a yacht party.

Jane Banner kept giving Jack sorrowful little glances, which, under the strict defense of Hannah and JJ, was all she could do.

Sensing the teasing, gossip-filled glances from his teammates, Jack felt a bit embarrassed but couldn’t help feeling slightly pleased inside.

After all, given the different cultural environment, being favored by so many beautiful women was a clear sign of his own personal charm.

Feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket, Jack took it out and lit up the screen, a bit surprised to see a call from a certain lady senator.

Although Zoe was the one he spent the least time with among his lovers, she was also the first woman Jack had been with after his transmigration. As such, the bond between them was the deepest.

That bond wasn’t just emotional; it extended to many aspects. Even from a purely pragmatic perspective, their interests were tightly intertwined.

Because of this, Zoe had always held a sort of elevated status among Jack’s lovers. While not exactly the "first wife," even JJ wouldn’t show any signs of jealousy in her presence—at least not openly; what happened privately was another story.

As a smart woman, Zoe maintained a consistent presence in Jack’s life and in the lives of those close to him.

When Clay’s son was born, Stella—still lying in a hospital bed—received a beautiful bouquet and a congratulatory card.

When the old veteran John got in trouble for offending the union president and was reassigned to Detroit, it just so happened that Jack was there with him and almost got into trouble. Not long after, that union president, Landon Briggs, didn’t even get the chance to step down gracefully. He was directly impeached, then dragged into endless lawsuits. It looked like he might not even be able to keep his pension.

As for her contact with Jack, it was practically constant—aside from their sweet, romantic phone calls, no matter how busy the senator was, a daily greeting text was never missed.

Jack knew all too well how seriously Zoe took their relationship. In return, he treated her with equal sincerity so as not to disappoint her affections.

Although Jack wasn’t genuinely interested in politics, he would still patiently listen to Zoe complain about some incompetent committee chair over the phone and would offer his own insights at the right moments.

Thanks to the ideological training he had received in his previous life—and perhaps due to some political instinct ingrained in men from Celis—Jack didn’t have to worry about lacking common ground with Zoe.

As a result, their relationship naturally settled into an “old married couple” dynamic. Jack always knew what Zoe was doing every day, and similarly, Zoe was well aware of where Jack was and what cases he was working on.

Usually, Zoe wouldn’t call while Jack was on a case. After all, the gentle older woman was always so understanding.

That’s why he was a little surprised to receive a call from her at this moment.

After greeting his slightly tipsy teammates at the bar, Jack stepped outside to answer the call. “Sweetheart, what’s going on?”

“Jack, is the Richmond case done? How do you feel about going to Dallas?”

The moment Jack heard her address him that way, he knew it was business. He immediately cleared his throat and straightened up. “At your service, Ms. Anderson.”

A soft laugh came from the other end—clearly, she had just been joking.

“Alright, darling. Here’s the situation: the Attorney General of Texas reached out to me for help on a case that might require an expert’s involvement. Naturally, I thought of you.”

“What kind of case? Things are wrapped up here in Richmond. My team and I are ready to deploy anytime,” Jack said as he walked to a quiet street corner and lit a cigar.

“Prosecutor Patrick Jackson will call you shortly. He hopes you can go to Dallas alone to learn more about the details before deciding. This case is tricky and involves some people from the local upper circles. That’s all I know for now.”

Worried that Jack might hesitate, Zoe added, “But don’t worry about any political complications. Leave all of that to me. All you need to do is focus on the case.”

This was the first time since Zoe entered politics that she had “asked for help” on a specific case. Naturally, Jack couldn’t refuse.

After a round of sweet talk, the call ended. Back inside the bar, Jack informed everyone, and of course, no one objected. After all, it wasn’t his first time taking on a solo assignment.

Jane Banner’s eyes lit up, her face flushed with a slightly excited blush. “Just so happens I need to go back to Austin.”

Austin, as the capital of Texas, is about 300 kilometers from Dallas. Jane’s “convenient” plan to travel together left Hannah and JJ slightly displeased.

But since Jack was going to help Zoe with official business, they couldn’t really say anything. A playful roll of their eyes was the only reaction.

That night, Jack booked a red-eye flight to Dallas. After some rest, he sent off the successfully “sneaky” Jane to her flight to Austin and then, in the evening, met with Patrick Jackson, a short and stocky man who looked more like a cowboy than an Attorney General, at a hotel called the Kotler.

After a brief introduction, Jackson, somewhat surprised by how young the FBI agent looked, nonetheless took the lead to guide him.

“Nice to meet you, Agent Tavoller. Does the name Hoyt Asift mean anything to you?”

No more spoilers—this episode’s plot will probably bring back memories for quite a few seasoned fans.