Chapter 171
Chapter 171
Alex’s POV
The clock on my dashboard read 11:47 p.m., but it felt like time ad stopped entirely. My hands gripped the steering wheel tighter as I glanced at my phone lying on the passenger seat. Chistiana’s name was on the screen, her line still ringing, but there was no answer. It had been the same for the past hour. Ring after ring, and nothing.
“Pick up, damn it,” I muttered under my breath, slamming my palm against the steering wheel. The harsh sound echoed in the car, but it did nothing to calm me down. My chest felt tight, ke f’ couldn’t get enough air in. I’d only left her for a few hours…just a few…to push harder on the leads about the kids. And now, she was gone. No calls. No texts. Nothing.
I rubbed my face with one hand, trying to focus. “Where the hell are you, Christiana?” My voice cracked, and the frustration came boiling over. “You don’t just vanish like this! Not now, not tonight.”
I pushed the accelerator harder, weaving through the near–empty streets as I made my way back to her suite. She couldn’t have gone far. She had to be there. Maybe her phone was on silent. Maybe she’d fallen asleep and didn’t hear the calls. The excuses I kept making for her only fueled my anxiety. Deep down, I knew Christiana wouldn’t just ignore my calls…. especially not with everything going on.
The tires screeched as I pulled into the hotel driveway. The valet tried to approach me, but I waved him off and parked haphazardly by the entrance. I didn’t care if I got a ticket or pissed someone off. I had more important things to deal with.
My phone buzzed in my pocket as I stepped out of the car. For a second, I hoped it was her, but no….it was one of the private investigators I’d hired. I ignored it. Right now, finding Christiana was all that mattered.
The elevator ride up to her floor felt like an eternity. I tapped my foot, ran my fingers through my hair, paced in the small space. When the doors finally dinged open, I shot out like a bullet. Two of her bodyguards were stationed outside her suite, standing rigid and professional as always.
“Where’s Christiana?” I demanded as I approached. My voice was sharp, clipped, and I didn’t care if they noticed how shaken I was.
The taller one exchanged a glance with his partner before answering. “Sir, she left about an hour ago.”
My stomach dropped. “What do you mean she left? Where did she go?”
“We’re not sure,” the shorter guard replied, his expression neutral. “She said she needed to step out and that she would call us if she required assistance.”
I stared at them, disbelief and anger warring in my chest. “And you let her go? Without following her? Without asking questions?”
“She insisted, sir. Said it was a private matter.”
I cursed under my breath and turned away, pacing back and forth in the hallway. My hands were shaking, and I clenched them into fists to stop it. “This is unbelievable,” I muttered to myself. “She’s out there, God knows where, in the middle of the damn night, and no one thought to stop her?”
I turned back to the guards, my voice rising. “Did she say anything? Did she seem upset? Was anyone with her?”
The taller guard shook his head. “She was alone, sir. She didn’t give any details.”
“Useless,” I spat, running a hand through my hair again. My mind was racing. Where could she have gone? Why wouldn’t she tell me? My chest tightened as the worst possibilities flashed through my head.
I pulled my phone out again, dialing her number for what felt like the hundredth time. Still no answer. The silence on the other end was deafening. “Damn it, Christiana,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “Where are you?”
Chapter 171
My heart was pounding as–1–paced the hallway. I couldn’t stand ll. Every second that ticked by felt like a lifetime. The thought of her being out there, vulnerable, with our kids still missing…it was too much. I felt like I was suffocating.
“This doesn’t make sense,” I muttered, trying to piece it together “She wouldn’t just leave. Not without saying something.”
My fists clenched at my sides as a wave of helplessness washed over me. I wasn’t used to this…to feeling out of control. For years, I’d prided myself on being able to handle anything, no matter how chaotic. But this? This was different. This was my family. And I was losing them.
I turned back to the guards, my voice firm. “Start checking the security footage. Find out if anyone came to see her or if she
left alone.”
“Yes, sir,” they replied in unison, moving to carry out the order.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside me. But it was no use. My thoughts kept spiraling back to Christiana…. her face, her voice, the way she’d been barely holding it together the last time I saw her. And now she was gone.
I punched the wall beside me, the pain grounding me for a moment. “You better be okay,” I muttered, my voice barely audible. “You have to be okay.”
I needed answers. Now. I grabbed my phone again, dialing another number of one of the men I had paid to keep a watchful eye on Christiana ever since Bianca was out of jail and walked free. If Christiana was out there, I’d find her No matter what it took.
The phone felt heavy in my hand as I hovered over the call button. My instincts were screaming that something was wrong… terribly wrong. My thumb was just about to press the button when the screen lit up. It was him. The same man I’d hired to do the job.
My stomach clenched as I swiped to answer. “What is it?” I demanded, my voice sharp and cold.
“Sir,” his voice came in a rush, tense and hurried, “we’ve been following her since she left the hotel. There’s something you need to know.”
A cold chill ran down my spine. “What are you talking about? Spit it out!”
He didn’t hesitate. “She received a phone call just before she left. We couldn’t hear the conversation, but her body language… it was off. She seemed tense, sir. Very tense. After the call, she drove out alone. We followed her at a distance, as instructed. “And?” I barked, already dreading the answer. My grip on the phone tightened as my breath came faster.
“She stopped at a secluded spot near an industrial area. Deserted. No lights, no movement. A masked man showed another car and approached her.”
up in
My world tilted on its axis. “What?” I growled, pacing the hallway like a caged animal. The man’s words were hitting me like a freight train. “You’re telling me some masked freak just showed up out of nowhere, and you didn’t do anything?”
He hesitated, and I could hear the guilt in his voice. “Sir, it looked… consensual. She wasn’t fighting. She walked toward him willingly.”
I froze, my free hand balling into a fist so tight my knuckles ached. “Willingly?” I repeated, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “You’re telling me she willingly let herself be taken by a masked man?”
“Yes, sir. But there’s more,” he added quickly. “The man blindfolded her before putting her in his car. They drove off together. We followed at a safe distance and tracked them to what looks like an abandoned warehouse.”
The air was sucked out of my lungs. My vision blurred for a moment as the weight of his words settled on my chest. “A
go with him? warehouse?” I inquired, my voice cracking. My mind raced with questions, each one worse than the last. Was she in danger? Was this connected to the kids? Had she been threatened? Blackmailed? Why the hell would she
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My voice broke through my chaotic thoughts, filled with barely controlled fury. “And you just stood there and let this happen?” I growled, pacing back and forth like a man possessed What the hell am I paying you for?”
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“Sir,” the man said quickly, “we thought it was best not to intervene since she appeared to be cooperating. We didn’t want to escalate the situation.”
I stopped pacing and pressed my palm against the wall, trying to steady myself. My head was spinning, my chest heaving with every breath. “You thought,” I hissed, the words dripping with venom. “You thought wrong.”
I could feel my world crumbling around me. First the kids, now Christiana. Everything was unraveling, and I couldn’t stop it. My heart pounded so hard it felt like it would burst. My jaw tightened as anger and fear swirled inside me, threatening to
consume me.
“This is not happening,” I muttered under my breath, shaking my head. “This can’t be happening”
I gritted my teeth and barked into the phone, “Listen to me carefully. I don’t care if it looked consensual or not. You’re calling the police. Now. Give them the location of the warehouse I’m on my way.”
“Yes, sir,” the man replied immediately.
I ended the call and shoved the phone into my pocket, my hands shaking. My mind was racing. There was no time to waste, no room for doubt or hesitation. I had to act. I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing while Christiana was… God, I didn’t even want to think about what might be happening to her.
“Hang on, Christiana,” I muttered to myself as I sprinted toward the elevator. “I’m coming for you.”
The ride down to the lobby felt endless. Every second that ticked by was another second too long. My jaw clenched as I stared at the glowing numbers, willing the elevator to move faster. The moment the doors slid open, I was out, running to my car like a man on fire.
As I started the engine and tore out of the parking lot, I couldn’t stop the storm of thoughts flooding my mind. Who was the masked man? What did he want with Christiana? Was this about the kids? My hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles turned white.
“This is all my fault,” I muttered, my voice shaking. “I should’ve stayed with her. I should’ve-” My words broke off as my throat tightened. No. There was no time for regret, no time for self–pity. I had to focus. I had to get to her.
The city lights blurred past as I sped through the streets, weaving between cars and ignoring every red light. My pulse was a drumbeat in my ears, drowning out everything else. I replayed the man’s words over and over in my head.
Blindfolded. Taken. Warehouse.
I slammed my hand against the dashboard, a growl of frustration escaping my throat. “What the hell is going on?” I shouted, my voice echoing in the confined space of the car.
Christiana was strong, smart. She wouldn’t just walk into a trap unless… unless she had no other choice. Unless something- or someone–was forcing her hand. Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.
The thought sent a fresh wave of fury through me. Whoever was behind this would pay. I’d make sure of it.
As I neared the industrial district, the streets grew darker, more desolate. The air felt heavier here, filled with an ominous silence that made my skin crawl. My headlights cut through the darkness, illuminating crumbling buildings and empty lots.
Then I saw it. The warehouse.
I pulled to a screeching halt, my heart pounding as I stared at the looming structure. The building was dark, silent, and foreboding. My instincts screamed that this was the place. I grabbed my phone, dialing the Watchman again.
“I’m here,” I said the moment he answered. “Where are you?”
“We’re parked a block away, keeping an eye on the building,” he replied. “The police are en route.”
“Good,” I snapped, stepping out of the car. “Don’t move until I get there.”
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I ended the call and stalked toward the warehouse, every step fueled by fear and rage. Whoever was behind this had made a grave mistake. They thought they could take my family from me break me.
But they were wrong.