CHAPTER 025
DAN’S POV
The glow of multiple computer screens bathed the dimly lit room in an eerie blue light. The air buzzed with the hum of hard drives, the rhythmic clicking of keyboards filling the space like an urgent countdown.
My team worked at a breakneck pace, their eyes flicking between monitors as feed after feed cycled through. Street corners, alleys, subway stations–every possible route she could have taken. Yet, nothing.
I exhaled sharply, arms crossed over my chest, frustration clawing at me. Adrian was losing patience, and when Adrian lost patience, people got hurt. I’d seen it before, and I had no interest in being on the receiving end of his anger.
A sharp curse broke through the tense silence.
“Still no sign of her,” John muttered, his fingers flying over the keyboard. “Either she’s damn good at avoiding cameras, or she’s gone underground.”
I ran a hand through my hair, tension knotting in my muscles.
“We’re missing something.“Another tech, barely looking up from his screen, offered a suggestion. “Maybe she changed her appearance?”
“Doesn’t matter,” I snapped, stepping closer. “The Al would still pick up the structure of her face. No amount of makeup or hair dye is going to fool it.”
John hesitated, tapping his fingers against the desk before glancing at me. “Since we can’t find her, let’s try Plan B.”
I already knew where he was going with this. My jaw tightened. “the asshole that put us in this situation” I said flatly.
Thankfully when the fight occurred there were street cameras around that we could use to get his face.
John nodded. “If she’s hiding, she’s not doing it alone. And if she is, she won’t last long. She’ll need help eventually.”
He was right. And Adrian wouldn’t wait for ‘eventually.‘ “Run a facial recognition scan,” I ordered. “Find the guy, track his movements. If she’s with him, we’ll know soon enough.”
John’s fingers flew across the keyboard, the screen shifting as he pulled up an image of the man in question. A few keystrokes later, the scan launched, running through every public and private feed we
Successfully unlocked!
The room fell into a tense silence, broken only by the occasional beep of the system processing images. I checked the time. Adrian wouldn’t wait much longer. If we didn’t find her soon… I didn’t want to think about what that meant for me.
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CHAPTER 025
A sharp beep from the monitor. The Al had locked onto something.
John stiffened. “Got him.”
I leaned over his shoulder, my eyes narrowing at the screen. The guy had been spotted two days ago, entering an apartment complex.
Bingo.
“She might be there,” I murmured, my mind already working through the next steps.
John glanced up. “Do you want to go over there with the team?”
Not yet. Adrian didn’t like half–finished jobs.
“Keep tracking him,” I said. “I want to know every move he makes.”
Adrian wanted results. And I would get them–before it was too late.
***
ADRIAN’S POV
The day had dragged on longer than I wanted. Meeting after meeting, forced conversations with investors, numbers that didn’t meet expectations—it had all been a waste of my time. I barely heard James when he walked up beside me as I headed toward my car.
“Adrian,” he said carefully. “Let’s grab a drink. You need to get your mind off things.”
I knew what he was trying to do. He thought a distraction would help. It wouldn’t.
“Not today.” My voice was sharp, final,
James sighed but didn’t argue. He knew better.
As I reached my car, my driver was already waiting, holding the door open for me. I slid inside without another word, the cool leather seat doing nothing to ease the tension in my shoulders.
My phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out, glancing at the screen.
– Dora.
I ignored the call. Her messages flooded my WhatsApp, unread and unanswered. Whatever she wanted, I didn’t have the patience for it today.
Today wasn’t about business. It wasn’t about her.
It was about the one special person I had lost.
The car ride felt endless. The city blurred past the tinted windows, the bright neon lights contrasting against the darkness pressing against me. When we finally pulled into the driveway, I didn’t wait for the driver to open the door. I stepped out, my movements stiff, my body heavy with exhaustion that had nothing to do with work. I walked straight into my library, shutting the door behind me. The room was quiet, lined with towering bookshelves filled with stories I never had the time to read.
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CHAPTER 025
I shrugged off my suit jacket, loosening my tie as I poured myself a drink. The whiskey
I
burned down my throat, but the fire did nothing to thaw the ice in my chest.
One drink turned into two. Then three. I didn’t know when I drifted off. But then, the
dreams started again.
*FIFTEEN YEARS AGO*
I could still remember the excitement buzzing in my veins, the way my heart pounded as I clutched my exam results in my hands. I had done it. My grades were excellent. I couldn’t wait to tell my mother.
I practically ran home, pushing open the door with a grin on my face.
“Mom!” I called out. Silence greeted me.
My smile faltered slightly, but I brushed it off. Her car was outside. She had to be home.
I walked further inside, my footsteps unnaturally loud against the floor. Something felt
wrong.
I couldn’t place what it was.
I reached her bedroom door. My hand hesitated on the handle. A strange, heavy feeling pressed against my chest, but I pushed it aside.
I opened the door. She was sitting by the window, holding a framed photo of us–our family.
Something tightened in my stomach.
“Mom, I’m home.” My voice was softer now, cautious.
I took a step closer. Then, I noticed it. Tears. She was crying. I stopped in my tracks.
“1
…Are you alright?” I asked.
No response.
I had rarely seen my mother cry. She was a strong woman, someone who never let -anything break her.
So why? What had happened?
My fingers clenched at my sides, unease crawling up my spine. And then, she finally looked up at me,
Her eyes–red–rimmed, filled with something I couldn’t understand. Something I had never seen before.
And at that moment, I knew. Something was very, very wrong.
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