Chapter Nine

MY FIST CAME down hard on the desk, reverberating through the room. Rage surged through me, fiercer than any storm. My granddaughter was out there, in the clutches of unknown enemies, and the mere thought of her in danger ignited a ferocious resolve within me. “If they so much as hurt a hair on her head, their deaths will be long and pleading,” I seethed, my voice a low growl. “They’ll beg for the end, but their torment will be far from over.”

“Surely they left some clue behind,” I bellowed, eyes sweeping over the anxious faces of the men crowded in my office.

Tony shifted uncomfortably under my glare. “We’ve combed the entire estate with Samuel’s team. The last footage shows her strolling into the garden with Lizzie, then she just disappears,” he reported, his voice tense.

Frustration clawed at me. I had stationed guards at every possible breach, especially at Hadleigh’s door. Yet, here we were grappling with the reality of her disappearance, the whispered threats against our alliance now manifesting into my worst fears. “And the back gate?” I snapped.

“Several of Samuel’s guards were found dead. The cameras were shot out—it’s likely that’s where they took her out,” Tony continued, a grim note in his tone.

“How did they get inside the walls? There must have been accomplices inside,” I roared, my disdain for incompetence clear. “Find Hadleigh. Bring me those responsible!” I waved dismissively, signaling them to execute their tasks. To me, Hadleigh was more than a granddaughter; she was the child I helped raise after her father’s untimely death, irreplaceable and cherished deeply.

Just then, a knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. My guard peeked in. “Samuel is here,” he announced with a nod. Despite the attack on his home and the loss of his men, Samuel’s primary concern was assisting in our search—a grace not lost on me.

“Any news?” Samuel asked, settling into a chair across from me.

“It’s as if she vanished into thin air,” I admitted. The weight of my worry was clear in my tone.

“My suspicion is the Toro family. They’ve vowed revenge since we took most of their territory. This alliance would be their end,” Samuel speculated calmly. “We’re tracking down their lieutenants for questioning.”

“Good strategy,” I acknowledged with a brief smile, the first in hours. “While you do that, I’ll have my men detain some from the Santiago clan. They’re also on my radar.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll find her,” Samuel reassured, his confidence unshaken.

A heavy sigh escaped me. “The thought of what they might be doing to her, the terror she must be feeling... it’s unbearable.”

“They wouldn’t dare to harm her, not when they know the vengeance we would unleash,” Samuel asserted as he stood to leave. “They’ll likely keep her hidden to disrupt any chance of an alliance by marriage.”

I chuckled darkly, a humorless sound. “You’re trying to ease my mind, and I appreciate it, Samuel. But we both know the harsh realities of our world.”

“I’ll keep you informed of any developments,” he promised, then exited.

Leaning back in my chair, I let my head fall back, eyes closed in momentary surrender to exhaustion. One thing was crystal clear in my mind: giving up was not an option. I would bring Hadleigh home, no matter the cost.

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