22. Alaric
Alaric
“What’s going on?” I ask, closing Raph’s office door behind me. “What was so urgent?”
Leo is already there, lounging in a chair. Raph is pacing behind his desk, his jaw clenched and his shoulders rigid.
He stops at my words, planting his hands on his desk and leaning forward. “We had a visitor. A lawyer, representing Damian McCoy.”
I feel my eyebrows climb towards my hairline. “Damian? What the hell does he want?”
Raph laughs, but there’s no humor in it. “Oh, not much. Just suing us for millions. Apparently for trying to access his company’s private records. But don’t worry.” His voice drips with irony. “He’s willing to settle as long as we hand over the Haven.”
“What?” Leo bolts upright, shock written across his face. “How did he… I thought we were being careful!”
Raph throws his hands up, frustration rolling off him in waves. “I don’t know. Guess the hacker messed up. Or gave us up.”
“Shit,” Leo hisses, running a hand through his hair. “This is bad. If he has proof…”
“It’ll ruin us,” I finish grimly. “The Haven, our reputations, everything.”
Raph slams his fist on the desk, making us jump. “Damn it! I knew this was a risk, but I thought…”
I hold up a hand, something nagging at the edge of my thoughts. “Hold on. Let’s take a step back. What exactly did this lawyer say? Word for word, if you can remember.”
Raph drops into his chair, the leather creaking under his weight. His scent is sour with stress as he recounts the conversation.
With each word, pieces start clicking into place in my mind. Something about this doesn’t add up.
“Wait,” I say when he’s finished. “This doesn’t make sense. You don’t sue for millions over attempted access to private records. Worst case scenario, it’s a fine, maybe a few months in prison.”
Leo frowns, leaning forward. “So what, you think they’re lying? But why?”
I pace the room, my mind racing. “It has to be a bluff. A scare tactic. But why? What are they hoping to achieve?”
Raph’s eyes widen, realization dawning. “It’s a distraction,” he breathes. “They wanted us focused on this while they made their real move.”
A chill runs down my spine. “Lily. Where’s Lily?”
Raph is already moving, snatching up his phone. “I’ll call her. Leo, she was heading to her room. Check the security footage.”
I’m already halfway to the door. “I’ll search the premises. Keep me updated.”
***
I tear through the Haven, checking every room, every nook and cranny where Lily might be. But there’s no sign of her. With every passing minute, the dread in my gut grows, twisting like a knife.
My phone rings. It’s Leo
“Al , security cameras caught Lily heading into the gardens with Mari about an hour ago. They had a picnic setup, looks like they were going to settle in for a while.”
I’m already moving, striding towards the gardens. “Okay, meet me there. Bring Raph.”
The gardens are vast, a labyrinth of hedges and flower beds. We split up, each taking a section. I try to tell myself I’m overreacting, that there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for all of this.
But my instincts are screaming at me, like a siren blaring in my head. Something is wrong. Something is very, very wrong.
I’m deep in the gardens when I see it. A picnic blanket, spread out on the grass.
On it lie an abandoned basket, pizza boxes with slices still inside, two empty glasses, and a bottle tipped on its side.
But no Lily. And no Mari.
My heart seizes, fear a choking vine around my throat. I reach for my phone, my hands shaking as I dial Raph.
He answers on the first ring. “Did you find them?”
“No,” I rasp, my voice barely above a whisper. “But I found their picnic spot. Raph… Lily’s things are here. But she’s gone. They both are.”
Silence. Then a muffled curse. “Fuck. Fuck!”
“What the fuck do we do now? This is bad.” Raph’s voice is tight with barely leashed panic.
I take a deep breath. “We find them,” I say, my words hard as flint. “We call the police. We’ll report her missing and they’ll start a search party. And we keep combing this place.”
A pause. Then, soft and deadly, Raph growls, “I swear, if it’s Damian, I’ll fucking kill him.”
The same murderous rage is burning in my veins.