Chapter 5~ Kidnapped

MATTEO

It had been a long time since I first heard about that detective. Emily... or whatever her name really is. I’ve been waiting. Waiting for the day she’d fall to her knees before me.

She thinks she’s strong. Brave. Untouchable. A woman like her, going around chasing ghosts and monsters, thinking she can outsmart men like me?

"Tch." She has no idea what she’s dealing with.

People like her always show up, thinking they’ve seen everything, done everything. Talking smart. Acting bold. But when they finally meet me, they break. Always.

I’ve handled men tougher than her. People with power, experience, and pride. They all fall. And she… she’s just a woman with a badge.

But the last time I saw her photo, I paused.

I hate to admit it, but she’s beautiful.

Dark hair. Brown eyes. That face, it was the kind that made men hesitate. But I won’t. I don’t care if she’s pretty. That’s not going to change anything.

In fact, those are the ones who fight harder. The ones who don’t just want to win, but want to prove something. She looks like the stubborn kind. And I know exactly how to deal with people like her.

I didn’t even realize I’d been staring at her photo for so long until I heard a soft cough.

I looked up. It was Dominic, standing by the door with his usual unreadable expression.

He cleared his throat again, then stepped inside. “They’ve started moving,” he said. “Our spies said the FBI is working non-stop, trying to track us.”

I leaned back in my chair, still holding her photo. A small smirk pulled at the corner of my lips. “Trying to track us?” I repeated, then chuckled. “Pathetic humans, always trying to play God.”

No one has ever tracked me, and the few that tried? They either died trying… or begged to be left alone.

Dominic tilted his head, waiting for me to say more.

I dropped the photo gently on the desk. Standing up, I walked over to the window, watching the city from above. Twenty-four hours down. And now, we’ve got less than twenty to go.

I could feel it, this strange excitement bubbling in my chest. I hadn’t felt it in a long time. Maybe it was the challenge. Or maybe… It was her.

“Funny,” I murmured to myself, “I don’t even know why I’m so excited about today.”

“Probably because you want to see her?” Dominic said with a smile.

I turned slightly, looking at her photo once more on the desk. Maybe it’s because by the end of it… that bold little threat will finally be erased.

Dominic nodded. “Should we prepare the team?”

I smiled without looking at him. “Oh, we’ve already started. Let the countdown continue.”

Dominic’s eyes kept going back to the photo of Ms. Thompson lying on my desk. At first, I ignored it, but when he glanced at it for the third time, I had to speak.

“Don’t tell me you’re getting too interested in her already,” I said flatly.

He laughed lightly. “Funny. I was about to say the same to you. You’ve had your eyes glued to that picture since before I came in.”

I narrowed my eyes. “I think it's time you minded your damn business, Dominic.”

He only smiled, like he always did when he knew he was right but didn’t want to push further.

“Alright, boss. Just saying.” He turned to leave. “I’ll get back to work.”

“Do that,” I muttered under my breath.

He walked out of the office, the door clicking shut behind him.

****

The Next Day

I was halfway into getting dressed. I wore a crisp black shirt and adjusted the cuffs while speaking on the phone with a client. There was this business proposal I had been pushing aside for weeks. Boring stuff, but I finally decided to show up just to shut them up.

“I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” I said on the phone, then ended the call with a sigh.

I glanced at my reflection in the mirror, combed a hand through my hair, and stepped into the hallway. That’s when Dominic stormed in without knocking. His face didn’t look normal. Something was off.

“What is it now?” I asked, not in the mood.

He opened his mouth, then closed it again. I hated that.

“Speak!” I snapped. “Stop wasting my time!”

Dominic shifted uncomfortably. “We’ve got a problem, sir.”

My jaw tightened. “What problem, Dominic?”

He looked at me, seriously now. “It’s Miss Thompson… she’s been kidnapped.”

There was silence for a moment. My brain paused like it needed a second to believe what I just heard.

I blinked. “What did you just say?”

“She’s gone,” he said, a little firmer now. “The people who took her… we don’t know them. It wasn’t us. It wasn’t part of our plan.”

I slowly walked toward my desk, my hand resting on it.

“You’re sure?”

“Yes,” Dominic said. “Our inside man said she disappeared yesterday night. No trace, no camera footage. Nothing.”

I clenched my fist. “And no one saw anything?”

“Nothing. Just like that… she’s gone.”

I turned away, letting out a sharp breath.

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

I had her exactly where I wanted her. I was going to take her myself. I wanted her to come crawling to me, broken, begging. Not… this.

“Who would dare take what belongs to me?” I asked, my voice low but dangerous.

Dominic didn’t answer.

I slammed my palm on the desk, the sound echoing through the room. “Find out who did it. I don’t care what it takes – who you have to follow, bribe, or beat – just find her!”

“Yes, boss.”

“And Dominic,” I added before he could leave, “if they hurt her…” I paused. “I’ll make them regret being born.”

He nodded and rushed out, leaving me alone again.

I looked at her photo, still on my desk. Whoever took her had no idea what they just started.

And they were going to pay for it.