Chapter 10

Inside the room, the only sound was the quiet rhythm of Smith's breathing. Esther lay with her head resting completely against his bare chest. The heavy wool blanket was tangled somewhere around their waists, her mind entirely quiet for the first time in years. Smith's hand rested in her hair.

"You're quiet," Smith said.

She tilted her head up, resting her chin on his chest so she could look at him.

"I'm just thinking about my mom," Esther said, looking into his eyes.

"About that — my men found your mother's phone outside the house. They also went inside to check if anyone was there but found no one. So," he said, exhaling, "they found this — your mom's phone, which was used to track your location."  

"If my mom isn't at home, then where is she?" She said, sounding disturbed.

"Smith, she took my mom too," Esther said, crying, pulling the blanket around herself as she got up from the bed.

"Calm down," Smith said.

"Who is she?" He asked.

"It…"

Esther was trying to say the name when Smith got distracted by a phone call. He stood up to answer it.

"Yes, Officer," he said.

"Sir, the gang leader confessed after questioning that the person behind everything is Chloe Wolf."

"What!" Smith said, confusion all over his face. "Officer, are you sure?"

"Yes, I am, Sir."

"Thank you, Officer. I'll handle it my own way," Smith said furiously.

"Okay, Sir." They hung up.

"Are you okay, Sir?" Esther said.

"Esther, Chloe was behind your kidnapping, and I'm sure she's also involved in your mother's disappearance," Smith said furiously.

"She has to explain to me why she did this," Smith said furiously. Esther was only thinking of her mother, sobbing and feeling terrible about everything that had gone wrong.

"All of this is my fault," she said.

"No…no…no, don't say that," Smith said, turning to her and wiping her tears.

"Now get ready — we are going to the Wolf penthouse immediately," Smith said to Esther.

"But I don't have anything to wear," she said.

Smith scooped her up in his arms and carried her to his closet. "Here," he said. "Choose whatever you want to wear. I know it's too big, but I have some T-shirts and joggers — pick whatever you think would fit that tiny, curvy body of yours," he said, tossing his hand to her waist and pulling her gently against him.

She couldn't resist the warmth of his breath but immediately pushed him away. "We have somewhere to go," she said.

"Really?" Smith said, moving closer again and whispering softly into her ear, "You're mine." Then he walked away, leaving her to wonder in her little world.

"Now pick something to wear. I'll be waiting for you outside."

Esther, still unsure what to put on, settled for a yellow hoodie and grey joggers. She looked in the mirror, smiling to herself. "He's got a huge closet — looks like a boutique. Well, he's rich, that's why." Then her face turned sad again as she remembered her mother. She immediately rushed out to the sitting room to meet Smith.

Smith couldn't take his eyes off her. "You look so beautiful," he said, taking in her dark hair tumbling past her shoulders, the way she just stood there, looking so innocent.

"You look beautiful." 

"Thank you," Esther said.

"Let's go," he said.

He opened the car door for her, got in, and sped off.

At the penthouse, Alex had informed Pears Wolf that Esther was nowhere to be found — they had searched everywhere but found nothing.

In the middle of the conversation, Smith entered with Esther, calling out Chloe's name.

"Chloe!” 

“ Where the hell are you?!" he said, his voice roaring like a hungry lion searching for prey.

"Smith, is everything okay?" Pears said calmly.

"Where is she?" Smith asked.

Pears was shocked to see Esther with Smith, wondering what could have brought them to his house.

"Your daughter kidnapped Esther," Smith said.

"What?! Chloe can't do such a thing."

"Oh, really?" Smith fumed. "Let's hear it from the horse's mouth."

Pears turned to Esther. "Is it true?"

"Yes," she said.

Chloe, hearing the tension from upstairs, rushed down to see what was happening. What she saw made her turn on her heels to run back to her room — but it was too late. Smith spotted her and stopped her, commanding her to come down.

"Stop right there," Smith said angrily.

Chloe had no other option but to come down.

"Dad," she said, grinning.

"What have you done?" Pears asked.

"Nothing, Dad. She took something that belongs to me, so I decided to take her out of the way," Chloe said, speaking as though she didn't care at all.

Pears slapped her for the first time in his life. "You tried to kill your sister!" 

Esther froze, shock on her face, tears dropping from her eyes. Chloe stood surprised, her mouth wide open. Smith tried to understand what Pears had just said.