CHAPTER 65The next day, Kate woke up and realized William wasn't around. He had left for work very early.The day suddenly felt like it was going to bring something unexplainable.---William sat in his office, working on his laptop, signing documents, and printing files. Since Liam hadn’t resumed work yet, he had to do almost everything himself.Thirty minutes later, the telephone on his desk rang. He answered.“Is this William Dray?” a hoarse, old voice came through.“Who am I speaking with?” William asked flatly.“Not to beat around the bush—”“Good. Seems you know me well,” William grumbled.“I’m an old associate of Carlos. He messed with me, and it’s time I put him in the right place,” the voice said.“Then what does that have to do with me?” William questioned.“It has a lot. I’ve got information that will help you,” the man explained.“What kind of information? And again, it’s not something I’d normally care about.”“Don’t you want to hear it?” the man insisted.“Seems you hav
CHAPTER 64"If you decide not to stop, then I'll come after you at all cost," Carlos said, hanging up.William roared in frustration, kicking and punching the walls like they were the offender.---The next day, William couldn't sleep. He was calling Kate's number and her company, her friend Tina, and her assistant Joyce.He was pacing the room when he heard a knock on the door."Kate!" he called, thinking she was the one.He opened the door and saw Jeremy standing there. His face dropped when he realized it wasn’t the person he was expecting."What are you doing here? Do you have any clue about her whereabouts?" he asked, stepping aside to let him in."Yes. I found one," Jeremy replied, placing his laptop on the couch."What did you find out? Is it her location?" William asked, curiosity laced in his voice."I'm not sure, but I noticed some unusual movement from Carlos' men. They were going into an abandoned warehouse in the countryside two days ago," Jeremy explained."And now what?
CHAPTER 63Kate woke up feeling exhausted. She scurried up gently, placing her hands on her belly.She groaned, looking around her unfamiliar environment. Everything was different.She was confused—she had been at the company, and now, she was in an unknown warehouse.She placed her hand gently on a can beside her, steadying herself.Scanning the area for an exit, she moved toward the dusty brown window.Wiping the grime away, she peeped outside—it was an abandoned warehouse deep in the countryside.“How did I get here? I was just at the company a moment ago, and now I’m here. What happened?” she asked herself, her eyes darting around the space, vigilant.The door creaked open.Three huge, armed men walked in, chatting indistinctly.Kate scurried toward a trash can and sat gently beside it, feigning calm.She grabbed a small iron rod, hiding it behind her back as she kept a neutral expression.Her eyes scanned their formation, calculating how she could escape without getting hurt.“Oh
CHAPTER 62:The SE Mansion stood tall and cold like a fortress carved from secrets. Its marbled gates opened slowly as Adele’s black car pulled in, tires crunching against the gravel path lined with tall hedges and hidden cameras. The estate was silent, too silent—even the birds seemed to avoid this place.Adele stepped out with poise, dressed in a fitted navy dress, her expression respectful but unreadable. She walked through the main corridor, her heels clicking softly against the polished floor. Two guards flanked her as they led her into a private chamber decorated in dark gold, velvet, and mahogany.The Shadow Executive sat near the grand window, bathed in shadows and the dim morning light. He didn’t stand to greet her.“Mr. Howard said he’ll come personally,” Adele began, standing with her hands clasped in front of her. “Alone. He doesn't want anyone escorting him.”The SE’s eyes glinted. “Good. As expected.”Silence stretched between them. Then, slowly, he raised a hand and wav
CHAPTER 61The sun poured through the wide windows of Kate’s office, but the warmth didn’t reach her today. She sat behind her desk at Titan Innovations, immersed in files from the AI department, trying to reorient herself after days of turmoil.Her assistant knocked lightly and stepped in. “There’s someone here to see you. He says his name is Mr. Langston.”Kate frowned. That name wasn’t unfamiliar. In fact, it triggered a subtle discomfort. “Send him in.”The door opened, and a sharply dressed man in his mid-sixties walked in with the kind of confidence that came from decades of winning corporate battles. Gregory Langston—her late father’s fiercest rival in business.“Miss Dray,” he said with a cool smile, “or do you prefer Mrs. William Dray now?”Kate stood slowly, guarded. “What do you want?”Langston placed a thick folder on her desk and took a seat uninvited. “A partnership proposal. Your AI project is impressive. With my funding and global reach, we could make history.”Kate di
CHAPTER 60The hallway at Greenville Hospital was calm, almost too quiet for a place that had seen panic just hours earlier.Tina adjusted the strap of her handbag, returning from the restroom, her thoughts busy with messages and errands. As she turned the corner, her eyes landed on a familiar figure standing near a private ward.Tall. Still. Suited in deep charcoal. Hands in his pockets. William.Her eyebrows shot up.“William?” she called out, her voice laced with surprise and curiosity.William turned. His face, though calm, carried a subtle weight—a softness she wasn’t used to seeing.Tina walked briskly toward him. “What are you doing here?” she asked, halting in front of him. “Isn’t your wife about to give birth?”“She fainted,” William answered gently. “Stress. But she’s okay now. She and the baby are safe.”His voice was low, softer than usual. Emotional, even. It caught Tina off guard.“I’m glad to hear that,” she said, her tone easing.“I didn’t know you were here,” he added