Chapt. 26 - A Useless Search

“Is this how you punish me, Little Bunny? Tell me, what do you want? Is it still the same—to be free of me?” –Mike–

***

“Are you sure?” asked a woman with a look of anxiety on her face. The man in front of her, pale and listless, nodded, confirming his wife’s question.

“One of our subordinates said so. Angie is no longer in the apartment, but her belongings were still there when I went to check.”

“CCTV—have you checked it?”

“Should I? I want to leave a trail for our stubborn child so he knows the consequences of his actions, just like what happened to Angie. Should we let everything stay like this? He’s smart, but we know exactly what Mike is like when it comes to women.”

The woman sighed and collapsed onto the sofa. Her face looked troubled as she thought about the fate of her beloved daughter-in-law, whose whereabouts were unknown.

Meanwhile, behind a wall, Mike heard all of his parents’ conversation, and though he didn’t want to believe it, he returned to his room and called Greg to question him.

“I truly know nothing about it, sir. You said she’s no longer part of the Genosie family, so I’ve ignored anything about her,” Greg replied when asked about Angie’s current whereabouts. “Oh, yes. I’ve also disposed of her belongings.”

No one understood Mike better than Greg. Was that why the man spoke provocatively to Mike without holding back?

“What are you doing?”

“I’m just cleaning up a stranger’s belongings, sir.”

“Return Angie’s belongings to their original place! Or I’ll fire you right now! Do you hear me?”

Greg bowed, then left the room with a crooked smile.

Meanwhile, Mike remained in his wheelchair, staring out the window, clenching his fingers, and trying to gather his thoughts to trace Angie’s whereabouts.

“Maybe in the end she decided to leave with the man of her choice, as Cintya said. But could she have left without taking her belongings?” Mike muttered to himself and then reached for the phone on the nightstand to confirm something.

“Hello?” A man’s voice came through, but he knew precisely who answered the call on Angie’s number. “I’m returning this stranger’s belongings and putting them in the warehouse, sir. Her phone was left behind, and I’ll put it there too.”

“Greg, listen to me. Stop calling her ‘the stranger’ because she has a name, and her name is Angie. You already know that. Return the belongings to her room. Have someone pick me up because I’ll be the one to check the apartment's condition.”

***

Mike scanned the entire room that Angie had previously occupied. Her perfume lingered, and he inhaled it deeply, as if to recall a fragment of memory about the chatty girl who had unconsciously filled his days.

He pressed the button on the wheelchair handle, moved toward the vanity table, and examined what was there. Nothing suspicious was left behind.

Realising that Angie’s disappearance was the only anomaly, Mike hurried into his room and searched for the device connected to the surveillance camera he had secretly installed.

Mike always did this wherever he was, making it easier to detect anomalies if the primary surveillance camera malfunctioned or was sabotaged.

His hazel eyes widened. On the screen, it was clear that Angie had been forcibly taken by a large man he didn’t recognise. He knew one thing for sure: such a build was only possessed by the organisation’s guards, and his suspicions might be correct—perhaps their sworn enemies were behind all of this.

Mike called Greg, who arrived immediately. Greg listened to Mike's orders to prepare several people with sharpshooting skills. However, upon noticing the furious glint in Mike’s eyes, Greg hesitated to carry out the orders before learning what Mike planned.

“Should I report everything to you? My wife was kidnapped, and I can’t just sit here and do nothing!” Mike said, his voice rising and anger burning in his chest. This made Greg realise that Mike wasn’t joking around.

"What do you want me to do, sir? However, you should stay at home. Your legs still cannot move properly. I'm worried..."

"Why are you bossing me around? Are you my grandmother? Do as I say or I won't hesitate to shoot you in the head!"

Greg had no choice but to obey the crown prince's orders. He would have done the same thing if he were in Mike's position. From this, he was certain that the love they thought was impossible had indeed blossomed in Mike’s heart. They just weren’t sure how much.

Knowing this, Greg felt proud of himself for successfully provoking Mike’s reaction to gauge his feelings toward Angie. However, in the end, it came with some bad news.

It didn’t take long for Greg to prepare several vehicles filled with members possessing exceptional marksmanship skills, escort Mike in another bulletproof vehicle, and move toward a location he had discovered with the help of one of the members who specialised in technology and was often tasked with sabotaging software networks for cyber heists.

The location they provided was clearly in a remote district, in an old abandoned building, and Mike was familiar with the area.

“When I find you, what will I do to you, Ji?” Mike muttered, anxiously clenching his fingers as he pondered what he would do once they arrived at the location.

His legs were disabled, and he didn’t know how long he’d have to stay in a wheelchair like this. How could he protect his weak wife if he couldn’t even support his own body?

Unconsciously, Mike murmured Angie’s beloved nickname.

“Greg, open the door!” Mike ordered when they arrived at their destination. Greg looked at his master with a worried expression. “Didn’t you hear me!?”

“I’m sorry, sir. I can’t comply with this one because of your legs' condition.”

Mike didn’t say much; he pulled out his trusty weapon from under his jacket and pointed it at the window, even though he knew the car he was in couldn’t be penetrated by bullets of any calibre.

Greg finally gave in, unlocked the car, and let the stubborn man sitting in the backseat get out with difficulty. He received no help. Mike hated all the pitying glances and attempts to assist him.

He could do it, especially for the people he cared about.

Mike had just sat down in the wheelchair. Gunfire echoed, forcing him to get down and crawl on the ground to secure a position while Greg and the others stood guard to protect him from the attack.

“Let me go get Miss Reviera. You stay in the car, sir. Please.”

“Do your duty as my protector. I’ll be the one to take her out of here.”

Mike kept moving, rolling, and seeking cover every time a shot was fired in his direction. He then returned fire that successfully hit the enemy. The loss of his legs didn’t diminish his fighting ability.

Upon reaching the locked door, Mike cursed his condition, which relied on his leg strength to break down doors or engage in combat. This time, he realised he was just a disabled man who thought he could save the world.

His wife was his world, whom he had forced to sign the divorce papers a few days ago.

He regretted doing that, but imagining Angie continuing to be in danger while he couldn’t do anything made him even more furious. Mike didn’t like even the slightest deficiency. Therefore, his disability was the hardest thing he had to accept.

“Sir, be careful!” Greg came and kicked the door open with his feet, making Mike even more overwhelmed by the turmoil in his chest. He always wanted to protect, but this time, the opposite happened, making him angry. However, for now, he had to push all that aside and go in to save his wife.

Upon entering, something else startled him. A man was duelling against the criminals, and Mike never expected that man to be able to do it alone, while Angie was nowhere to be found.