LOGINDominic POV:"You know she called me today," Emily said. "Asked me to meet her at a café, said she had information about who was helping John. Kept hinting that someone close to us betrayed us, someone in our inner circle."My stomach dropped. "You met with my mother and didn't tell me?""She said not to. Said you'd confront the wrong person and they'd run.""And you believed her?""I didn't know what to believe, Dominic. But now, seeing that footage.." She stopped. Pressed her hand to her mouth for a second. "She was setting me up. Keeping me distracted."Detective Morris looked between us. "What else did she say at this meeting?""She tried to pin it on Sophie. Showed me a screenshot of some text conversation, said someone sent it to her anonymously. She was very convincing about it.""She would be," I said.I pulled out my phone and called my mother. Straight to voicemail. Called again. Same."She's not answering." "What about your dad? Try calling him." Emily said eagerly."Nah m
Emily POV :I drove home in a daze.Dominic was exactly where I'd left him, at his desk, still working. Papers spread out in front of him, laptop open, phone face-up beside his hand. He didn't look up when I walked in, just kept his eyes on whatever he was reading."Where were you?""Out. Needed air.""You were gone two hours, Emily.""I drove around. Couldn't sit still."He looked up then, really looked at me, taking in whatever was on my face that I hadn't managed to hide yet. "You okay?""No.""Yeah," he said quietly, leaning back. "Me neither."I wanted to tell him. About Margaret, about the screenshot on her phone and every careful, measured word she'd said. But her voice kept cutting through everything else in my head.Don't tell Dominic. Not yet. If he hears the wrong name he won't sit on it."Any updates from Morris?" I asked instead, dropping my keys on the counter."Nothing useful. John's completely off the grid. No card activity, no phone pings, no sightings. It's like he s
EMILY POVTwo weeks.Two weeks since I'd heard my baby's voice on that phone call, two weeks of nothing, complete silence, no messages, no photos, no taunts, just silence.It was worse than the messages.At least with the messages I knew Ethan was alive, knew John still had him, knew where to direct all this rage and fear.Now I had nothing.Just silence and my own mind tearing itself apart imagining what was happening to my son.I hadn't slept in days, couldn't eat, couldn't think about anything except Ethan crying on that phone, Ethan saying he's hitting me, Ethan's bruised face in that last photo.Dominic wasn't much better.He sat at his desk eighteen hours a day, working with Theo's security team, with Detective Morris, following every lead no matter how small, refusing to stop even though every single one had led nowhere.We barely spoke anymore.What was there to say?I was standing in Ethan's room, had been standing there for the past hour, just looking at his toys, his books,
DOMINIC POVEthan's breathing changed, got faster, panicked."Daddy he's back.""Ethan listen to me, hang up the phone right now, put it back exactly where you found it, go sit down, don't say anything about this call, do you understand?""I'm scared.""I know but you have to do this, you have to hang up right now and act normal, can you do that for me?""Okay daddy.""I love you so much Ethan, so much, we're coming to get you.""I love you too."The line went dead.I stood there staring at my phone, my whole body shaking, tears still falling.Emily collapsed against me, sobbing into my chest.Detective Morris was on her radio, "did we get it? Tell me we got it."A voice crackled back, "yes ma'am, we got the location, sending it to you now."She looked at her phone, "forty minutes east, residential area, I'm mobilizing everyone now.""I'm coming," I said."Mr. Steele.""I'm coming, that's my son, I'm not waiting here."She looked at me for a long moment, then nodded, "fine, but same r
DOMINIC POVThree days.Three days since John took my son, three days of searching, tracking, following leads that went nowhere, three days of watching Emily fall apart piece by piece while I pretended I had it together.I didn't have it together.I was barely holding on.We were back at the house, command center set up in my living room, Detective Morris with her team, Theo with his security guys, everyone working phones, computers, following every possible lead.Emily sat on the couch staring at nothing, hadn't eaten in two days, barely slept, just sat there waiting for news that never came."Mr. Steele," Detective Morris called from across the room, "we got another ping, different location, about two hours west."I was already moving, "let's go.""Dom wait," Theo grabbed my arm, "we've been doing this for three days, every time we get close he's already gone, there has to be a pattern, something we're missing.""I don't care about patterns, I care about finding my son.""I know but
EMILY POVThe name came out like poison, like something he wanted to spit out of his mouth and destroy.I couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't do anything except stare at that photo of my baby asleep in the back of a car, his little face peaceful like he didn't know, like he had no idea what was happening."He took our son," I whispered, "he took Ethan."Dominic was already moving, phone to his ear, "I need every available unit to my location right now, my son has been kidnapped, I'm sending you a photo."He forwarded the message to whoever was on the other end, his voice sharp, controlled in a way that scared me because I could hear what was underneath it, pure rage barely held together.Sophie appeared beside us, her face streaked with tears, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, this is all my fault.""Not now Sophie," Dominic said without looking at her, still on the phone, "yes, six years old, brown hair, he was wearing a blue shirt with a dinosaur on it, someone took him from his b
Emily POVIs this a joke?That was the only thing in my head as the glass shattered against the wall beside me.Pieces scattered everywhere.One grazed my arm but I didn't even flinch.I didn't feel pain.I didn't feel anything."How fucking dare you Emily." he shouted again. "You think I'm stupid?
Emily POV :It's been a week since I last set my eyes on Dom, his family won't let me near him no matter how much I begged.I'm not even allowed into the house, she placed some hefty looking hulk at the door, so there's no getting past them except I suddenly turn invisible, which isn't possible.I'
Emily was still crying so hard that her whole chest was shaking. Theo kept holding her up because she had no strength at all. I was standing right beside her, trying to wipe her tears but they just kept falling non stop. Mrs Steele looked at her with the same anger like Emily was the enemy. Lik
Emily POV :"How did you know about Nate?" I ask her."Oh well, I got the information from one of my little girly, she told me all about you and who you were dating.""How did she...... you know what? I don't even wanna know."I stood up."I'm done. We're leaving."I walked out of the house, pissed







