Mag-log inGemmaI paced around the room for nearly ten minutes, unable to sit still. Two days. It had been two freaking days since we last heard anything from them, and every hour that passed made the silence worse.“It’s been two days,” I said, turning toward Gigi. “Two days, Gigi. We haven’t heard anything. No call. No message. Nothing.”Gigi sat on the floor, resting her head on her knee. She looked just as worried, even though she had been trying to stay as calm as possible. Every time I passed her, her eyes followed me, and each time I reached for my phone, she seemed to tense too. She reached for my hand when I passed her again, but I pulled away without meaning to and continued pacing.“You need to stay calm. We don’t know what’s happening, but they’re working on it, Gemma. He will call when there is any news.”“That is exactly what scares me,” I murmured. “If everything was fine, why hasn’t he called? It’s been two days now.”“I know.”I stopped in front of her and folded my arms, tryin
JulianWe pushed through the entrance. The hallway was dark. A guard appeared at the end of it. He raised his weapon at me but I fired at him first.Another man rushed from a side room, swinging at one of my men. They crashed on the wall, fighting at close range while another guard came running toward them.I moved past them; I wasn’t interested in anyone except Vadim and Katia.We searched one room after another, but each one was empty. The next room offered nothing either, and the storage room contained only boxes and equipment.James appeared beside me. “We need the lower section.”I nodded. We moved down a narrow staircase. The sound of fighting continued above us. At the bottom, the hallway became colder and darker. There were several doors along the walls.James tried the first; it was empty. The second was filled with old furniture and supplies. The third was locked. I grabbed the handle and pulled. It didn’t move.James stepped forward and examined the lock. “Give me a second.
JulianThe men checked their weapons and communication devices one final time. No one spoke unnecessarily. The moment the cabin door opened, I stepped out first.Several black vehicles were already waiting near the aircraft. My father’s men stood beside them, dressed in black suits with weapons secured under their jackets. Their faces were expressionless, their movements controlled, and every one of them watched the area around us.One of them stepped forward.“Mr. Ferguson?”“Yes.”He extended his hand.“My name is Rambo. Your grandfather sent us.”I shook his hand once.“Everything ready?”“We have vehicles, additional weapons, medical supplies, and information on the property.”James stepped beside me.“How many men?”“Ten with me. Another five are already positioned near the district.”James exchanged a brief look with me.Rambo continued, “We also have someone watching the estate from a distance. No one knows you are here.”I nodded.“Good.”We moved toward the vehicles.James cl
JulianEveryone was busy when I walked in. Several monitors covered the wall, displaying call records, maps, travel information, and financial reports while James stood in front of them with two of my men working behind him.Nobody looked up to greet me, and James did not waste time with an explanation. He simply turned one of the screens toward me and said, “We traced Katia’s phone.”He brought up the call record and enlarged the map. “The call connected through a Russian network. Katia’s phone is no longer communicating through the network it was previously registered on, but the device itself left enough activity for us to follow the connection.”I studied the screen. “Do we have her location?”James shook his head. “Not yet. We know the phone is in Russia, but that only gives us a country. The connection bounced between networks before disappearing. I’m working backward through the timestamps and cell activity to narrow the area.”I moved around the desk while James opened another
GemmaI opened my mouth to argue again, but Gigi stepped between us, one hand settling firmly on my shoulder.“Gemma, please.” She took a breath before continuing. “I got a call that you fainted. I came here thinking something serious had happened to you. I can’t watch you follow him.”I looked down.“I just want her back.”“I know.”Gigi squeezed my shoulder.“Katia is my friend too. I want her back just as badly as you do, but we have to let Julian and James find out where she is first.”There wasn’t much I could say to that.I sat back down on the bed, rubbing my palms against my thighs as I tried to calm myself.Julian returned to his phone. I watched him for a moment before looking away. I hated that he was the one taking control of the situation. I hated that I needed his help. But none of that mattered as much as Katia did.A few minutes later, the door opened again.A doctor entered with a nurse and introduced himself before pulling the chart closer. He asked me several questi
GemmaThe first thing I felt was an ache in my head. I opened my eyes and stared at the unfamiliar room, trying to remember how I had gotten there. I couldn’t make sense of anything around me. I shifted slightly, and the pain in my head got worse. My hand moved instinctively toward my head, but I stopped when I felt fingers wrapped loosely around mine.I turned my head.Julian was sitting beside the bed, his hand still holding mine. He was no longer wearing his suit jacket, and the sleeves of his shirt were pushed up to his forearms. His tie was slightly loosened, and he held his phone in one hand. The moment our eyes met, he stood.“Where am I?” I asked, my voice weak.“You fainted,” he said quietly. “You’re in the hospital.”I stared at him, trying to process his words.The conference room. The meeting. My phone ringing. I remembered answering the video call and seeing Katia's face on the screen. The bruises on her body. Her hands tied behind the chair. The way she struggled to lift







