Chapter Eleven: Where's Mrs Kingston?

Mason's pov

I watched the man's hands shake with fear as he scrambled around the office, desperately searching for the strategic plan files for this branch covering the past three years.

He wouldn't find them.

There was no strategic plan.

I had arrived unannounced after asking Clara to investigate why this particular branch had been causing me so many problems.

Now I understood why.

I crossed one leg over the other, watching him bark orders at the assistant to find a file that probably never existed or had long been destroyed.

The poor woman looked like she was about to break down in tears as he hurled abuses at her.

Her expression reminded me of someone.

Big brown eyes flashed through my mind.

So innocent. So naive. So easy to hurt.

Iris.

I tightened my fingers around the glass of whiskey in my hand.

Clinton or Clark? Whatever his name was, he was in charge of this branch, yet I continued receiving complaints about it.

I paid him handsomely to ensure I don't deal with problems like this.

Apparently, doing his job was above his pay grade.

I set my glass down and stood, already bored.

He noticed and quickly rushed over to me.

"Mr Kingston, you're leaving.”

I adjusted my cufflinks before turning to him.

"Yes. I’ve seen everything I need to see.”

He blinked rapidly.

"Uh…what about the strategic plan files you wanted?"

"I won't be needing them. I've seen everything I wanted to see.”

Signaling for Clara to follow me.

Just as I reached the door, I stopped.

“Clara.”

“Sir?”

I glanced over my shoulder at him, still cursing at his secretary.

“I have no use for employees who can't pull their own weight.”

Clara understood immediately

“I’ll have HR send him a termination notice.”

I walked out without another glance.

We had just finished my meetings for the day and were on our way to the Kingston Group hotel, one of the many hotels I owned.

After such a long day, I needed some time to myself.

Unfortunately, I still had contracts I needed to review.

"Sir," Clara called from beside me.

I continued reading through the contract, taking my silence as permission to continue.

"I got a call from Henry..."

She stopped.

I looked up.

Her forehead was creased, and she looked unsure whether she should tell me whatever was on her mind.

I knew Clara well. She knew better than to disturb me while I was busy unless it was important.

“What is it, Clara?" I asked, turning back to the documents in my hands.

She grimaced slightly.

"It's about Miss-Mrs Kingston.”

That got my attention.

My brows lifted slightly, but I quickly schooled my expression, refusing to let my interest show.

"What about her?"

"Henry told me that he went to the Davidson mansion to help Mrs Kingston pack, but they turned him away. They said she was unwell.”

That was strange.

Iris didn't seem like the type to go back on her word.

And the way she talked about her family had always seemed…off.

"Cancel all my plans for the next few days and ask the pilot to start up the jet.”

"Yes sir.”

I got to the hotel to pack up the few things I had left.

As we headed towards the exit, I faltered.

Something caught my attention.

A woman with brown hair stood beside a man with chestnut-brown hair. The man leaned down to kiss her.

The woman looked strangely familiar, but I couldn't remember where I had seen her before.

She gazed lovingly at the man, whom I assumed was her husband. The way he possessively wrapped his hands around her waist made it obvious they were newlyweds.

Newlyweds…

My mind immediately conjured up big brown eyes and long brown hair.

"Is everything okay?" Clara asked beside me.

"No, let's go.”

When the plane landed, Henry was waiting to pick us up at the terminal.

Once I settled into the car, I looked forward.

“Head for Davidson mansion.” I said to Henry.

He threw a quick glance at Clara, who was in the passenger seat, before starting the car.

"Iris isn't here, so don't bother coming back.” A forceful voice came from the intercom.

“When did people start looking for this girl, apart from that her bratty friend of hers?".

The voice muttered before the intercom went silent.

I felt a headache starting to form in my head. I didn't like unnecessary complications, but she was my wife and I couldn't let anything happen to her.

If it weren't the pressure from the board about securing an heir for the future of the company, I wouldn't have bothered getting married. I would have been perfectly content remaining single.

"Henry, the day you were supposed to pick Iris up, what exactly did they tell you?"

"They said she was very ill and wouldn't be seeing anyone".

I looked into the compound and noticed two cars parked inside.

They said she was unwell, yet now she isn't even around?

I checked the time on my watch. How could someone who is supposedly so sick have recovered and gone out in less than twenty-four hours.

"What are we to do sir? It's clear they are deliberately preventing us from seeing Mrs. Kingston.”

It hasn't been more than twenty-four hours, so we couldn’t file a missing-person report yet.

But I couldn’t wait that long.

"Find out whether Iris has left the property since I last dropped her off.”

"Yes sir.”

An hour later Clara walked into my office.

"Sir, I checked the CCTV footage and found that Mrs. Kingston hasn't left the house since you dropped her off. But something was strange.”

She tilted her head slightly, in deep thought.

"The Davidsons were moving a bunch of heavy suitcases that night, which didn't make sense. They aren't moving and they didn't travel anywhere.”

I raised my eyes to meet hers.

“Did you find out where they moved the suitcases?"

"Yes. That's what I found most suspicious. They moved it to an abandoned warehouse in a shady part of town."

What could be so important or so illegal that the Davidsons would need to move it under the cover of the night.

The way Iris spoke about her parents made it clear that she loved them.

I thought about the day I dropped her off and how nervous she’d been when I suggested we drive inside the compound.

It was obvious she was afraid of them.

They made so much effort to cancel my marriage to their eldest daughter, yet they hadn't objected when their youngest daughter took her place.

Their actions so far made one thing obvious, they clearly favoured the eldest Miss Davidson.

So I wouldn't put it past them to try to sacrifice Iris for their own selfish gain.

"Then we'll start our search there. Get some men and have them follow me to the warehouse.”

She nodded, and I immediately headed for the car.