The Voice He Never Forgot

Adrian stared at Camille for a long moment, his icy blue eyes sharp enough to make her chest tighten with unease.

Camille’s nails dug painfully into her palms beneath the table as she struggled to maintain her composed expression.

“I wouldn’t lie to you, Adrian,” she said softly, though desperation lingered beneath her voice. “I care about Sophia just as much as you do.”

Adrian’s jaw tightened slightly before he turned away without replying.

His attention shifted immediately toward Harris.

“What’s the update?” he asked coldly. “Did the police contact you yet?”

Harris straightened at once, his expression grim.

“Not yet, sir.”

Adrian’s hands curled slowly into fists at his sides.

Harris hesitated briefly before speaking again.

“Sir… is it possible that someone kidnapped Ms. Sophia?”

The room instantly fell silent.

A dangerous darkness settled across Adrian’s expression while tension spread heavily through the atmosphere.

“That’s unlikely,” Adrian replied coldly. “Nobody would dare.”

But despite the certainty in his tone, a flicker of doubt still crossed his mind.

Too many possibilities were beginning to surface.

“We still can’t rule it out completely,” Harris continued cautiously. “Especially after what happened last time.”

“Enough.”

Adrian cut him off sharply, his voice hard as steel.

“Increase manpower and expand the search area immediately. I want Sophia found before the day is over.”

“Yes, sir,” Harris answered quickly while feeling the pressure behind the order.

Just as Adrian turned to leave, his phone suddenly buzzed inside his pocket.

He pulled it out immediately, irritation visible in the sharpness of his movements.

An unknown number flashed across the screen.

His brows furrowed slightly.

Could this somehow be connected to Sophia?

Without wasting another second, he answered the call.

“Who is this?”

“Hello.”

The moment the soft female voice reached his ears, Adrian’s entire body went rigid.

His breathing stalled briefly as memories crashed violently through his mind without warning.

That voice.

After all these years, he still recognized it instantly.

“Hello?” the woman spoke again, confusion slipping into her tone. “Is anyone there?”

Adrian forced himself to respond even as his chest tightened unexpectedly.

“Yes.”

His answer came out clipped and controlled.

“Oh, good,” the woman said with obvious relief. “I found a little girl who gave me your number. You’re her father, right? Can you come pick her up?”

The more she spoke, the colder Adrian’s expression became.

Because there was no possibility of mistake.

He knew exactly who she was.

Elena Morrell.

His grip around the phone tightened slowly while anger, disbelief, and something far more dangerous stirred inside him all at once.

After six years of disappearing without a trace, Elena was suddenly back.

And somehow, out of everyone in the city, she had found Sophia.

“Where are you?” Adrian asked quietly, though the dangerous edge beneath his voice was impossible to miss.

“At Moonlit Haven,” Elena answered, completely unaware of the storm building on the other end of the call. “We’ll wait here with her.”

“I’m on my way.”

Adrian ended the call immediately.

“Harris,” he barked sharply. “Get the car. Now.”

Harris moved instantly, sensing that Adrian’s already volatile mood had shifted into something even worse.

Moonlit Haven was one of the most exclusive private dining establishments in Althea.

Known for its luxurious atmosphere and world-class cuisine, the restaurant catered almost exclusively to wealthy elites and influential families. Ornate wooden screens separated each table while soft golden lighting reflected beautifully against crystal chandeliers hanging overhead.

Using every bit of her influence, Samantha had somehow managed to secure a private reservation at the last minute.

She led the group toward a quiet table tucked into one corner of the restaurant where they could eat peacefully without interruption.

The waitstaff arrived quickly with several beautifully plated dishes arranged carefully across the table.

Throughout the meal, Elena remained focused mostly on Sophia.

She gently cut the little girl’s food into smaller pieces before sliding the plate closer toward her.

“Here, sweetheart,” Elena said softly while offering her a forkful of pasta.

Sophia hesitated briefly before accepting it quietly.

Across the table, Ethan and Liam had completely devoted themselves to taking care of her too.

The twins carefully peeled shrimp one after another before piling them dramatically onto Sophia’s plate.

“See this mountain?” Ethan asked proudly. “We made it just for you.”

Sophia stared at the enormous pile silently with wide eyes.

For the first time since meeting her, the little girl almost looked amused.

Though she still remained quiet, the fear surrounding her earlier had started fading little by little beneath the warmth and kindness around her.

The peaceful atmosphere lasted only a short while before a hushed conversation from a nearby table suddenly drifted toward them.

“Did you hear?” a woman whispered urgently. “The Lancaster girl has gone missing. The entire city is talking about it.”

Another voice responded immediately.

“Missing? Do you think she was kidnapped? I mean, who would even dare? She’s Adrian Lancaster’s only daughter.”

The moment Elena heard Adrian’s name, her body stiffened instantly.

Her heartbeat thudded painfully against her chest as memories she had spent years burying came rushing back without mercy.

“Not just anyone would mess with the Lancasters,” the first woman continued quietly. “That little girl may not speak much, but she’s still the center of Adrian Lancaster’s world.”

Samantha immediately noticed Elena’s sudden silence.

“Elena?” she asked softly. “Are you okay?”

Elena barely seemed to hear her.

“Mute,” she whispered under her breath.

Samantha frowned slightly.

“What?”

“They said the Lancaster girl is mute.”

Elena’s voice grew quieter as her gaze slowly shifted toward Sophia sitting beside her.

The little girl’s delicate appearance.

Her expensive clothing.

Her silence.

Everything suddenly connected inside Elena’s mind with terrifying clarity.

Samantha’s expression changed immediately.

“No,” she said slowly while realizing the same thing. “It can’t be.”

Elena’s face hardened slightly.

“It has to be,” she said quietly. “Sophia is Adrian’s daughter.”

A flash of anger crossed Samantha’s face.

“So while you were rebuilding your life after everything he did to you, he was busy creating a perfect little family?” she muttered bitterly.

Elena shook her head immediately.

“That doesn’t matter right now,” she said firmly. “He’ll be here soon, and we can’t stay here when he arrives.”

Samantha quickly grabbed her arm.

“Elena, are you seriously going to run again?” she asked quietly. “Avoiding him forever won’t solve anything.”

Elena slowly stood from her seat, her decision already made.

“I have to leave,” she replied softly. “Please, Sam. Stay here and handle this for me. I’ll take Ethan and Liam outside and wait near the car.”

Samantha sighed heavily before nodding.

“Fine. But you owe me for this.”

Elena gave a faint grateful smile before crouching gently beside Sophia.

The little girl looked up at her immediately, confusion and sadness filling her eyes.

“I have to go now,” Elena said softly. “But Samantha is going to stay with you until your father gets here. Don’t worry, sweetheart. You’ll be safe.”

Sophia’s small fingers immediately wrapped around Elena’s sleeve.

The silent pleading in her eyes made Elena’s chest ache painfully.

For a brief second, she almost reconsidered leaving.

But she could not risk Adrian seeing her with the boys.

Not yet.

Carefully, Elena loosened Sophia’s grip from her sleeve.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered gently before standing up.

Then she quickly hurried out of the private dining room with Ethan and Liam beside her.

The moment Elena left, Samantha immediately instructed the waitstaff to clear the extra dishes and rearrange the table so it looked as though only two people had been dining there.

Only a few minutes later, the door to the private room opened again.

Several bodyguards dressed in tailored black suits entered first, their intimidating presence instantly filling the room.

Samantha straightened her posture immediately while forcing herself to remain calm.

Then Adrian Lancaster walked in.

His tall powerful frame seemed to dominate the entire room the moment he appeared.

His sharp gaze swept across the dining area before immediately softening slightly when

Sophia spotted him.

“Daddy!”

Sophia rushed toward him at once before throwing her tiny arms around his legs tightly.