All Chapters of The Vow I Never Took: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

Nathan POV I'm sitting in front of the large TV, and my white knuckled fist wrapped around the remote. I can hear the plastic groaning in my grip, feel it bending and breaking slowly. Then it snaps. I feel a slight sting on my palm, but through the haze of my anger, I don't feel it. It's a distant sensation, barely worth my notice. Richard fills my view. He's wearing a smart suit, one that probably costs a small car. His hair is immaculately done, and there's a gleam in his eyes. A small content smile plays on his lips as he speaks to the reporter. “Nathan is and has always been my son. I love him more than anything in this world.” He sighs. “But the truth has to be said. He's bad for the company. You've followed the news, haven't you? Stocks are dipping, the investors and pundits are confused about what's happening, and even our employees want a bit of assurance. But where is Nathan? He's holed up somewhere, probably not giving a fuck about any of us, if you'll pardon my language.

Lena POVGrace snorts. “You've been in bed with him all day. You can't possibly be missing him. It's barely been 3 hours.”I smile, ignoring my best friend. Willow has us on the roof, tending to tomatoes. The smell of wet earth is calming, and sunlight streams from above, filtering through our shade. “You don't miss Adrian?” I ask, my tone as innocent as I can make it. Grace's jaws snap shot. She opens them to say something, but her mouth only moves, forming words, but not saying them. She gives up eventually. “How long?”I laugh. “How long have I known? Jesus, Grace. You're my best friend and I'm not stupid. I see the way you look at him. And the way he looks at you.”Grace doesn't say anything, turning to transplant a vegetable into a new pot. But I can see the blush staining her neck. “I wanted to tell you,” she says finally, sighing. “Huh-uh.”She winces. “I've been a terrible friend.”I shrug. I don't think so, but Grace looks like she has more to say, so I don't want to inter

Nathan POV I race through the hallway, Han and Adrian running behind me. I catch my reflection in the glass-panneled walls. I look like a man possessed. Shit! I can't think. Can't even plan. I pull my phone out of my pocket, and sure as day, I can't get a single bar. Whatever Sebastian did to lock down the building, it's also affecting the connectivity up here. Despite myself, I can't help but be impressed by this stroke. I push the door to Controls, stepping in. My breath is ragged from my run, and when my employees see me, their eyes widen in fear before it settles into recognition. “One of you. Explain. Now,” I growl, stepping closer. Adrian and Han arrive as the IT guy begins to explain. “Sir, I still don't understand exactly how it happened. This is custom-built malware. Sophisticated stuff. It’s designed to stay hidden, and it’s wrapped in multiple layers of obfuscation. I’ve been diggin

Lena POV“Where the fuck did they go?”Grace is two seconds away from pulling her hair. Her voice sounds angry, but I know my friend and the emotion I can read in her is terror and fear. It's been eight hours since we last got word from Nathan and Adrian. There's a sick feeling in my gut, a twisting malaise that makes me want to both cry and rip something apart. Every time I close my eyes, I see that picture of Nathan and Lena. I'm thinking “Why would he do that to me?” and also thinking “What has happened to him?”It's a strange feeling being heartbroken and worried for the same man that broke your heart. Even Willow is not exempted. Her eyes are rimmed with red, and a slight tremor runs up her right arm. Thirty minutes ago, she took a smoke break, and when she came back, her fingers were bloodied. She chewed through them in her worry. My head is a mess. I can't think straight. Can't even let myself breathe properly

Lena POVHan moves ahead of me, surprisingly spry on his feet. We've been jogging for the past fifteen minutes, taking the stairs two at a time, pushing as fast as we can manage. My metal bat feels cold in my hand, slicked with sweat, my grip on it tenuous. Hell, I can even feel my hands shaking. I lick my lips. “What's the plan, Han?” I ask.He turns to look at me, still jogging. “There was this IT guy. Cole, I think. Nathan had him try to break through the hack. I think he managed it, but Cole thinks we have to restart the entire building to get it to work.”“And the generators are on—”“The last floor. Exactly,” Han says, tone grim. I swallow, feeling fear worm through my back. I don't know how long we have, but I can feel the clock ticking silently in my head, the little minutes and seconds running over each other. We take the elevator next, now that we've left the area where the hack is in effect. Han steps in be