Albert went missing at three AM.
I woke to an empty bed, cold sheets, and no note. His phone was on the nightstand—turned off. His weapons were gone from the safe. And Grace slept peacefully in her crib, unaware her father had disappeared into the night.
I called Knox immediately. "Albert is gone. Did he contact you?"
"No. Last I heard from him was midnight. He was doing a security sweep of the perimeter." Knox paused. "Eva, we found something. Blood trail leading from the east fence toward the woods. Not a lot, but enough to suggest someone was injured."
My stomach dropped. "Send a team. Now."
"Already mobilizing. But Eva—" Knox hesitated. "The security footage from that area? It was erased. Someone with internal access deleted thirty minutes of recordings right before Albert disappe
