Chapter 37
1068 Words
Elias POV
I hadn’t slept.
Not because I couldn’t, but because I refused to.
Sleep meant silence, and silence meant room for thoughts I didn’t want. Thoughts of where she was. Of who had her. Of what they might already be doing to her.
Mara wasn’t someone to play with.
And the fact that someone dared to, dared to test my patience using her, made something dark coil tight in my chest.
I sat in my office, files open in front of me, my name stamped neatly at the top of documents I couldn’t read. The words blurred together no matter how hard I tried to focus. Every thought circled back to the same place.
Her.
The way she had left the club. The way I hadn’t stopped her. It sickened me to admit it, but I knew why she had walked away. I had brought her there. I had put her in that position. And when Amira leaned closer, when the flirting grew obvious, Mara had chosen silence, then distance.
And I had let her go.
For the first time in years, the thought of losing someone wasn’t abstract. It was terrifying.
A soft knock broke through my thoughts.
Amira.
She was due to leave for Dubai this morning.
Courtesy demanded I see her off, something I’d never questioned before. But today, doing it felt different.
I stood, straightened my jacket, and walked out with her in silence. The car ride stretched longer than it should have.
“I saw how worried you were yesterday,” Amira said gently, breaking the quiet. “Is Mrs. Lawson okay?”
I didn’t answer immediately. Hearing her name affected me more than I wanted to admit.
“You shouldn’t worry about it,” I said finally, my voice clipped.
“I should,” she replied. “You were so worried that you forgot me and left me alone at the club. I was really worried.”
The memory hit me then, me leaving her without a word, driving home with only one thought in my head. Even knowing Mara meant more to me than I was ready to admit, I still owed Amira respect.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “That wasn’t intentional.”
She smiled faintly. “The look on your face last night… isn't something I've seen before. It was the look of someone in love.”
My chest tightened.
She continued, softer now. “I always thought you didn’t believe in feelings. Guess I was wrong. You really care about her. A lot.”
I said nothing.
Because the moment her name was spoken, my heart reacted before my mind could stop it.
Amira sighed. “I won’t lie. I liked you a little bit. Still do, maybe. But it’s fine. I’m glad we’re at least business partners.”
I hadn’t had a woman confess to me like this in a while. It felt unfamiliar. I didn’t want her to feel like she had made a mistake opening up, so I stayed silent instead of rejecting her outright.
We reached the airport. I escorted her toward the departure terminal, the noise of rolling luggage and announcements filling the space.
Then my phone vibrated.
I stopped walking.
A message from my source.
Location confirmed. Plate matches.
Relief hit me hard. The car that had taken her had been found. My source had pulled footage from street CCTV, and we watched as Mara was abducted by two men.
I wasn’t letting go now that I had their location in my hands. They were going to pay for even thinking of abducting her, let alone touching her.
“I have to go,” I said abruptly.
Amira turned, confused. “Now?”
“I’m so sorry, Amira,” I said quickly. “I have to leave, it's urgent.”
I didn’t wait for her response. I left immediately.
I reached the car and took the keys from the driver.
“I’ll drive,” I said, sliding into the driver’s seat before speeding off.
The city blurred as I tore through it, every red light ignored, every rule broken. The location led me to the outskirts, an abandoned lot cluttered with old trucks, rusted vehicles, and silence.
I jumped out of the car and ran.
“Mara!” I shouted. “Mara!”
Nothing.
Just silence.
I searched every inch, still nothing.
Then my eyes caught the car. White.
I pulled out my phone, checking the plate number. It matched.
They had been here.
I yanked the door open, panic slicing through me, searching for anything, anything that could lead me closer to her.
Then I saw it.
A torn piece of cloth near the seat.
I picked it up slowly, my hands shaking as I brought it to my face. The scent hit instantly, her sweet scent of vanilla. The only scent my mind recognized.
A roar tore out of my chest as frustration and fury collided. I slammed my fist against the car.
I called my source.
“Are you sure this was the location?”
“Yes,” he said. “I’m certain.”
“There’s no one here,” I snapped. “Nothing but the car.”
I didn’t wait for him to respond. I ended the call, anger burning through me.
My phone buzzed.
A new message.
>I warned you about involving the police. You’ll see what I’m capable of.
My blood ran cold.
A news notification followed seconds later.
Mara Lawson reported missing.
Who had done this?
Only one name surfaced in my mind.
David.
I left immediately for the station.
“I need to speak to the detective,” I said.
“Mr. Lawson, very pleased to meet…”
“Who filed the report?” I demanded, cutting him off.
He signaled his colleagues to check. Moments later, he looked back at me.
“David Hale.”
Rage exploded.
I left without another word, heading straight to the company. It was the only place he’d be.
And when I saw him, standing there like he had any right to, my fist connected with his face before I could think.
Gasps echoed around us.
He had no idea what he’d done.
He had just put Mara’s life in even more danger.
This was the first time I had lost control over a woman.
And I didn’t care.
Because that woman meant everything to me.
- Writer
