Chapter 12
1061 Words
CHAPTER 12
The next morning, the city looked ordinary again.
Traffic filled the streets.
People rushed to work.
Coffee shops buzzed with conversation.
No one would have guessed that somewhere in New York, one of the city's most feared men had spent the night hunting down the people who dared lay a hand on his son.
Nathan hadn't slept.
Not even for a minute.
He stood beside the floor-to-ceiling window in his office, a cup of untouched black coffee resting on his desk. His eyes remained fixed on the city below, but his mind was elsewhere.
A knock came at the door.
"Come in."
Dante stepped inside, carrying a thick file.
"Our men have been questioning everyone since dawn."
Nathan turned.
"Anything useful?"
"Maybe."
Dante placed the file on the desk.
"The accountant is missing."
Nathan wasn't surprised.
"He won't stay hidden forever."
"We've frozen his bank accounts, tracked his family, and shut down every route out of the city."
Nathan nodded.
"If he had help, he'll try contacting them."
"And when he does..."
"We'll be waiting."
Dante watched him for a moment.
"You should get some rest."
Nathan picked up his jacket.
"I'll sleep when this is over."
---
Across the city...
Ava unlocked the door to her apartment and stepped inside.
Mochi, her cat, immediately rubbed against her legs, demanding attention.
"There you are."
She bent down, scratching behind his ears.
"I know. I've been gone too long."
After feeding him, she finally showered and changed into comfortable clothes.
The past two days felt unreal.
Alex's frightened face.
Nathan's quiet promise.
The warehouse.
She shook the thoughts away.
She needed normal.
Her phone rang.
Chloe.
"Please tell me you're alive."
Ava laughed softly.
"I'm alive."
"And?"
"And what?"
"Don't play dumb."
Chloe lowered her voice dramatically.
"How's the billionaire?"
Ava rolled her eyes.
"You ask about him more than you ask about me."
"Because you're obviously fine."
"I'm not."
"No?"
Ava sighed.
"I just... keep thinking about Alex."
There was a pause.
"Is he okay?"
"He will be."
"And Nathan?"
Another pause.
"I don't know."
"You do know."
"I mean..."
Ava sat on the edge of her couch.
"I've never seen someone look so calm while being completely terrified."
Chloe was quiet for a second.
"So the ice king has feelings."
"For his son."
"Still counts."
Ava smiled despite herself.
"I'm heading to the studio."
"Finally."
"I have bills to pay."
"And paintings to finish."
---
The familiar smell of fresh paint greeted Ava the moment she entered the studio.
She hadn't realized how much she'd missed it.
Blank canvases lined one wall.
Half-finished murals covered another.
She tied her hair into a loose ponytail and picked up a brush.
For the next few hours, nothing else existed.
Not Nathan.
Not Ethan.
Not Erica.
Just colours.
Paint.
And silence.
Her phone buzzed around noon.
A message from an unknown number.
I hope Alex is doing better.
Her heart skipped.
She stared at the screen.
Only a handful of people knew she'd been there.
She typed quickly.
Who is this?
The reply came almost immediately.
Someone who keeps his promises.
She didn't need another name.
She knew exactly who it was.
Before she could reply again, another message appeared.
Don't forget to eat.
She looked toward the untouched sandwich sitting on the table.
A small smile escaped her.
Then she caught herself smiling.
"What is wrong with me?"
She locked her phone and went back to painting.
---
Nathan arrived at the Walker estate shortly before sunset.
The house was unusually quiet.
He walked upstairs without removing his jacket.
Alex's bedroom door was slightly open.
Inside, Alex was asleep with a sketchbook resting on his chest.
Nathan smiled faintly.
The boy must have fallen asleep while drawing.
He carefully lifted the sketchbook so it wouldn't fall.
Several pages were filled with colourful stick figures.
One page showed Nathan with impossibly large shoulders.
Another had Dante wearing sunglasses indoors.
Nathan almost laughed.
A loose sheet of paper slipped onto the floor.
He picked it up.
It wasn't Alex's drawing.
It was Ava's.
She had sketched Alex sitting beneath a tree, smiling as he painted on a small canvas.
The details were simple but beautiful.
At the bottom, she'd written:
For my favourite little artist. Keep smiling. — Ava
Nathan looked at the drawing for a long moment before placing it carefully on Alex's bedside table.
A soft knock interrupted him.
His mother stepped into the room.
"He's been asking about her all day."
Nathan glanced at Alex.
"I know."
Victoria smiled knowingly.
"She was here this afternoon."
"I heard."
"She stayed only long enough to make him laugh."
Nathan didn't answer.
Victoria folded her arms.
"She left because she didn't want to intrude."
His eyes remained on the drawing.
"She's thoughtful."
Victoria watched her son carefully.
"You chose well."
Nathan finally looked at her.
"I didn't choose."
"No?"
"I noticed."
Victoria laughed quietly.
"That's the most romantic thing I've ever heard you say."
---
Meanwhile...
Several miles away...
Inside an abandoned office building, a man sat nervously across from a woman dressed in black.
"The rescue wasn't supposed to happen that fast."
She continued reading a file without looking up.
"It doesn't matter."
"He found the phone."
"I know."
"He'll trace it back."
She finally raised her eyes.
"Only if we let him."
The man swallowed.
"What about the accountant?"
A slow smile spread across her face.
"He has already served his purpose."
"And if Nathan finds him?"
"He won't."
The woman closed the file.
"By tomorrow morning..."
She looked toward the city lights outside.
"...there won't be anyone left to question."
The man felt a chill run down his spine.
Sometimes, he forgot that even among criminals...
There were monsters.
And the woman sitting in front of him was one of them.
---
At the same time...
Nathan stood alone on the balcony outside Alex's room.
His phone vibrated.
Dante.
"I've got news."
Nathan answered immediately.
"Talk."
"We found the accountant."
Nathan's eyes narrowed.
"Alive?"
Dante was silent for two seconds.
"No."
Nathan's expression hardened.
"He was killed less than an hour ago."
Another lead...
Gone.
Nathan looked out over the city, his grip tightening around the phone.
Someone was always one step ahead.
And for the first time in years...
Nathan Walker had no idea who he was hunting.
- Writer
