CHAPTER 191

CHAPTER 191
By the third day, the city had stopped holding its breath and begun to suffocate.

News cycles no longer spoke in urgency alone, but in speculation, theories, and blame. Vincent Cole and Amelia Harper-Cole were still missing. No ransom demand had been made. No body had been found. No confirmed sightings had surfaced. The absence itself had become a kind of violence, stretching every hour into something unbearable.

The police station buzzed with controlled chaos. Phones rang endlessly. Officers moved in and out of interview rooms with files tucked under their arms. Outside, reporters gathered behind barricades, their voices rising every time a door opened.

Viviana sat alone in a small interrogation room, her back straight, her hands folded tightly in her lap. She looked nothing like the confident woman who once ruled rooms with her smile. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her skin pale, her movements stiff with exhaustion and fear. She had not slept properly since the night Adrian disappeared with Vincent and Amelia.

A detective sat across from her, his voice calm but relentless.

“You understand the severity of this situation,” he said. “A man is dead. Two people are missing. One of them is your father. The other is his daughter.”

Viviana swallowed hard. “I understand.”

“Then you also understand,” he continued, “that if you are withholding any information about Adrian Reyes - his habits, his safe places, his backup plans - you could be charged as an accessory.”

Her breath trembled. “I’m not withholding anything. I swear. Adrian never told me he would do this. The plan was corporate. It was about shares and votes. That’s all.”

The detective studied her carefully. “You worked closely with him. You helped him manipulate people. You knew he was capable of extreme actions.”

“I knew he was ambitious,” Viviana said weakly. “I knew he was cruel in business. But kidnapping? Murder?” Her voice cracked. “I didn’t know he was… this.”

The door opened briefly, and Matteo stepped inside, his presence immediately changing the atmosphere. He didn’t sit. He stood near the wall, arms crossed, his expression unreadable but hard.

“Viviana,” he said quietly.

She looked at him, her eyes filling instantly. “I told them everything I know.”

Matteo nodded once. “Then keep doing that. Because if Amelia and Vincent aren’t found, this won’t end with Adrian.”

Her shoulders slumped. “You think I wanted this?” she whispered. “You think I wanted him to become a murderer?”

“No,” Matteo replied. “But you helped him believe he could do anything without consequence.”

The words landed heavily.

The detective stood. “We’ll continue this later,” he said. “For now, you’ll remain here.”

Viviana was led away, her steps unsteady, the weight of her choices finally pressing down on her in full.

Across the city, inside a secured operations room that looked more like a war bunker than an office, Matteo leaned over a table covered in maps, printouts, satellite images, and timelines. Felix stood beside him, phone pressed to his ear, relaying updates in clipped tones.

“There’s nothing new from highway cameras,” Felix said after hanging up. “No confirmed exit points. Adrian avoided major roads completely.”

“That was intentional,” Matteo said. “He wanted time.”

The door opened again, and a man walked in dragging a carry-on suitcase behind him. He was tall, lean, with tired eyes and a sharp, alert expression that took in everything at once.

Ethan.

He dropped the suitcase by the wall and looked around slowly before letting out a low whistle. “Okay,” he said. “You definitely did not mention any of this when we were roommates.”

Matteo didn’t look up. “You came fast.”

“You said it was urgent,” Ethan replied, rolling up his sleeves. “You also said someone you love is missing. That usually means I don’t ask questions until later.”

Felix nodded at him. “Good to have you here.”

Ethan glanced at Matteo again, eyes narrowing slightly. “So,” he said lightly, “you want to explain now or after we save your girlfriend?”

Matteo finally looked up. “After.”

Ethan grinned faintly. “Fair.”

They got to work immediately.

Screens lit up with data streams as Ethan opened his laptop and connected to the network. He pulled satellite records, traffic heat maps, phone pings, and archived land registries. His fingers moved quickly, confidence evident in every keystroke.

“You’re lucky,” Ethan said without looking up. “Most people don’t disappear cleanly. They leave patterns. Adrian left fewer, but not none.”

Felix leaned closer. “What are you seeing?”

“I’m filtering for areas with no recent digital footprint,” Ethan replied. “No cell towers. No registered properties. No commercial traffic. Places people forget exist.”

Matteo watched silently, tension coiled tight in his chest.

After a moment, Ethan glanced up at him. “You care about her a lot.”

Matteo didn’t hesitate. “She’s everything.”

Ethan’s brows lifted. “Figures.”

They worked in silence for several minutes before Ethan spoke again, amusement flickering through the tension. “You know,” he said, “when we shared a room for four years and you let me buy you dinner every other night, you never once mentioned that your father owns half the country.”

Matteo exhaled sharply, almost a laugh. “I didn’t lie. I just didn’t explain.”

“I fed you,” Ethan said pointedly. “Out of sympathy.”

“You did,” Matteo admitted. “And I owe you.”

Ethan smirked. “Good. Because once we find Amelia, you owe me a very long explanation. Preferably over an extremely expensive meal.”

Matteo’s lips twitched despite himself. “Deal.”

But the moment passed quickly. Fear returned just as fast.

“She’s strong,” Ethan added quietly. “But no one should be in the hands of a man like Adrian for this long.”

Matteo’s jaw tightened. “I know.”

Far away, in the deep quiet of the woods, time moved differently.

The cabin sat wrapped in silence, smoke no longer rising from the chimney. Inside, Amelia sat on the edge of a narrow bed, her hands clasped together so tightly her fingers ached. Vincent sat across from her, his posture calm, but his eyes watchful.

Three days.

Adrian had come and gone, restless, unpredictable. Sometimes silent for hours. Sometimes pacing like a storm looking for land. He spoke often about plans, about things still “in motion,” about how this wasn’t over.

He never told them what came next.

That uncertainty was the worst part.

Amelia’s throat felt dry, her body heavy with exhaustion, but she forced herself to stay alert. Every sound mattered. Every shift in Adrian’s mood mattered.

Vincent caught her eye and gave a subtle nod, reminding her silently: stay steady.

They were still alive.

And somewhere beyond the trees, people were looking for them.