Chapter 41 up
Clark stood by the window of his office, staring out at the city drowned in neon lights. Yet his mind was nowhere near the skyline. Ever since Vincent had spoken the word abducted, something had begun gnawing at his chest—unease that slowly sharpened into suspicion.
There were too many coincidences.
Too many answers that felt rehearsed.
And all of them led to one name.
Selena.
Clark recalled the look on her face when he had asked about Nyla. Too calm. Too quick to dismiss the question. There had been no panic, no curiosity—only certainty, as if Selena had already known that Nyla wouldn’t be coming back.
“No,” Clark muttered to himself. “You’re being paranoid.”
But even as he tried to convince himself, his memories betrayed him. Selena was the one who said Nyla had left willingly. Selena was the one who insisted he shouldn’t look for her. Selena was the one who changed the subject every time Nyla’s name surfaced.
Clark grabbed his jacket and left the office.
He needed to go home.
Selena was sitting on the sofa when Clark walked in. Her face was pale, her eyes swollen, one hand resting on her stomach as usual—the fragile pose she had been using far too often lately.
“Where have you been?” she asked softly.
Clark studied her. “I met Vincent.”
Selena’s heart slammed violently against her ribs, but she forced a small smile. “Is he… doing okay?”
“He’s convinced Nyla was kidnapped,” Clark said flatly.
Selena flinched. “Oh my God… that’s—that’s horrible.” She shook her head slowly, as if struggling to accept it. “Who could do something so cruel?”
Clark stepped closer. “That’s what I want to know.”
Their gazes locked.
Selena quickly looked down. “Clark, I’m tired. I can’t handle dark thoughts right now. This baby—”
“Selena,” Clark interrupted. “Answer me honestly. You really don’t know anything?”
She lifted her face, eyes glistening. “Why are you looking at me like that? Are you accusing me?”
Clark fell silent. He saw fear on Selena’s face—or perhaps panic. He could no longer tell which was genuine and which was an act.
“I just want the truth,” he said quietly.
Selena rose slowly, stepped closer, and held onto his arm. “I would never hurt anyone, Clark. I only want our family to stay together.”
Her touch felt unfamiliar.
Clark gently pulled his arm away. “Get some rest.”
He turned and left the room, leaving Selena frozen in place, her breathing uneven.
The moment Clark’s footsteps faded, Selena’s expression collapsed.
The fragile smile vanished—replaced by real fear.
“No… no… this is too fast,” she whispered.
Elsewhere, Vincent sat in a small conference room with two trusted men. On the screen, CCTV footage replayed over and over.
“Zoom in here,” Vincent ordered.
A man appeared clearly on the screen—his face hidden beneath a cap, but his movements unmistakably familiar. Vincent narrowed his eyes.
“Him,” Vincent said quietly. “I’ve seen him before.”
“One of the hired men who often shows up around Selena’s circle,” the head of security replied. “We traced suspicious transactions from a third-party account. The money flowed into the same network.”
Vincent’s fist clenched. “When?”
“Two days before Nyla disappeared.”
The air in the room grew heavy.
“Selena,” Vincent murmured. “You finally tore off your own mask.”
Meanwhile, Selena paced back and forth in her bedroom, phone clutched tightly in her hand. She tried calling the same number again—no answer.
“You promised this would be clean,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Why is Clark getting suspicious?”
She sank onto the edge of the bed, breathing hard. The baby kicked gently inside her, only worsening her panic.
“I did this for us,” she whispered, almost begging herself. “I had no choice.”
A knock at the door made her jolt.
“Selena?” Clark’s voice came from outside.
She hurriedly wiped her tears and lay down. “Come in.”
Clark opened the door. “I’m heading out for a bit.”
“Where are you going?” she asked too quickly.
“To find answers.”
Selena swallowed. “Be careful.”
Clark looked at her once more before closing the door. There was something in his eyes now—doubt he could no longer hide.
The moment he left, Selena jumped up and locked the door tightly. She dialed the number again.
“I told you not to be careless!” she hissed as soon as the call connected. “Everything is falling apart!”
The man’s voice on the other end was cold. “We did exactly as instructed. She’s alive.”
“That’s not enough!” Selena snapped. “Clark is starting to suspect me. If he finds out—”
“Do you want us to clean up the loose ends?” the man asked.
Selena froze, breath ragged. “No… not yet. I—I need time.”
“You’re playing with fire, Selena.”
“I know!” she shouted under her breath. “I won’t lose everything!”
She didn’t realize the bedroom door hadn’t fully closed.
And in the dim hallway outside, Clark stood completely still.
Every word reached him clearly. Every note of panic slammed into his awareness.
His hands clenched into fists. His blood turned cold.
Selena.
He stepped back slowly, holding his breath, then turned away without a sound. His heart pounded—not with fear, but with a bitter truth that had finally cracked wide open.