Chapter 80 Psychology and Threats
Seraphina’s head snapped toward their direction, having caught words from Vincent’s mouth.
For a moment she thought she had misheard him. Her heart throbbed so hard it felt like it could slip out of her chest.
“What do you mean?” she demanded, struggling to push herself upright in the hospital bed. The sudden movement sent a wave of pain through her body, but she ignored it. “What do you mean by…my son is…” She couldn’t complete the words. Saying them would make them feel real.
Julian had already pulled out his phone. His fingers moved quickly across the screen as he dialed a number.
Vincent’s voice stopped him.
“The man watching over him… Stephen.” Vincent hesitated briefly. “He’s dead.”
Julian’s hand froze around the phone. Color drained from his face.
His steps weakened as if the ground beneath him had suddenly shifted.
Vincent noticed instantly and caught his arm before he could lose balance.
Julian swallowed hard.
Seraphina’s voice tore through the room.
“What is happening?” she shouted. “Where is my son!?”
She yanked at the IV line attached to her wrist.
The needle tugged painfully against her skin as she tried to rip it out.
Julian reached her in two quick strides and grabbed her hands before she could pull it free.
“Sera—stop.”
She stared at him, her eyes blazing with raw panic. Her weakness forgotten.
“What the fuck does Vincent mean?” she demanded hoarsely. “Phoenix is missing? The person taking care of him is dead?”
Julian tried to steady her.
He cupped her face between his hands.
“Look at me.”
But Seraphina shook her head violently, pushing at his arms.
“No! Don’t tell me to look at you! Tell me where my son is!” She reached for his collar and pulled tightly, unable to control her raging nerves. Julian could hardly feel it. They were both in same mental chaos. Only that he was more rational at the moment- because of her.
Her voice cracked into raw hysteria.
The noise had already drawn attention.
The door burst open as a doctor and a nurse rushed inside.
“What’s going on here?” the doctor asked sharply.
Seraphina barely heard him.
Her breathing was ragged now, panic overtaking her completely.
Julian tightened his grip on her face.
“Sera!”
The sharpness in his voice touched a sensitive part of her.
She went still.
Her eyes locked onto his.
Julian’s voice softened, though the tension in his jaw betrayed the storm raging beneath his calm.
“I’m going to get Phoenix back.” The words were promising. Certainty vivid in them.
Seraphina’s lips trembled uncontrollably.
“No,” she whispered immediately. “I’m going with you.”
Julian’s gaze hardened.
“Over my dead body.”
The finality in his voice stunned her into silence.
He leaned closer.
“I won’t put you at risks again. This ends today,” he said quietly. “I will bring Phoenix back to you.”
His voice softened just slightly.
“To us.”
Seraphina stared at him speechlessly.
Julian pressed a brief kiss to her forehead despite himself. It anchored him for a moment. Same as Seraphina.
Then he turned toward the doctor.
“Watch her carefully,” he ordered coldly. “She is not to leave this room. Or you will pay for it.”
His gaze shifted to the nurse.
“And no visitors.” The air in the room seemed to tighten the more he said. “No one sees her unless it’s me.”
As he began to walk out, Seraphina called his name, “Julian,”
He halted, then slowly turned around to look at her. She looked scared, very scared than he had ever seen her.
“Promise me not to die. I don’t…I don’t only want my son back. I want you back as well.” Tears ran down her face freely as her honesty weighed across the room.
Julian’s throat tightened. If anything, Seraphina’s request just armored him- making him more than determined to bring their son back to her.
Julian didn’t mind dying to get their son back, but Seraphina wanted him also alive. That’s what she wanted, and he would give it to her. “I promise.” Just two words, and he turned back around, walking out of the hospital with Vincent.
—
The cold air outside hit Julian’s face like a slap.
He walked several steps ahead before finally stopping.
“Balto is dead,” he said quietly as calculations run in his head. “He isn’t the one who took my son.”
Vincent leaned against the side of the car, thinking. “I’ve been making possible guesses as well. Who could it be?”
Julian’s expression darkened. “I know exactly who took Phoenix.” His voice was ice. “But there’s something that doesn’t make sense.”
Vincent waited, knowing he could always trust his boss’s judgment.
Julian rubbed his temples.
“I made sure no one could find my son.” His voice lowered. “No one.”
He looked at Vincent then, a hint of suspicion flickering in his eyes.
“There was no leak. Only me…and one other person knows where my son is. Not even Seraphina does.”
Vincent got his message easily. And he couldn’t stop a scoff from falling off his lips as he processed it.
“I am the only one who knows where your son is apart from you. You’re not seriously considering that I betrayed you, are you?”
Julian said nothing.
Vincent folded his arms. “You know that’s impossible, Julian. I am more loyal to you than I am to myself. Come off it.”
Julian exhaled heavily. “I trust you,” he finally said.
“But you were the only one who knew where he was.”
Vincent’s lips curved into a humorless smile.
“If I wanted to hurt Phoenix,” he said calmly, “I wouldn’t be standing here pretending to be loyal to you. You know I’m smarter than that.”
Julian looked away. He was well aware of Vincent's loyalty, but in this case, he didn’t want to spare anybody. This had to do with his son. He was trying all he could not to go nuts at the moment, or not to burn the whole world down just to find his son.
He had to stay logical if he truly wanted to get Phoenix back alive. This was the toughest thing he had ever had to do in his life.
He dialed another number. Keith. The phone rang but he didn’t pick it up.
He dialed again.
Still nothing.
Then he called Damien. His number was unreachable.
Julian lowered the phone slowly.
Vincent frowned.
“Who did you call?
Julian paused, thinking, then he answered. “Keith.”
Vincent’s eyes narrowed.
“You think he took Phoenix?”
Julian slid into the driver’s seat.
“I know he did.” His jaw clenched hard. Even Keith wasn’t supposed to know where Phoenix was. He had made sure of it. But that was his last choice at the moment. “And he’s going to pay for it with his life.”
—
Zel Street
The black tinted car stopped outside one of the most expensive clubs in the city of Las Vegas.
The glowing neon sign read ZEL.
Julian stepped inside along with Vincent.
Music thundered through the air. The lights flashed wildly across the dance floor.
Julian walked straight to the counter and approached a man he recognized to be one of Keith’s errand people.
“I’m looking for Keith Jordan.”
The man behind the counter shook his head.
“He hasn’t been here today.”
Julian had no patience left with him to play games. His hand shot forward and grabbed the man by the collar, slamming him against the wall.
The music continued blasting around them, but the tension between them felt deadly quiet. The man shook, terrified of his sudden unexpected action.
“If you’re lying to me,” Julian said coldly, “I will feed your teeth to rats.”
The man’s eyes widened.
“O-Okay!” he stammered. “He came earlier! Roughly…Two hours ago!”
Julian tightened his grip.
“Where is he now?”
“He left! I swear! That’s all I know!”
Julian released him.
The man collapsed against the counter.
Vincent, who had been standing behind Julian all along- followed him outside.
“So Keith’s location is unknown.” Vincent said. Then- “What if it isn’t Keith, but your ten brother? You’ve experienced how irrational he could get before.”
Julian knew Vincent was right to think that, but Damien…
Damien wasn’t capable of pulling something like this off.
He would panic and make mistakes. Julian thought.
No.
This had Keith written all over it. “It’s not Damien. It’s Keith. He was at my wedding. I told you.”
Suddenly, Vincent stopped walking.
“Wait.”
Julian looked at him, his hand rubbing the barrel of his gun to steady himself. “What?”
Vincent’s expression turned serious.
“What if your house isn’t safe either?”
Julian frowned.
“All your workers are there,” Vincent continued as he secretly thought about Joye. He couldn’t share his actual thoughts with Julian. He had to do this alone.
Julian’s eyes narrowed slightly in consideration. This was getting more complicated than he thought. But he was born prepared.
“Go check.”
Vincent nodded. “And you? You shouldn’t go to Keith alone.”
“I’ll call Knox.” Julian said.
Knox was another powerful figure in Julian’s network.
If anyone could help him locate Keith quickly, it was Knox.
—
Vincent’s car finally rolled through the large gates of Julian’s penthouse.
He was a bit relieved to see security guards still standing at their posts.
Everything seemed normal.
They greeted him immediately.
“Evening, sir.”
At least the house hadn’t been compromised, but his mind was still unsettled. He could only hope what he was thinking was not true.
“Is Joye inside?” he asked. Everyone knew Joye in this house. She was one of the most active maids.
But before any of them could answer—The door opened. Vincent turned to the entrance to see Joye stepping outside.