Chapter 56: Desperation

Magnus

My heart was beating with desperation as Patrick and I explored every option to find Miranda and Melany. Every door we tried seemed to slam shut in our faces. We were trapped in a web of intrigue and danger, with no clear path to freedom.

“Patrick, we need to do something. We can’t waste any more time.” My voice reflected the helplessness I felt.

Miranda and my daughter were in the hands of a ruthless man, and I couldn’t afford to lose them. Patrick nodded, sharing my anguish.

“We’re doing everything we can, Magnus.”

“Well, it’s not enough, I have to find them!”

I admit that Patrick was also familiar with my constant mood swings and I don’t know if he appreciated me a lot or the pay was good, but he seemed to be the only one who could put up with me.

“I’ve been a month without knowing about them, Richard this time knew how to play his cards well, I have to do something to find them or I swear I’ll go crazy.”

“I have half the city looking for them.”

“And don’t you find it strange that we still haven’t found them?”

“You’ve already said it, Richard knew how to play his cards this time.”

The bastard must have been planning this for months, he wanted his plan to come out perfect because he knew the situation he would put me in, I just prayed that they were not hurting either of them.

We were sunk in our frustration when suddenly, the door to my office swung wide open. We both turned our heads to find ourselves with the unexpected presence of Hannah.

“I think I can help you.” Hannah’s words hung in the air, creating a moment of anticipation.

I looked at Patrick, questioning with my gaze whether we should trust her, this wouldn’t be the first time she pretends she wants to help and then just ends up complicating things. However, in our desperate situation, any ray of hope was welcome.

“I know I shouldn’t be your favorite person right now.”

“You’re not, no.”

“But I want to help, I thought that meeting Richard again, trying to reconnect with my brother would help me, but I can’t support what he’s doing knowing that it endangers a child’s life.”

“Hannah, please, tell us what you know. Any clue is valuable at this moment,” Patrick demanded answers, but caution was also perceived in his tone.

“Hannah, whatever you have to say, say it now.”

She settled into a chair and, with a serious look, began to reveal information that could change the course of our search, for the first time we are one step closer to recovering my family.

With the new clues provided by Hannah, hope was renewed within me. Patrick and I plunged into meticulous planning of our rescue operation. Every detail was crucial, and we couldn’t afford a single mistake.

“It seems harder than we thought.”

“But it’s not impossible, Patrick, if we manage to do this well and with the necessary rescue team I assure you that we will get Miranda and Melany out of there.”

“You really care a lot, don’t you?” Hannah asked, staying by my side looking at the plans on the table.”

“Miranda would already be my wife if it weren’t for your brother’s idiocy and Melany, like it or not, is my daughter, of course, I care about both of them, otherwise, I wouldn’t be doing any of this.”

“We’re going to find them, Magnus, rest assured.”

She gave me a light squeeze on my shoulder and I could feel that his words were charged with sincerity, I hope for everyone’s sake, that it’s true, that I can soon be with them again, the way we were torn apart keeps replaying in my memory over and over again.

It’s horrible to wake up at night scared, believing that I’ll have Miranda by my side, that’s the worst part, that she’s not there with me when I wake up.

“Patrick, we need to get to that house undetected. How can we make sure they don’t see us?”

Patrick, always calm under pressure, drew a map highlighting secondary routes and discreet access points. As we reviewed the plan, Hannah intervened with an unexpected proposal.

“I can be the distraction. My brother won’t doubt me, he won’t even think that I’m about to betray him.”

Surprise reflected on my face, but I couldn’t ignore that her offer could be a valuable tool, the element of surprise that he won’t see coming. With a meaningful look at Patrick, I nodded.

“Hannah, if you decide to do it, you’ll need to be cautious. Your safety is a priority, but it’s also important that Richard doesn’t suspect your intentions at any time, okay?”

“You have my word, Magnus, I’ll strive to do things right, I’ll find Miranda and help her escape, the team has to be alert to my indications.”

“Don’t make me regret trusting you.”

“As I said, I don’t want my brother to keep hurting more people, he’s not the person I thought he was, many things changed during this time I was away from him.”

“Then all you have to do is do a good job,” Patrick intervened.

She nodded, showing her determination to execute this plan well. As we reviewed the final details we prepared for the worst and alerted the rescue team to everything they had to do, I prayed that this would work.

“Alright, I think we have everything ready, it’s time to execute the plan, does everyone remember perfectly what they have to do?”

“Yes, sir,” the men of the rescue team responded in unison.

“This means everything to me, I think you already know what I’m going to tell you, but if because of any of you I lose the opportunity to recover my wife and my daughter I assure you that I will cut off your heads and send the remains to your relatives, is that clear?”

“Everything, clear, sir.”

At this point, I felt capable of anything in order to recover them, I would sell the company, give up everything I’ve fought for to become a powerful tycoon, I would get rid of anyone they asked me to and I swear I would become the devil himself if that could help me recover Miranda and Melany.

“I think I’ve never felt more powerless, I feel like my hands are tied and that if this doesn’t go well, things will get worse.”

“You have your bulletproof vest on, right?”

“I thought your job was to protect me, Patrick,” I joked a bit to lighten the mood.

“But dead, I won’t be of much use to you.”

“Good point, don’t worry, I have it on, we need to focus on following the plan to the letter.”

The tension was increasing as we approached the house where Miranda and Melany were supposedly being held.

The night enveloped us in a cloak of darkness, and the determined figure of Hannah advanced towards the property, ready to be the distraction that would open our way.

However, upon arrival, the door was wide open, as if someone had anticipated our arrival. The unease grew within me as Patrick and I advanced cautiously through the corridors. The search led us to the room where we imagined Miranda and Melany were being held, but what we found there was shocking.

The lifeless body of one of my old enemies lay on the floor. The scene was devoid of any trace of my family, and the feeling of desperation enveloped me like a dark embrace.

“Damn it!” I exclaimed, feeling the fury take over me. Without thinking, I took a nearby vase and threw it against the wall, feeling the anger release in each broken fragment.

Patrick tried to calm me down, but the frustration was taking over me. In a whisper, I uttered words that reflected the reality we were facing.

“We’re back to square one, Patrick. My family seems further away than ever. We need to find them, no matter what it takes.”

I knew that every second counted in this race against time.