Chapter 234: Twisted

Thomas hadn't even finished turning toward Dan before Dan spoke.

"Already checking."

The room waited silently.

Meanwhile while they were at Alex’s side cracking their heads, Derby was boiling with anger after hearing that it was Hunter that kidnapped Lucas.

Derby paced restlessly across her Hotel room. Her mind refused to slow down.

Hunter.

The name kept echoing in her head. The same number. The same pattern. The same nightmare.

She stopped abruptly.

Her eyes widened. “Does it mean she was involved in Lucas’s first kidnappings?”

"Ouuh, aunt Larissa, I thought, I knew you. I thought I was working with you."

Her face darkened with anger.

"How dare you?"

Her fingers flew across the screen as she dialed Larissa's number. The call connected almost immediately.

"Hello." Larissa didn't get another word out.

"How could you be this heartless?"

Derby shouted. How could you stab me like this? I fucking trusted you. Why the heck are you punishing Lucas. He is not Alex so why, huh?

“Hey, what…” Larissa started but she cut her short.

“I don't want to hear any sermon, and I give you five minutes to set Lucas free or I'll call the police and have you arrested!"

Silence followed as Larissa’s thoughts ran to get what she was driving at.

Then, "Hey, girl." Larissa sounded completely confused.

"Calm down."

"Don't you dare tell me to calm down!"

Derby's voice echoed through the house. "Release Lucas! Or I'm calling the police!"

"Derby!" Larissa's tone sharpened.

"What on earth are you talking about? I've told you before, I don't have Lucas!"

"Stop lying!" Derby's breathing was ragged. "I know it's you."

"Where the heck is this coming from? Did Alex told you that?" Larissa demanded.

"The ransom call told me that."

Derby's grip tightened around the phone. "You called Alex using Hunter's number."

A bit of silence followed.

"The same number you used before. The same number is connected to James. The same number you used when you kept taunting them."

Another pause.

Then Larissa spoke quietly.

"...What?” Larissa was stunned.

It wasn't me."

Derby laughed bitterly. "Really?"

"I swear on my life. I don't have Lucas."

"No. You've gone too far this time."

Larissa let out a frustrated breath.

"Listen to me, Derby, I lost that phone."

Derby stopped pacing.

"What?"

"The phone." Larissa spoke slowly, and carefully.

"I told you about it."

Her voice became more insistent.

"Think back. Have you forgotten, I even asked if you'd seen it."

Derby's expression faltered.

Larissa continued before she could interrupt. "It disappeared before Lucas's first kidnapping.I even suspected James might have taken it."

Her voice cracked with frustration.

"But I had no way of proving it. I couldn't contact him when he got involved in Lucas’s kidnappings. I couldn't recover the phone. I told you all of this."

The room around Derby suddenly felt very quiet. Fragments of old conversations drifted through her memory.

The missing phone. Larissa searching the house, and asking questions. Complaining about losing her number.

At the time, Derby hadn't paid much attention, but now...

"Damn it, Aunt." Her voice weakened. "You expect me to believe that?"

"I expect you to remember." Larissa replied firmly. "If I wanted Lucas hurt, why would I tell you the truth now?"

Derby said nothing.

Larissa's voice softened. "I know I've made mistakes. I know you might not trust me, but I would never kidnap Lucas."

She paused.

"Not after seeing how much you've grown to care about him."

Derby's eyes filled with tears. She sank slowly onto the couch. Her anger was giving way to fear.

"If it wasn't you..." Her voice trembled. "Then who?  Why would he suffer this again?"

The question hung heavily between them. Neither woman had an answer.

For several seconds, only their breathing filled the line.

Finally, Larissa spoke in a quiet voice. "Whoever took him, already knew how much pain this would cause."

She hesitated.

Derby closed her eyes. A chill ran through her, because she suddenly realized this wasn't just another kidnapping. Someone had chosen Lucas deliberately. That made the situation far more frightening than either of them wanted to admit.

“I just hope you don't have a hand in this because if you do, you will regret it.” Derby said at last, then cut the call.

“Hmm,” Larissa hummed, ”What’s wrong with this idiot. Her stupid feelings for Lucas have crowded her thinking faculty, but wait…”

She paused and then started paced to and fro her office. If the same number was used during his first kidnappings, then it simply means that the person holding Lucas had connection with James.

“Damn it,” she cursed fearfully.

“Could it be that James was still working from inside prison? Could he be trying to fuck me us? I think I will pay him a visit.” Larissa muttered audibly as she picked up her car keys and headed to the door.

“I need to find out how he got his hand on that phone in the first place.” Her anger flared as she left the office.

At Alex’s side, a few seconds later, Dan looked up from his laptop.

"I've got it."

Everyone leaned forward.

"The vehicle was officially reported stolen."

Alex nodded once and asked "When?"

Dan looked back at the screen.

Then his eyebrows lifted. "...This afternoon."

"Time?"

Dan read it carefully.

"Approximately one hour after Lucas was kidnapped."

Silence.

Then Alex gave out a short bitter laugh that caught everyone off guard.

Jason stared at him.

Then suddenly Jason laughed too.

Dan followed.

Within seconds, the three men were exchanging knowing looks.

Sally frowned.

"What exactly is so funny?"

Jason looked toward her.

"Mom." He couldn't hide the grin.

"Don't you see it?"

She blinked. "No, I'm lost."

Jason pointed toward the screen.

"Zenith has Lucas."

The room quieted again and Jason continued.

"He knew the parking lot had surveillance cameras."

Thomas nodded slowly.

"So before anyone could connect the vehicle to him, he reported it stolen" Jason finished up.

Realization spread across the room. Sally's eyes widened.

"Oh...I get it now." She looked back at the screen.

"He wanted investigators to believe someone else used his car."

"Exactly," Dan replied.

Caleb let out a scoff. "He thought he was clever."

Everyone turned toward him.

Caleb folded his arms. "Unfortunately..." A sarcastic smile crossed his face. “His smartest move turned out to be his stupidest."

Alex's expression hardened.

"Because now we know he expected us to find that vehicle."

Thomas nodded. “ Yeah, and innocent people don't usually create alibis before they're accused."

The room fell silent again. This time, the silence carried something different…Not despair, but certainty.

For the first time since Lucas disappeared, they weren't chasing shadows anymore. They had a possible suspect, and sooner or later,

Zenith would make a mistake.

Alex stared at the red mask on the monitor, his eyes cold with determination.

"Enjoy your head start, Zenith."

His voice was low but unwavering.

"Because when I find you..." He clenched his fist. "...I'm bringing Lucas home."

That minute, an idea came to his mind.

“Dan, track this number, if he picks, we will know where he is at the moment.”

“Boss, I don't think he will pick up, if it's your number. I think it would be best to get someone he is close to and I know whom he would like to hear his voice.”

“Who?”

“Baddie.”

“That escort in Lady Bay’s Bar?”