Chapter 130 Elara's missing 2

Chapter 130 Elara's missing 2
Maurice's POV

Elara couldn't just go missing like that. It was impossible. There had to be a reason behind it. Or maybe she wasn't missing at all.

I told the boys to stay put so I could look for their mother, but they refused.

"No," Leo said firmly. "We would follow you."

His brother nodded, agreeing with him. Jake then stepped forward to hold my hand.

That would have felt different... His small hand in mine would have felt warmer, and my cold heart would have stirred, but at that moment, I couldn't feel anything but worry and fear.

"We can't lose you too," Jake said, shaking his head. "We don't know the way home."

"Speak for yourself, Jake." Almost immediately, Leo refuted him.

That was the first time I was seeing the ever-calm kid lash out. It was either because he felt his intelligence had been insulted, or his temper was high because he felt that something was wrong too.

Just like me, he was worried for his mother.

"I do know the way back," he huffed.

Jake blinked before raising a brow at his usually smart twin brother. "So you want to lose Uncle?" he asked.

That was the callback Leo needed.

It was nice to watch them banter. How much I wanted to enjoy that moment, but every second longer I spent would only make it harder to find Elara.

"Did your mum drive here?" I asked the boys.

They shook their heads in unison.

"No. Dad got us a driver," Jake responded.

Okay.

He didn't get her a phone, but at least he got her a driver.

"Where is he?" I asked.

The boys looked around as though they were trying to spot where their driver was supposed to be.

"He should still be there where the car was parked, right?"

Taking their word for it, I began walking towards where the cars were parked, but not before calling the manager to check the security tapes for the lady I was with not too long ago and to find out where she had gone.

Maybe I was being paranoid, but... Elara couldn't just disappear like that. Not when her children were on the line. She trusted me, but was that enough to leave them with me like that?

"Little bosses." The driver bowed as he greeted the twins. He raised his head, and as soon as he saw me, his mood became sour. "Mr. Maurice Lanfield."

"Have you seen my mum?" Leo asked without beating around the bush.

"When was the last time you saw Elara?" I asked.

"Er..." He brought a hand to his neck, scratching it as though he was thinking before speaking again. "A while ago. I came to check on her and saw her talking with Mr. Lanfield."

"Shit." A curse left my lips.

Since then?

That had been more than half an hour ago.

I noticed Jake glance at me from the corner of his eye before looking back at the driver. "You haven't seen her again since then?"

"No, little master," the driver responded.

"Ah, shit." I closed my eyes, breathing out another curse.

"Fuck, Elara."

"Where did she go...?"

Where could she go?

Elara seemed sad when she spoke to me, but she didn't look like she was willing to run away and leave her children behind.

Maybe I was being a bit too worried.

Letting out a loud sigh, I turned to look at the twins.

"Em..." I breathed again before speaking. "It's getting late. If your father found out about your mum being missing, he would be worried about you guys. I think it's best I take you both home."

Even though I wasn't sure Jayden was that type of father to them.

Elara had no complaints about the way he behaved with them. So, even though he wasn't good enough, he couldn't be that bad, right?

"What about Mum?" Jake asked, looking up at me.

"Maybe she had gone home already."

I was trying to be optimistic.

But even that excuse seemed too odd to me.

Even if Elara truly wanted to leave them with me, she wouldn't return to Jayden's mansion.

The boys probably had the same thoughts as me because they frowned.

"Mummy wouldn't leave us," Leo said.

Right on point.

I gestured towards the driver to take them inside the car, and he stepped forward.

"Let's go."

The boys wiggled free from his hold and came to stand beside me.

"We want to come with you."

Now?

I glanced at the watch wrapped around my wrist. It was a quarter past two.

The manager said he would call once he was done with the task I assigned him.

Plus, I wanted to see Nelson. But not as an archenemy, or a rival, or someone I wanted to torment with my mere presence. I wanted to see him as my nephews' father.

I nodded at the twins before looking back at the driver.

"Go on ahead back to your boss. I'd follow with the twins."

The driver panicked immediately and shook his head.

"But, sir, Mr. Bryes instructed that..."

"I'm already frustrated and pissed off. Don't make things worse." My voice was clear and sharp, leaving no room for discussion. "I said I'd be right behind you."

I didn't care what Jayden had instructed him.

As much as I would have loved to run away with the boys, this wasn't the right time.

The driver hesitated for a few more seconds before muttering, "Yes, sir."

He shut the open doors, walked to the driver's seat, and started the car.

Taking the twins to my car, I got in as well and began driving towards Jayden's mansion.

I had only been there once since returning to the country.

The ride was quiet.

No one said anything. Even the ever-chatty Jake just kept staring out the window.

Even he could understand how strange this situation was.

We got to the mansion in record time.

The boys climbed down from the car, and we began heading inside. No one stopped us.

"What do you mean she and my children are not at the park?!" Jayden's loud voice filled my ears as we got closer to the entrance.

Even the twins shivered at how loud and scary their father's voice was.

I pushed the door open to see the driver kneeling on the floor and Jayden standing not too far from him, pointing a finger at him.

His jaw was clenched, and he was breathing heavily.

"And you dared to come back home without my children?" he questioned the driver. "You dared to trust that bloody Lanfield? If they are not here in the next few minutes, consider yourself finished."

This would have been funny if I wasn't so preoccupied with the thought of Elara.

"Jayden, you need to relax," I said aloud, walking into the mansion.

Almost immediately, all eyes darted towards me.

For a few seconds, only the clack sound of my shoes colliding with the ground could be heard.

Even Jayden seemed shocked to see me.

Well, that was until...

"Daddy!"

"Daddy!"

Both boys yelled in unison as they ran to greet Jayden.

Jayden's expression changed in an instant.

He bent down and opened his arms wide to catch both of them.

"Jake, Leo," he muttered, pulling them close to himself.

This was why Elara had no problems with him.

He was a good father.

If he wasn't, the children wouldn't readily hug him like that.

Jayden spent a few seconds holding his children before he realized that I was in the room as well, and he straightened.

"What were my children doing with you?" he asked straight away.

A side of my lips rose into a smirk.

"Is that what you're supposed to say to me? What about a thank you for bringing them home?"

Jayden being all sweet and nice was surprising enough. If he did tell me thank you, I would be certain that he had been exchanged somewhere.

Jayden narrowed his eyes at me. Then he looked behind me as though he was expecting someone else.

"Where is my girlfriend?"

That question just gave me the answer to the first question I was about to ask Jayden.

"There are no paparazzi here, so there is no need to pretend, and... that's why I'm here."

If he was still asking about her, then it meant he hadn't seen her. If he hadn't seen her and she was nowhere to be found in that entire park...

New fear crept into my chest.

Letting out an exhale, my lips parted to speak, the words I dreaded the most leaving them.

"Elara's missing."