Chapter 93 Stay Alive, Professor
Will’s P.O.V.
The vibration of my phone almost makes me drop it. I don’t even look at the caller ID before slamming it against my ear.
“Tell me you have find her,” I snarl.
I’ve completely lost my temper now. It’s been a week since Iva left home. A week without I’ve seen her.
And for the last three days, she hasn’t even come to college.
God! I can’t even call her.
It’s driving me insane.
It feels like she’s disappearing piece by piece, and I’m standing here helplessly, watching the only person who matters to me slip through my fingers.
Every second without knowing where she is feels like someone is tightening a rope around my throat. I can’t think. I can’t breathe. I can’t sleep.
If anything happens to her, I swear I won’t survive it.
“I’ve found her, Boss,” my detective, Mike, informs on the other end.
Finally!
He continues, “She’s at a luxury penthouse in the North District. It’s owned by a guy named Maddy, but we can’t find any personal information on him. I’m parked outside the building now. I’m sending you the location.”
“Maddy, that bastard.” The name tastes like poison. I don’t care who he is. I just need to see her. For a second, I don't care about the blackmailer's rules. I just need to know my Professor is breathing.
“I want every piece of information on that bastard,” I snap before cutting the call.
I push my car to its limit, weaving through traffic like a madman, without caring who honks behind me.
For a week, I’ve been a ghost. No sleep. No food. Every time I close my eyes, I see those photos, and my blood feels like acid in my veins.
I can’t face Iva and tell her the truth, and I also can’t bear the thought of her private photos being exposed to the world. The only thing I can do is hunt down the bastard and end him. So that’s what I’m doing, without a rest, using all of my power.
After reaching the address, I don’t wait for the elevator. I take the stairs two at a time until I reach the top floor. My chest burns, but I don’t slow down.
The door to the penthouse is slightly open.
My heart starts pounding. I just want to see her, to see how she is.
“Iva?” I push the door open, panting.
The penthouse is silent. Too silent. I walk into the living room, my eyes scanning for any sign of her. The table is set with food that hasn't been touched. Two glasses of wine sit there, one half-empty. The sight makes my stomach turn.
Was she having dinner with him?
"Iva! Are you here?" I call out louder, my voice cracking. I check the bedroom, the bathroom, and the balcony.
Empty.
The entire place feels cold, like life left it minutes ago.
Panic begins crawling under my skin.
I pull out my phone and call Mike.
Ring. Ring. Ring. He doesn't pick up. Mike is a professional, he never misses a call. I dial again. Nothing.
A sick feeling settles in my chest.
As I run back down to the parking garage, my footsteps echo. I look for his car and find it tucked away in a dark corner. The engine is off. The lights are out.
"Mike?" I walk toward the car. Something feels fishy. Something feels very wrong.
The driver’s side window is shattered into a thousand pieces. I stop. My body freezes as the smell of copper hits my nose. I lean forward, looking inside, and I feel my soul leave my body.
Mike is slumped over the steering wheel. His throat is cut cleanly. Blood covers the seat, the dashboard, and the windows.
Taped to his chest is a handwritten note.
My hands tremble as I hold it and read it.
"I told you not to follow her, but you hired a detective. You’ve made a huge mistake. Now Iva has to pay for it. She isn't safe anymore. No more blackmailing, she is mine now. Forget about her."
My knees nearly give out. This isn’t just a blackmailer. This is a killer. A professional. And he’s been watching us. I’ve been so focused on protecting her reputation that I didn’t see the truth.
He doesn’t want anything else. He wants her. My Professor.
And she is gone. The penthouse is empty. My only lead is a dead man in front of me.
“Fuck No…” My voice breaks. “No, no, no.” Rage explodes inside me, burning away the fear.
If he touches her, if he even breathes near her, I will burn this entire city to the ground to find him.
I’m not just her husband anymore. I’m the devil he just woke up, and I will go to any extent to protect my wife now.
I pull out my phone and call my club’s security team. “Get everyone,” I command, my voice cold and deadly. "Every shooter, every tracker, every rat in the gutter. I don't care about the photos anymore. The game is over. Find the man who killed Mike, or don't bother coming back alive."
I end the call and look up at the dark ceiling of the garage.
My chest feels like it’s being torn open.
Stay alive, Professor.
Please.
Just stay alive.