Chapter 99 99

Chapter 99 99
GRAYSON

The divorce, her marriage to the actor, all of that meant nothing now. It wouldn't matter in the end if I was even remotely right about why she was having so many beauty appointments with Jaspar.

I dialed Adeline's number again, I'd lost count the number of times I'd called by now, but I couldn't bring myself to stop. It was unlike her not to be with her phone. She wasn't the most social person or one for the media, but she did enjoy texting and calls and just being reachable in general.

For the umpteenth time, the line dropped after five rings. My gut twisted over itself. I tried to convince myself that I was overreacting, that she was fine and probably just busy today, but the nagging feeling in my gut refused to believe it, couldn't even stomach it because ignoring now only to find out I could have done something about it was worse.

My fingers wound tight at the thought of losing her and for what, a mere show of my power?

"Fuck!" I tossed the device on the passenger seat. Fucking useless! Slamming my fists against the steering wheel did nothing to distract from the nagging thought either. Scarlett had always hated Jaspar, but I would never put it passed her to ignore her sentiments if she could use him, for something like this. He already had a criminal record, she didn't.

The fucking car wouldn't move fast enough. I needed to get to the house, I needed to see her to make sure she was infact, okay.

Flashes of her on the floor, confusion and betrayal glaring in her gaze. That should have been my warning, but like an idiot I didn't even think back on that moment.

Scarlett had always had a short fuse, but I never thought she would do something as...no, I was wrong about the whole thing, I had to be, the alternative left a deepening pit in the depth of my stomach.

She had been trying to tell me something this morning and I hadn't listened, I had been too distracted by her presence to calm down and listen. Did she find out about Scarlett's beauty appointments? Was that it? Was she trying to tell me her life might have been in danger and she needed protection?

Thought after thought invaded my mind till I was just a mess of it and struggling to stay put in my seat, my heart thumping and jumping out of my chest, beating so rapidly and loudly I could hear it in my ears, and still that was not enough to drown out the worst possibilities I was being punished with.

Focusing on the road was almost impossible, but there was no other option.

Just then my phone vibrated in the passenger seat I had tossed it in in my annoyance and my haste to get on the road, rhe shrill sound was deafening, but mostly annoying, especially now. It better be Adeline or I pitied the unfortunate soul that would be victim to my current state.

"Mr Archer."

I forced air through my teeth. The number wasn't saved, but the voice sounded familiar, I couldn't place where I had heard it though. I weaved and maneuvered my way through traffic, driving like a mad man on steroids.

"Who's this?"

The person suddenly broke into sobs, their voice shaky and hard to make out. I didn't have the time nor the patience for it.

"I'm going to end this now if you don't have anything to say. Call me when you can speak." I didn't wait for a response before I ended the call. Couldn't have sobbed before wasting damn time!

Wait! Kris! That was the owner of that voice! Maybe Adeline was there, maybe she just left the house get a breather and she was fine and cozied up with her best friends. Yes, that made more sense, that had to be it. That must be it. Wait, why was Kris sobbing then?!

My heart dropped straight to my belly ad the worst possibility rose to the front of my mind till it was all I could think about.

With shaky hands and my earlier arrogance lost, I dialed the number. She picked on the first ring, sniffling on the line.

"Kris?"

"Adeline." Her voice broke before she could say anything else and I swear never in my life had I wanted to smash someone's head in like I did in that moment. My muscles were stiffer than my fucking dashboard and she kept sobbing.

"Let me talk to him." I heard from the line just before a male voice spoke, "Adeline's not here" Jay, had to be, unless he didn't sound as airy as he always seemed to, his tone was curt like he would rather be doing something else, but his hands were tied. That didn't help my thinking in anyway.

"Where's she then?"

"No idea that's why we're calling. She was here earlier, Kris was with her but she wanted to relax outside for a bit."

I couldn't wrap my head around it. Why would she go visit and then want to be left alone? She could have just stayed home, hell, I would have preferred she did because now, I would be so worried. I'd checked the house cams and she was nowhere to be found. The only place those didn't cover were bathrooms and she couldn't possibly have been in the bathroom for over two hours.

"And...when we came out she wasn't here. We've called multiple times, but she's not responding." He took a deep breath, like he was preparing himself for what he was about to say. "We think she may have been taken, someone on our street said she got in a car with an old man, but we know all her friends and relatives, the ones old enough aren't in a state to exactly move around." All of these he said in a tone you used only when you're trying to dissociate from a situation, from your current, a state I couldn't afford because I knew without a doubt now that she needed me.

"I'd get back to you."

"Wait, what does that even mea-"

I dialed my private investigator immediately, "The step brother, Jaspar?"

"Yes sir?"

"Send his details, address, past houses, everything, now."

"I'd send it right now sir."

"Oh and tell Damian to keep his phone close, do that too, I could text either of you, but I'd be heading to the Jaspar's current house, let Damian know."

"Got it sir."

I ended the call then and hit the accelerator like it was my enemy and like a bug, I had to squash it.

The engine roared to life and I had to be atleast more than a few double digits passed the speed limit, but I couldn't give a shit.

His place of residence was a shithole and that was putting it nicely. I wanted to believe and just go with it, but the place didn't look deserted. I would think if he were to kidnap someone, he would do it in somewhere isolated and distant from the rest of the world. This on the other hand was crowded with workers focused on weldering.

I checked the address again just to be certain and yes, I did have the right address. I cut off the engine a distance away because attention was the last thing I needed.

After asking around, I found the place he had inhabited, if you could call it that. It was more a basement of stink and junk than anything else. It was empty. Cleared out. That wasn't a good sign either.

I went through all the addresses, old and new, but still nothing, no sign of life in any of those areas.

I was down to my last and I was already losing my last thread of hope and patience because the more time I wasted, the longer they had to do something unforgivable.

Last stop.

It was quiet, deserted, but I doubted he would risk going there, it was way too close to the wild where all sorts of animals cr

awled and lurked for their next piece of meat. And ironically it was close to a stable.