Chapter 148 Lost but Found

Chapter 148 Lost but Found

Rhys glanced back at Chloe one more time. Then he turned and walked down the corridor.

The drive to the estate was short. The city was just waking up, the streets filled with morning traffic. Rhys kept his eyes on the road, a little distracted. Chloe's pale face, the baby's tiny fingers, the threats still lurking

He pulled into the estate gates, nodded to the guard, and parked. The house was quiet.

He went upstairs to his room, stripped off his clothes, and stood under the hot spray of the shower for longer than he intended. The water washed away the grime, the tension, the lingering smell of the hospital. He scrubbed his face, his arms, his hands, hands that had held Chloe in a dark tunnel, that had touched his son's soft cheek.

When he got out, he dressed in fresh clothes. Dark jeans, a simple sweater, comfortable but ready for anything. He caught his reflection in the mirror. The exhaustion was still there, carved into the lines around his eyes.

He had found her. She was alive. The baby was alive. They were safe. That's all that matters.

For now.

He checked his phone. No messages. No alerts. The calm was temporary, but he would take it.

He walked back through the quiet house, pausing at the door to Chloe's room. Her scent lingered. soft, floral, familiar. He thought of the night before the kidnapping, the argument, the way she had looked at him with such confusion and pain.

Things are different now. He had to believe that.

He grabbed a coffee from the kitchen, drank it standing by the window, watching the garden where Chloe had collapsed days ago. The grass was still matted where she had fallen.

Then he set the cup down, grabbed his keys, and headed back to the hospital. Two hours was enough. He needed to be with her. He needed to see his son.

The wolves were still out there. But for this brief moment, he had taken a breath. And now, he was ready to fight again.

Margaret pushed the trolley slowly down the corridor, her heart pounding against her ribs. The diaper bag was tucked beneath a folded blanket, the soft weight of the sleeping infant hidden inside. She kept her eyes forward, her expression neutral, her footsteps steady.

Just another nurse. Just another shift. Nothing to see.

She reached the elevator and pressed the button. The doors slid open. She stepped inside, reaching for the button to the ground floor..

The doors stopped.

A hand caught them, holding them open. Margaret looked up.

David stood in the doorway. His expression was calm, but his eyes were cold, scanning the trolley, the supplies, the blanket.

"Margaret," he said, his voice polite. "Off to restock?"

She forced a smile. "Yes. Running low on a few things. The neonatal unit has been busy."

"Mm." David didn't move. His gaze lingered on the folded blanket, on the slight bulge beneath it. "Funny. I didn't see you check out any supplies from the main stockroom."

Margaret's smile tightened. "I keep a small cart for the floor. Saves trips."

"Right." David stepped into the elevator, letting the doors close behind him. He pressed the emergency stop button. The car shuddered to a halt between floors.

Margaret's blood ran cold. "What are you doing?"

"Mr. Thorne doesn't trust hospitals," David said, his voice still calm, still polite. "He doesn't trust staff he hasn't vetted. And he definitely doesn't trust nurses who spend an unusual amount of time near his family's room."

He reached down and pulled back the blanket.

The diaper bag was unmistakable. The small, sleeping face of Chloe's son peeked out from the opening, his tiny lips pursed, his breathing soft and even.

Margaret's face went white.

Rhys returned to the hospital, the short break having done little to ease the weight in his chest. He walked briskly through the corridors, nodding to the Aegis guards stationed at key points, his mind already on Chloe and the baby.

He reached the neonatal unit and pushed through the double doors.

The room was quiet, filled with the soft hum of monitors and the gentle breathing of sleeping infants. Rows of clear bassinets lined the walls, each one holding a tiny, swaddled life.

Rhys walked to the bassinet near the window, the one where little Leo should have been sleeping.

He looked down.

A baby lay there, wrapped in a white blanket, wearing a small knitted cap. But it wasn't Leo. The face was different. The ID tag on the ankle was wrong.

Rhys's blood turned to ice.

He spun around, his eyes scanning the room, searching for his son. The bassinet beside it held a different infant. The one after that, another. None of them were Leo.

"David!" Rhys's voice cut through the quiet like a blade.

The door burst open. David was there, his face already pale. "Boss…"

"Where is my son?" Rhys's voice was low, dangerous, barely controlled.

David stepped forward, his hands raised slightly. "He's safe. Margaret, the nurse, she tried to take him. We stopped her in the elevator. He's in Chloe's room. I had Anya take him there as soon as we found the bag."

The words took a moment to register. Then the tension in Rhys's shoulders eased, just a fraction. "He's safe?"

"He's safe. Sleeping in Chloe's arms. She doesn't know yet, about the attempt. I didn't want to upset her until you were back."

Rhys closed his eyes, a long, slow breath escaping him. He opened them furiously.

"Where is Margaret?"

"Security office. Hospital police are with her. She's not talking, but she will."

Rhys nodded. "I want everything. Who hired her. How much they paid. Every call, every text, every meeting. And I want it before sundown."

"Already on it."

Rhys turned and walked out of the neonatal unit, his strides long and purposeful. He went straight to Chloe's room, pushing the door open quietly.

Chloe was in bed, propped up against pillows, her eyes closed. In her arms, wrapped in a soft blue blanket, was Leo. His tiny face was peaceful.

Chloe opened her eyes as Rhys approached. "Hey," she whispered. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

He sat on the edge of the bed, reaching out to touch Leo's small hand. The baby's fingers curled around his instinctively.

"Something happened," Rhys said quietly. "While I was gone. Someone tried to take him."

Chloe's face went white. "What?"

"David stopped her. She's in custody." Rhys's gaze met hers, "I won't let anyone hurt him. Or you. I promise."

Chloe looked down at Leo, at his peaceful sleeping face, and tears slipped down her cheeks. She held him closer, her arms tightening around the small bundle.

"Who?" she whispered. "Who would"

"It could be anyone. Someone connected to them." "We'll find out. And we'll make sure they never get close to either of you again."

Chloe nodded, her eyes still on her son. "Thank you," she said softly. "For coming back. For keeping him safe."

Rhys leaned in, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'll always come back. Both of you. Always."