Gone Without a Trace

Gone Without a Trace


Blade had a huge smile on his face as he eagerly adjusted the cover on Damien’s body who in turn stared at him in silence.

“Where is Lila? Why haven’t I seen her?” he asked in a hoarse voice, trying to lean up. Blade quickly slid a pillow behind his back to support him.

“Trust me, boss. You opened your eyes the moment she stepped out. She will be back soon, she went to get something,” Blade answered, his excitement radiating off him.

“Let me go get the doctor, boss,” he said, already turning to hurry toward the door, but Damien stopped him.

“No, Blade. I’m okay,” Damien murmured, rubbing his forehead lazily.

Blade turned back, opening his mouth to say something, when the door opened. Rex and Graves stepped inside with wide smiles on their faces and moved quickly to either side of the bed.

“How are you feeling now, boss?” they asked at the same time.

But Damien looked from their faces to the door in surprise and asked, “Where is Lila?”

“Yeah, did you not see her outside?” Blade added.

“Lila is at home,” Rex answered, looking at Blade.

“Yeah, she said she came to get something at home,” Graves put in.

Blade became stunned and it showed on his face, but he tried to mask it as he glanced at Damien nervously.

“Maybe she needed to get something at home,” he said with an awkward chuckle, but Damien looked like he was not buying it and kept quiet anyway.

Just then, the door burst open and Thorne rushed in toward Damien. “Boss!”

It took everything in him not to hug Damien, but Damien immediately became tense and sat up straight on the bed.

“I rushed here as soon as I heard you had regained consciousness, boss,” Thorne said with a grin, but the others were already starting to glare at him.

“Where is Lila, Thorne? How could you rush here when I told you to get her on your way here?” Graves said in a displeased tone. 

Thorne’s smile slowly faded as he looked around the ward.

“I thought she was already here. I got home but didn’t find her, so I thought she had come back here,” Thorne explained, and everyone went rigid with worry. Damien immediately slid out of the bed and began trying to remove the drip attached to his arm.

“What are you doing, boss?” Blade asked worriedly, trying to stop him.

“I need to go get her myself because I can’t seem to understand you guys. Where is she? I kept seeing her in my sleep and I opened my eyes hoping to see her first, but she’s not here and I need to see her right now!” Damien bellowed.

“We will go get her, boss. You don’t need to get out of bed. I’m sure she’s around, she will soon come in,” Blade said persuasively, but Damien had already detached the drip and slid his legs into the flip-flops he saw before starting for the door.

“Boss, you’re wearing the hospital wear,” Rex reminded him, but Damien opened the door and stepped out.

Blade hesitated, unsure what to do, then quickly rushed after him.

Damien darted his eyes everywhere, but he didn’t see anyone who looked like Lila. Meanwhile, most people he passed stared at him, unable to help themselves. They had never seen anyone who looked that good in hospital clothes before.

They got out of the hospital and both looked around, but still nothing. No one who looked like Lila. Damien continued walking out of the hospital grounds and Blade quickly grabbed his hand.

“Boss, no. Go back into the hospital and I will take it from here,” he said, but Damien gave him a cold, warning stare that made him release the hand gently.

Damien walked toward the gate, and the security men tried to stop him. He attempted to walk past them again, but they stepped in front of him once more.

Blade sighed and hurried over, telling them that Damien was fine and only needed to check something.

But one of the guards remained adamant. He kept insisting on following protocol, and Damien did not let him finish his sentence before he pushed him out of the way and walked out.

“Sorry,” Blade apologized quickly as he rushed after him.

Damien’s jaw kept clenching as he hailed a cab and slid into the backseat without saying a word.

Blade got in beside him and quietly told the driver their destination.

In a matter of moments, the cab stopped directly in front of Damien’s estate gate. Damien got out immediately, leaving Blade to pay the driver.

As the gate slid open, Damien stepped into the compound, swallowing emptily as he drew closer and closer to the villa. The air felt heavy, and the familiar comfort of home seemed to fade with every step.

As soon as he entered the house, the emptiness hit him fully. He knew Lila was not there, but he could not bring himself to accept it. 

He called gently, almost afraid of the answer.

“Lila,” he murmured.

Blade had followed him inside by now and added his voice, more urgent this time. “Lila, where are you?”

Damien went to her room and felt his heart drop when he saw Lila’s phone lying next to a long note.

He stood rooted to the spot while Blade stepped past him and picked up the phone and the note.

By now, Blade knew it was no longer a joke, but he still could not understand what was happening. His mind raced as he replayed the moment he had met Lila on the way to the ward after finishing with Silvano. He remembered her words vividly, how she had said she needed to get something.

“Is that why she said that?” Blade murmured, just loud enough for Damien to hear.

“Said what?” Damien asked.

“Silvano Moretti came to the hospital and cleared some things, so after I finished talking, I met Lila at the door. She told me she needed to get something outside, but then she stopped, turned to me, and said, ‘Tell him I am sorry when he wakes up and does not find me beside him,’” Blade explained.

Damien scoffed, running a hand from his face to his hair, his frustration and worry mingling in a way that left him momentarily speechless.

“And what is that supposed to mean, Blade? Did you ask her anything?” Damien asked as he stepped fully inside.

“I did, boss. But she just said she would be right back,” Blade replied, worry etching his features.

Damien took the note from Blade, but before opening it, he looked at him sharply. “Did you and Silvano mention her name while discussing?”

Blade stared at him, opened his mouth, then gulped and nodded.

“What did you say about her?” Damien asked calmly, as if no storm was building inside him.

“Nothing much, boss, and it was out of concern,” Blade explained quietly, his words trembling. “Silvano said you shouldn’t have raised a gun at Giovanni’s daughter since he is among the reasons for what happened to you. He added that it seemed you haven’t been yourself since Lila came into your life.”

“And what did you say?” Damien asked directly.

“I agreed, boss,” Blade replied.

With that, Damien raised his fist and struck him squarely in the face, sending him flying across the room.

Damien inhaled deeply and exhaled, running his free hand through his hair as he tried to calm himself.

Then he opened the letter, and his face tightened almost immediately. He raised his head to Blade, who had gotten back to his feet
.
“Get my phone and call Lucien now. Tell him to leave whatever he’s doing and take the next flight,” he ordered in a shaky voice.

Blade nodded quickly before scampering out of the room.