Chapter 252
Chapter 252
Elena was convinced this was a trap Kian and Chloe had set for her together.
First, sweet talk to keep her distracted. Then snatch Nora away.
"It wasn't me!" Kian's expression darkened instantly, his brows knitting together.
"I've been with you the entire time. I never left your sight. I didn't even take out my phone—how could I have coordinated with Chloe?"
His explanation was logical and measured.
Elena bit her lip hard, her eyes full of suspicion as she looked at him.
She wanted to believe in Kian's character, but she couldn't underestimate Chloe's place in his heart.
Seeing the blatant doubt in her eyes, Kian knew words alone wouldn't convince her.
Without wasting breath, he grabbed his phone, pulled up Chloe's number, switched it to speaker, and set it on the table.
The phone rang. And rang. It kept ringing until it automatically disconnected and went to voicemail. Not a single response.
Kian's face visibly darkened, the air around him dropping several degrees.
Chloe not answering was proof enough that something was off.
He didn't hesitate. He scrolled to Ryan's number and dialed.
The moment the call connected, his voice was ice-cold, sharp as a blade:
"Ryan, find Chloe's location. I need to know where she is."
His tone was decisive. Commanding.
Elena stood beside him, watching coldly. Her heart did stir, just a little.
But Chloe held a different place in his world.
If Chloe really had done something terrible, would Kian let old feelings—old debts—soften the blow?
She couldn't take that risk.
With that thought, Elena let out a cold laugh, her voice dripping with undisguised mockery:
"Mr. Lancaster, let me make one thing clear."
"If Chloe lays one finger on Nora, I will not let her go. I don't care how much you protect her. If she hurts my daughter, I'll burn it all down. Even if we both go down in flames."
Kian ended the call and looked up at her.
"Elena, I know you don't trust me. But I won't blindly shield her."
"Chloe saved me once. These past five years, I've given her dignity, resources, a comfortable life. I've repaid that debt in full."
"Gratitude is one thing. My bottom line is another. If she really went after our child, she'll be dealt with accordingly. I won't play favorites."
He paused, his voice lowering. "Nora is my daughter too. I'm just as scared something might happen to her."
Elena said nothing. Her fingers tightened around her purse strap until her knuckles went white.
She didn't argue further. Right now, finding Nora was all that mattered. Fighting with him was pointless.
She turned and walked out of the restaurant.
---
The cold wind hit Elena hard as she left the restaurant, but it cleared her head a little.
Her hands trembled as she dialed Olivia's number. The moment the call connected, her voice shook:
"Olivia, Chloe took Nora."
"What?"
Olivia's voice exploded on the other end, pitching high:
"Is Chloe out of her mind? She kidnapped a child? Where are you? Let's meet up—now!"
Olivia gave her an address. Elena hailed a cab.
When she pushed open the door, Zoe was standing in the living room, eyes red and swollen.
Her fingers twisted anxiously at the hem of her shirt, her face full of guilt and panic. Tears still clung to her cheeks.
Olivia was pacing back and forth, her brow furrowed tight with worry.
The moment she saw Zoe like that, her temper flared. She couldn't help but lash out:
"Zoe, what were you thinking? How did you let Chloe just walk out with the kid?"
Tears streamed down Zoe's face again. She kept her head down, choking on her words:
"I'm so sorry, Olivia. I'm so sorry, Elena..."
"Chloe showed up with two bodyguards. They just barged in. I couldn't stop them... It's all my fault. I'm useless. I couldn't even protect one child."
She broke into sobs, drowning in regret.
Elena looked at her and felt her heart twist. No matter how frantic or angry she was, she couldn't bring herself to blame Zoe.
Chloe was ruthless.
Whether her amnesia was real or not, a person's nature didn't change. Even if Zoe had been glued to Nora's side, she might not have been able to stop her.
Elena forced down the panic rising in her chest and walked over, patting Zoe gently on the back:
"It's not your fault. This isn't on you."
"Chloe came for me. She planned this. Even if we'd all been there, she would've found a way to take Nora. Stop crying. Tears won't help. We need to focus on finding her."
She said it calmly, but inside, she was unraveling.
The second she let herself think, all she could see was Nora's pale little face. Her weak, fragile body when she was sick.
Nora was already frail. If Chloe did anything to her—
She couldn't let herself finish that thought.
Olivia saw Elena fighting to stay composed and softened her tone. She stopped scolding Zoe and walked over, gripping Elena's shoulders:
"Don't panic. I've already got people tracking Chloe's movements. She can't have gone far."
"Harmony City's not that big. She's got a sick kid with her—where could she possibly go?"
Just as she finished speaking, Elena's phone buzzed on the table.
An unfamiliar local number flashed across the screen. The area code was unmistakably Harmony City.
Elena's heart dropped. A wave of dread crashed over her.
She hesitated for two seconds, then reached for the phone and pressed 'answer.'
The moment the call connected, a slow, eerie laugh drifted through the speaker. It was calculating. Sinister. It made her skin crawl.
"Ms. Reed. Long time no see."
Elena recognized the voice instantly.
Indigo.
Her heart sank. She gripped the phone tighter, her voice cold as ice:
"Indigo? What do you want?"
"Don't be so hostile."
Indigo chuckled softly, his tone mockingly polite.
"You coming back to the country is such a big deal. I wanted to welcome you at the airport personally, but I missed you. What a shame."
"Oh, and speaking of which—I should thank you."
"That resort project from back then? If it weren't for your design holding it all together, it never would've grown to this scale. I've been meaning to express my gratitude. So when I heard you were back, I thought I'd give you a call. Just to say hello."
He rambled on, circling around the point, never quite landing on it.
But the alarms in Elena's head were screaming louder and louder.
This was too convenient.
Chloe had just taken Nora. And now Indigo was calling. There was no such thing as coincidence.
A terrifying thought shot through her mind. Her heart pounded violently. Her voice tightened, a faint tremor slipping through:
"Indigo, did Chloe hand Nora over to you? Is Nora with you?"
She fired the questions rapidly, her heart climbing into her throat.
He didn't answer right away. Instead, there was a faint rustling sound—fabric shifting—and then, soft and drowsy, a child's voice murmured:
"Mommy..."
It was Nora.