Chapter 31: End of Backstory

"I know that my daughter is with you. The very least you can do right now is to send her back to me. Do not push us to the brink!"

Another message came in from Kaiden Harrison.

"I swear to God, if you fuck my fiancee, you'll spend the rest of your miserable life regretting it!"

Slowly, I lifted my head and stared at Richard, who sat in front of me. Richard stood up, snatched the phone from my hand, and began to read the messages.

After reading, Richard showed me a statement released by Kaiden Harrison on his verified social media account a few hours ago. In the post, Kaiden accused me of kidnapping and pledged to exact revenge.

He even urged anyone using Zenith products, including phones, laptops, and Zenith phone lines, to discard them. Kaiden promised to bring in an investor from Finland who owned one of the most popular phone lines in the country. He also vowed to take me to court and ensure that Zenith Company lost its operating license.

I slowly scrolled through the comments. While some people hurled insults at me, others demanded to hear my side of the story and confirm the authenticity of Kaiden's claims.

Fueled by anger, I stood up abruptly and stormed out of the lounge. Jake quickly picked my briefcase and chased after me. The sound of our footsteps reverberated as we hurried down the stairs. Outside the mansion, I quickly got into my car with Richard following suit in his own vehicle. The convoy swiftly exited through the gate. My heart pounded with pain as I drove towards Zenith Towers.

Upon reaching my office, I swiftly settled down, grabbed the company's letterhead, and began composing a rebuttal statement.

"In response to the allegations made by Kaiden Harrison and Samuel Coleman on their social media profiles, I vehemently deny the accusation of hiding Emma on my estate. I last saw her on October 5th at Coleman's Villa and have not encountered her since. I am fully cooperating with all security agents and welcome them to thoroughly search my estate. I am actively involved in the search for Emma Coleman."

Brandon Henderson

Chief Executive Officer, Zenith Group of Companies.

I swiftly handed the paper to my secretary, Sheila, who stood beside me anxiously awaiting it. She accepted the paper, bowed and departed from the office. My phone, which was resting on the table, continued to ring incessantly, and soon my inbox was flooded with messages.

Richard sat on a sofa, reading the messages, while I paced around my office in a state of confusion.

____________

Two days later, I was in my private cottage when the military unexpectedly stormed my estate. They conducted a thorough search, but none of them informed me whether they had found Emma.

Several hours later, my phone began to ring, and upon checking the caller ID, I saw it was Samuel. I quickly answered the call, and we both remained silent, as if waiting for the other to speak.

"I'm sorry, buddy," Samuel murmured, but I remained silent.

"I…I…" Samuel hesitated to continue, but I promptly interrupted him.

"It's fine," I responded.

"I have instructed my social media account manager to remove the previous post and issue an apology," Samuel stated.

"You don't have to apologize," I replied.

"I must. The entire world saw the interview and the post, and I need to tell them that I was wrong," Samuel insisted.

"It's alright," I reluctantly agreed.

"It's so unfair that we grew up together, know each other so well, and yet I wrongly accused you. Please don't be angry with me. My judgment was clouded by my immense love for my only daughter. Emma is the light of my life, and you know that," Samuel confessed.

"I understand," I responded. "I'm relieved that you have confirmed she is not with me."

"According to your surveillance report, all the CCTV cameras in the estate stopped functioning since Thursday. Every single one of them. You really need to activate them or investigate why someone deactivated them," Samuel added, and I fell silent. No one had informed me that the surveillance cameras were no longer operational. But why all of them? I frowned and glanced around the estate.

"Yes, of course, I'll arrange for them to be fixed tomorrow," I assured him.

"Very well. Please, if you receive any information about Emma's whereabouts, inform me immediately," Samuel requested.

"Now that the civil marriage, which has been consuming my time, is concluded, I will intensify my search for her and ensure she is found," I promised Samuel.

"My trust in you remains unshaken," Samuel added. He always reminded me of this whenever I made a decision that led us astray. Samuel had unwavering faith in me and knew that I would never do anything to jeopardize our friendship.

"Thank you, buddy," I said and Samuel hung up.

The friendship between Samuel and me reignited, and we continued our relentless search for Emma, but unfortunately, it yielded no results.

Richard and I regularly visited the pregnant maid to check on her well-being. I admit, I didn't pay much attention to her due date or the arrangements with the doctor as my mind was consumed by the persistent mystery surrounding Emma's whereabouts. Every day, I burden myself with guilt for leaving Emma behind during my last visit to Malmö.

Nine months later, I was in my room when Rachel entered with a baby cradled in her arms, sporting a triumphant smile. She placed the baby in my arms, I experienced a moment of pure joy for the first time since Emma's disappearance.

A smile unconsciously graced my lips as I looked down at the handsome baby boy. The innocent child reminded me of the day Emma was born and placed in my loving arms. I blinked back tears of joy that threatened to fall from my eyes.

Despite the baby's striking resemblance to my father, I recognized traces of Emma within his face.

Prior to naming the child after my dad, I secretly conducted a DNA test, and astonishingly, the baby proved to be my biological son.

The news of Julian Henderson's birth became a sensation on various news outlets and social media platforms, causing a stir that lasted an entire week.

~~~ End of back story.~~~

Now, how do I tell Samuel that he was right? How do I confess to my friend, who entrusted me with his life, that I got his daughter pregnant? And how do I face Kaiden, who acts like a madman? Fighting Kaiden is like fighting the government, and I wasn't prepared for such a battle.

When I took over Zenith Companies, my stepbrothers claimed that my assumption of leadership would spell the end for the company. However, for two years I tirelessly worked to prove them wrong. Under my guidance, the company's market cap tripled.

But with this one mistake, it feels like my entire world has crumbled.

As I continued to contemplate my predicament, my phone began to ring incessantly. After about ten rings, I slowly retrieved my wireless earbud and placed it in my ear.

"Jake," I murmured.

"The girl refused to return to the estate," Jake informed me.

"Where did she want to go?" I asked, trying to gather my thoughts.

"Where her baby is," Jake replied. I pondered for a moment before responding.

"Bring her here," I murmured, and ended the call.