Chapter 103

Ayanna Pov

I rushed home, my mind in turmoil. Everything that had happened earlier played on repeat in my head, leaving me shaken. Timothy was missing, yet no one in this entire household seemed to notice-or care. How was that even possible? Something wasn't right.

Trying to distract myself, I grabbed a knife and started slicing vegetables, but my hands were trembling too much. Before I realized it-

"Ouch!" I shouted.

Pain shot through my finger as I gasped, staring at the small cut forming at the tip.

Within seconds, Travis stormed into the kitchen like a soldier responding to an emergency.

"Hey, what happened?" he asked, walking toward me. "What were you thinking about that you cut yourself?"

I sighed, shaking my head. "It's just a small cut, Travis. No need to freak out."

"A small cut?" He crossed his arms, unconvinced. "You yelped loud enough to wake the dead."

I rolled my eyes. "You're exaggerating."

Ignoring my protest, he grabbed my hand and examined the wound. "You're too distracted. What were you even thinking about?"

I hesitated before mumbling, "Nothing important."

Travis shot me a look that clearly said he didn't believe me. "I'll get the first aid kit. And don't argue-you're letting someone else finish cooking."

I sighed. There was no point in arguing when he got like this. "Fine."

He nodded and turned to leave but then stopped. "By the way, where did you go earlier? You were out for a while."

"I just felt like getting some fresh air."

"Fresh air?" He arched a brow. "That required you to leave the house entirely?"

I shrugged. "Sometimes, a walk isn't enough. I wanted a change of scenery."

He studied me for a second, then nodded slowly. "Okay, if you say so."

Taking a deep breath, I decided to ask him. "Travis, what about Timothy? It's been a while since I last saw him."

I watched his expression closely, searching for any flicker of recognition, any hint that he perhaps suspected anything.

Travis barely hesitated before responding, "He's fine. He told me he needed time away. He said he'd be traveling abroad for some self-reflection and wouldn't be reachable. He also said he wouldn't be taking any calls until he's ready to come back. I tried calling him, but his phone is off, so I just respected his wishes."

"Really?" I asked, suspicious.

My heart pounded. "And you believe that?"

"Why wouldn't I?" he said with a shrug. "I even checked-he booked a flight and everything."

I clenched my jaw, whispering under my breath, "That stupid bastard."

"Huh?" Travis frowned. "What did you say?"

I forced a smile. "Nothing. I just... thanked you for helping with my finger."

"It's my pleasure," he said, giving me a quick peck.

He didn't look convinced, but he let it slide. "I need to take a shower. I have a meeting with some foreign investors later."

"That's fine, Travis. Go ahead."

As soon as he left, I sank onto a chair, my mind racing. Timothy is being held by Henry, but Travis had no clue about what is happening That meant Henry had gone to great lengths to cover it up.

Before I could dwell on it further, I heard soft footsteps approaching.

"Hello, Ayanna."

I looked up to see Allison standing in the doorway, her small frame hesitating.

"Hi, dear. How are you?" I asked gently.

"I'm fine." She bit her lip. "I heard you shout earlier, but when I saw Mr. Travis rush in, I stayed back. I didn't want him getting mad at me again."

I reached out, squeezing her hand. "You don't have to be scared of him, sweetheart. He just has a short temper sometimes."

She nodded, though I could tell she wasn't convinced.

"Have you eaten?" I asked.

"Yes, I already had something."

"Alright."

"I'm going to my room, but I'll be back later," She said before heading upstairs.

"Okay," I replied.

I watched her go, my heart aching a little. The poor girl always seemed so nervous around Travis, and I couldn't blame her.

I exhaled, rubbing my temples. My brain felt like it was on overdrive. I needed a plan-fast. But before I could think of one, my phone vibrated on the table.

I frowned, picking it up. The contact name made my stomach twist.

Asshole.

I had saved Henry's number under that name for a reason.

The message read:

"Do you want to see something interesting?"

I hesitated. My instincts screamed at me to ignore him, but my fingers betrayed me.

"What is it?" I typed back.

A few minutes later, an image came through. As I waited for it to load, my heart pounded so hard I thought it would burst.

When the photo finally appeared on my screen, my breath hitched.

It was a picture of Henry... kissing me.

My hands shook as I gripped my phone tighter. "What the hell is wrong with you?" I texted furiously.

His reply was instant.

"Nothing at all. But I was just thinking... Should I send this to Travis? Or maybe the media? Or, better yet, straight to his international conference?"

My blood ran cold.

"You wouldn't."

"You don't seem sure about that."

I felt like the ground was slipping beneath me. "You're insane."

"You're nuts."

"Too bad. I already sent it."

Panic surged through me. I dropped my phone and ran downstairs to Travis's study, where he was in the middle of his meeting.

I didn't even bother knocking-I just pushed the door open.

Travis looked up, shocked. His eyes were fixed on the screen in front of him, and I knew immediately-Henry had done something.

He turned to me with a disappointed expression, and my heart clenched.

"Uhm... Travis, I need to-"

Before I could finish, he closed his laptop and asked, "What's wrong, Ayanna? Why did you barge in like that? Never mind, I'm already done with the meeting."

I hesitated. "Your expression earlier... It looked like you saw something bad."

"Yeah, I did," he admitted.

My stomach twisted. "What was it?"

"You remember Becky?"

"Yeah, your secretary at the time."

"I originally planned to fire her, but I decided against it. Instead, I transferred her to another branch as the finance manager because of her qualifications. But I just got a report from my secretary-she's been embezzling company funds. That's why I was shocked."

I let out a relieved sigh.

"So what are you going to do now?" I asked.

"I don't know yet. I'm still thinking about it."

"But... you haven't told me why you barged in here so suddenly."

I quickly covered up my real reason. "Well... I missed you and wanted to see if you were done," I lied.

He raised a brow. "Really? You missed me?"

"Don't you believe me?"

"I do. I'm just... surprised, that's all."

"Okay. I'll go back to my room now," I said, quickly leaving before he could ask more questions.

Once I was back in my room, I grabbed my phone and sent Henry a furious message.

"What was the meaning of that stunt you pulled?"

"I was just messing with you. Don't worry, I'll just frame the picture and hang it on my wall," he replied.

"You're insane. You need medical help!" I screamed internally.

"Don't worry. I won't bother you again... until I need my request fulfilled."