Chapter 45 Chapter 0045

Chapter 45 Chapter 0045
•ANTONIO•

“I have a new lead on the Conti brothers,” August reported as he sat in the chair across from my desk.

I let out a frustrated groan and leaned back in my chair before looking at him.

“I want you to find Tom. I don't care about the Conti brothers,” I snapped, slamming both hands against the desk.

My patience had been worn thin, and every passing day without Isabella felt like another layer of restraint tightening around my chest.

The anger had been building for weeks, and it didn't help that August seemed to divide his focus between this and other matters.

Three weeks had gone by since Isabella was taken, and those weeks had stretched endlessly in my mind, each hour dragging like a year.

I was losing sleep, losing focus, and losing control over my thoughts because everything circled back to the same question. Where was she?

August folded his hands together and exhaled slowly. “I understand what you want, but we are working on it. They both disappeared without leaving a trace. Tom’s father is missing, and so is Isabella’s father. It is not simple.”

“Then make it simple,” I growled as I stood from my chair and began pacing behind my desk. “Get more people involved. I want every street covered, every contact questioned, and every rumor followed until they find my wife.”

He rose from his seat as well. “You know I am doing everything I can. But you are ignoring something important. She and Tom had a past. She tried to leave you before. What if they don't want to be found?”

I stepped closer to him, my jaw tightening. “What exactly are you suggesting about my wife? You have hinted at this before, and I let it slide, but don’t test me again.”

“I am not accusing her,” he answered. “I am trying to consider every possibility so we can solve this. You know I always stand with you.”

“Then stand with me without questioning her loyalty,” I shot back. “You were there when Tom’s men pointed guns at us and dragged her away. You saw it with your own eyes.”

He held my gaze for a long moment before nodding. “You are right. I am sorry. I will assign more men and widen the search.”

I sank back into my chair and rubbed my temples, exhaustion weighing heavily on me. The lack of sleep was catching up, but I refused to rest while she was out there.

My biggest regret wasn't acting sooner against Tom’s father when I had the chance. If I had moved faster, maybe none of this would've happened.

“Thank you,” I muttered. “Right now, you are the only person I can rely on.”

He gave me a small nod before leaving the office, closing the door behind him.

The club was quiet in the early hours of the afternoon, with only a few regulars occupying the tables before the evening crowd arrived.

I found myself spending more time there than at home because the house felt unbearable.

Every room carried a memory of Isabella, and each memory reminded me that I had promised to protect her. Walking through those halls felt like walking through my own failure.

As the evening approached and the club began to fill with noise and music, I packed my briefcase and prepared to leave for the night.

I needed a few hours of rest, even if I knew sleep wouldn't come easily.

Just as I zipped the bag closed, there was a knock on the door before Melo stepped inside.

“Speak quickly,” I said as I grabbed the briefcase and walked toward him.

“It is Andrea Albero,” he replied. “He is outside and insists on seeing you.”

My thoughts immediately shifted to Tom. Andrea’s sudden appearance didn't feel random. “Did he come alone?” I asked, already calculating possible outcomes.

“We checked the cameras and questioned him. There was nothing suspicious. He says he needs to speak to you about Isabella.”

The sound of her name made my heart pound harder than it had all day. It was as if it had started beating again only at that moment.

“Are you certain?” I asked, setting my briefcase down on the couch near the door.

Melo nodded firmly.

“Take me to him.”

He led me toward the back of the club, where Andrea stood between two of my men who had their guns trained on him.

“No one sent me,” he said quickly when I stepped closer, leaving only a few inches between us.

“Where have you been?” I demanded. “I searched everywhere for you. You vanish for weeks, and now you walk into my club in the middle of the night. Who sent you?”

He glanced nervously at the guns pointed at him. I signaled for my men to lower their weapons and step back, though they remained close enough to react if necessary.

“Tom took me back home,” he answered, his voice shaking. “He told me that if I told you anything, he would kill Isabella. He gave me twenty-four hours to relocate and move to another state.”

I exchanged a look with Melo. It seemed reckless for Tom to release him without surveillance, and that made me cautious.

“I was drugged when they took me there and again when they brought me back,” Andrea continued. “But I remember hearing his men talk about the weather in Mexico.”

My chest tightened. “They are in Mexico?”

He nodded, fear evident in his eyes. “You have to find her. My daughter is miserable there. I can't lose her.”

His desperation sounded genuine. For the first time since he arrived, I saw not an adversary but a frightened father.

“Come with me,” I said. “You will tell me everything in detail. Until we sort this out, you will stay at my house under protection.”

He didn’t hesitate to follow me to the car. He climbed into the passenger seat while two of my men got into the back.

As I started the engine and pulled away from the club, my mind was already racing ahead.

“Describe everything you remember,” I told him. “The building, the surroundings, any sounds, any smells. I need something solid.”

“I don't know the exact building,” he admitted. “But you must go to Mexico and bring her back before it is too late.”