Chapter 87

IVAN’S POV

I parked across the street and leaned back, letting my eyes scan the house, especially the window in the nursery.

There was no movement.

The cream-colored blinds she always kept half-drawn were closed, and there was no soft glow of the lamp she usually left on.

I narrowed my eyes and looked down at my watch. It was 10:34pm.

Usually, by this time, she'd be putting Maya to sleep. Sometimes she sat by the window after, curled up with that little blanket draped over her legs

But tonight? There was nothing.

I stepped out of the car and walked up to the front door of the house. 

I rang the doorbell once and waited, but there was no answer.

I knocked next. “Anna?” I called out in a stern tone, but there was still no response. 

I reached for the handle and twisted it. The door creaked open with an ease that made my skin crawl. Anna never leaves the door unlocked. 

I closed the door behind me with a soft click and stood still for a moment, listening.

There was no sound from Maya, no hum from the baby monitor, and no sign of Anna. just the scent of baby powder that lingered in the air. 

The house was dark and too quiet. Something was wrong.

I took a long breath, the kind that filled your chest with rage instead of air. I moved through the hallway cautiously, my shoes now silent against the marble floor as I peeked into the living room.

It was empty.

The couch was bare. No blanket was folded on the couch, and the television was turned off with the remote sitting too neatly on the table.

I frowned and moved toward the nursery and found the door open.

I pushed it fully open and turned on the light.

The crib was empty.

And not just empty, it was cleared out. No sheets. No toys. The shelves were stripped clean. No diapers. No wipes. No Maya.

No trace of her.

I stepped forward to pull the closet door open, and I was met with bare racks.

Panic crept up my spine as I stormed to Anna’s bedroom, shoving open the door.

It was also empty. 

The closet was open, with a few empty hangers, and the drawers were half open. Her clothes were gone, too. I flipped the drawers, and they were also empty. 

I tore one drawer completely out and hurled it across the room.

Gone.

She was gone.

Everything was gone. Like she never existed.

“Unbelievable,” I muttered, dragging a hand through my hair.

I moved back into the hallway, hands clenched into fists, feeling that familiar heat rising in my chest. That bitch has been planning this.

Like she was waiting for the right moment to disappear, and she took my daughter with her. 

I went back to the nursery to see if I could see any clue about where she might have gone, but the empty crib stared at me as if it was mocking me. I let out a grunt as I kicked the crib into the wall, and some of the wooden decorations came off. 

“FUCK!”

I yanked out my phone and dialed Anna’s number.

Voicemail. Of course.

I called again. And again.

Nothing.

I let out a low, humorless laugh that echoed in the empty space around me.

My hand shook slightly as I lifted my phone again. This time, I didn’t call her.

I called Klaus.

He picked up on the second ring.

“Sir.”

“She’s gone,” I said flatly.

A pause. “Who?”

“Anna. The house is empty, and she took my baby with her.”

“Shit. Do you want—”

“I want every fucking camera in this neighborhood pulled in the last seventy-two hours. I want border records. Car rentals. Flight logs. Burner phone activity. Anyone she’s ever spoken to—watch them.”

“Yes, sir.”

I paced to the window and stared out at the blinking porch light.

“I want her found in the next twenty-four hours.”

“Understood.”

“And listen—” I stopped pacing. My voice dropped.

“If she’s with anyone… if someone helped her, I want their names. 

Klaus was quiet for a beat.

“Okay, boss.”

“You better find her, or it’ll be your head on the line.” I hung up.

I went to pick up the pacifier that was lying on the ground. I stared at the stupid, tiny piece of silicone as I took uneven breaths. My fingers curled around it, tight, until my knuckles turned white. 

I stormed back to my car and sat down, gripping the steering wheel.

She thought she could run from me. She thought disappearing would separate me from my daughter. She wants to start over like I didn’t exist.

She was wrong.

She didn’t know what I’d do for her.

To her.

I wasn’t some soft-hearted coward she could manipulate with tears and loyalty.

I was power, and power doesn’t beg. It takes.

She thought she’d seen the worst of me before?

She hadn’t even scratched the surface.

I started the engine, tires screeching as I pulled away from the house and sped through the streets. Fifteen minutes later, I arrived at the apartment where Klaus was waiting with the others. 

Klaus stood up the second he saw me. “Sir.”

I didn’t slow my stride. “I want every contact we have in this city pulled. I don’t care how insignificant they are, get them on this.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Where are we with the surveillance?” I asked, pacing around.

“We haven’t gotten anything useful yet, sir.”

“Then fucking get it!” I snapped, slamming my fist into the table.

“Yes, sir.” He said and tapped away on his phone. 

I stared at him for a moment longer, the only sound in the room being the faint buzz of his phone as he began barking orders to our people. 

She really thought she could just vanish, but she wouldn’t get far.

I will find her.

Even if I had to burn down everything in my path to bring her back.

And when I did, she would see that running from me was the worst decision she ever made.