Chapter 126

Chapter 126
Kelly

The waiting room felt like it was closing in on me. The cold, white walls. The sound of fluorescent lights. The lingering scent of antiseptic, none of it felt real. 

The security footage kept replaying in my head, frame by frame. A man in a hoodie. A wheelchair. My father disappearing into the night, he’s probably not covered. 

Adrian was pacing beside me, his fists tight at his sides. His face was stone cold, we were waiting for the police, but what would the police do more than tell us to wait.

"I should've been here," he muttered. "I should've….." 

Then my phone buzzed. Unknown Number. My chest tightened. Before I even picked up, I knew. 

I answered, my voice low, shaking even.

"Hello?” 

For a second, there was nothing. Then—a low dark chuckle. Air left my lungs immediately. That voice…..the voice I had hoped I'd never hear again. Davis…..

“Hello, Kelly.” 

A violent shudder ran through me. Like ice crawling up my spine. My fingers tightened around the phone. 

"Where is my father?" My voice was sharper now, echoing through the hospital's wall. 

Davis tsked. He was mocking me. 

“Straight to business? No ‘how have you been’? No ‘I’m so sorry the justice system failed you’?” He sighed. “You hurt me, Kelly.” 

I wanted to throw up. How did the system fail you when you tried to kill me twice, kidnapped me, and committed arson. My stomach twisted as the memories came flooding back, but I forced back. 

I forced the words out. 

"Where. Is. He?" 

Silence. Then his voice turned cold. 

"Your father took my father from me." 

I couldn’t make sense of what I heard. My father took who? How?

“He took my father," Davis repeated, his voice eerily calm. "So now… I’m taking yours.” 

My blood ran cold. He was casually playing in my face, and I wasn’t going to let him do that.

"You son of a—" 

"Careful," he cut in, amused. "You don’t want to make me angry." 

My pulse pounded in my ears.

"Where is he?" I demanded. 

Davis exhaled, like this was all so...tedious. 

"You want him back?" His voice dropped to a whisper. "Come alone." 

My vision blurred. I knew what this was, I knew what he was trying to do. But my father….

“Don’t be stupid, Kelly.” 

I stiffened. Davis hissed. Like he could hear what I was thinking.

“I know,” he murmured. “You’re already planning to come, aren’t you?” 

My throat went dry. 

“Don’t bother calling the cops. Or your guard dog.” 

My stomach turned. He meant Adrian. 

“If you bring anyone,” Davis continued, “your father won’t be leaving in one piece.” 

My fingers trembled. Silence stretched. 

Then, slowly he said.

"You have one hour." 

The call disconnected. 

The breath I was holding came crashing out. My body felt like it had been dropped into ice water. I barely noticed Adrian grab the phone from my hands. He was trying to redial, call back the number, but it won’t connect. 

“Kelly,” he snapped. “What the hell did he say?” 

I tried to speak, but nothing came out. I felt numb, like all words sucked out of brains.

“Kelly.” 

I shook my head.

“He has my father.” 

Adrian’s face darkened. A dangerous, lethal kind of fury.

"He wants me to come alone." I swallowed hard. "I have to go."

Adrian grabbed my wrist, hard but hard enough to hurt me. 

"You’re not going anywhere." Adrian said, his grip on my wrist tightened.

“No, I have to, let me go”