102.

102.
KIERAN

I stood in the office after she left, staring at the closed door, and felt something inside me shatter.

She was gone. Just like that. After everything that we shared. She walked away without looking back, and none of it made sense to me.

She was happy with me. It wasn’t bragging, but there was no moment we shared after the confessions that felt like she was acting.

I moved to the window and braced my hands against the frame as my mind replayed every word she said and every emotion I could remember that crossed her face.

They were all lies.

I knew it with the same certainty that I knew my name. The same certainty that I knew the woman who would reach for me at night subconsciously and who looked at me with love that it made my heart hurt.

She wasn’t pretending back then, but she was now.

Something was making her leave. Something had terrified her enough that she thought the only option she had was to leave.

My phone buzzed with a notification from the bank confirming that the transfer had been processed.

Twenty million dollars as stated in the contract. Except…

I frowned and opened the banking app. Another notification had come in seconds after the first, and it was a deposit back into his account.

Artemis had sent five million dollars back.

I frowned. She had taken only fifteen million dollars instead of the full amount. The number burned into my mind.

My office door burst open, and Michael rushed in. His face was flushed as he clutched his tablet tightly in his hands. “Sir, I need to…” he stopped, taking in Kieran’s expression. “What happened?”

“Artemis left," I answered flatly. “She said the contract is over and didn’t want to stay. She took the money and left."

Michael’s eyes widened. “Sir, I don’t think… she didn’t leave because she wanted to," he rushed out, and I frowned, walking towards him.

“What are you talking about?”

He thrust the tablet in his hands towards me. “I’ve had eyes on her family for days now, as you requested. While her parents are fine, her brother is missing."

“Missing? Since when?”

“Three days ago. He didn’t show up for class. His roommates didn’t think anything of it, but they filed a missing person’s report this morning after the 48 hours passed and they got no contact from him."

Michael swiped to another screen. “The police haven’t found anything yet, but we did. We pulled security footage from his last known location after hacking his phone, and he was grabbed outside a corner store by two men in a black van."

My mind raced. I remembered Artemis receiving a call she wouldn’t tell me about. The terror on her face that day as I asked what happened, but she said nothing.

It would explain the lies and the need for money.

“She is being threatened," we said at the same time, the pieces clicking into place. “Someone took Ares and is asking her for money," Michael explained.

“There’s more," Michael added. “I have been watching Van as well. He seems to be desperate. After you destroyed his business, he has been scrambling for money."

“So? It’s what he deserved."

Michael shook his head. “Two weeks ago, he made a very interesting promise to someone.” He pulled out another document. “He told a potential international client that he could secure fifteen million dollars for a joint venture and guaranteed the funds in two weeks."

That’s the exact amount Artemis had taken with her.

“Son of a bitch," I swore. “Van took her brother and wanted to extort the money from her."

“It fits, sir," Michael said grimly. “He probably bargained that she would take the money from you no matter what. I don’t know if he knows about the contract."

“He doesn’t. I know that.”

My hands clenched into fists. The bastard had forced her to choose between me and her brother, and she had been too terrified to tell me because I was sure he would have threatened her not to get anyone else involved or her brother dies.

Classic kidnapper shit.

“She is going to give him the money. We need to track her now," I ordered, already moving to the door.

“Already on it. I’ve got a team tracking her phone and any large transfers or withdrawals from her account.” Michael said, following me out. “And I don’t think he is doing this alone. Someone must be helping him."

“That would be Annabelle," I said, the name like poison on my tongue. “She would do anything for money and hates Artemis enough to help Van ruin her."

“I’ll have them track her movements as well."

I grabbed my keys and phone. “Get me everything you have on Van’s current location. Bank records, phone records, and known associates. Find out about that black van. I want Ares found within the hour."

“Yes sir. What about Mrs. Archibald?”

My jaw tightened. “I’m going after her. If she thinks she can walk out on us, she has another thing coming."

Michael fought the urge to grin, and I rolled my eyes.

“We have her location. I’m sending it to you," he said, tapping furiously on his phone.

Artemis thought she was protecting me by walking away, but she was wrong.

I had told her before that I never played a game that I didn’t intend to win, and I meant it.

Van had made a terrible mistake thinking he could hurt Artemis and get away with it. He would never threaten my family and walk away unscathed.

He was about to learn just how wrong the decision he made is because I protected what was mine.

Artemis was mine. Now and always.

And I was going to get her back.