Evander’s POV
I found myself smiling unknowingly as I followed behind Claire, watching her hurried steps. But that smile faded the mont I saw her trembling while on a call.
Sothing was wrong.
Her hand gripped her phone tightly, and I could see her shoulders shaking slightly. Worry clawed at as I approached her. She looked up, and the sight of her glistening eyes pierced straight through .
"Claire?" I asked softly, my voice laced with concern.
Her lips quivered as she tried to form words. "E-Eliam..." she finally stamred, her voice breaking. "He has been kidnapped."
Her words hit like a blow, and for a mont, my mind snapped. A flood of rage and panic surged through , but I forced myself to stay calm. I couldn’t lose control—not now.
Claire’s legs buckled, and I quickly moved to catch her, wrapping my arm firmly around her waist before she could fall. She felt so light, so fragile, and the worry etched on her face made my heart clench painfully.
I quickly spoke to the nanny, her voice trembling on the other end. "Soone... soone took Eliam," she stuttered, her words barely coherent.
"Who took him!?" I demanded, my tone sharp and firm. "Tell , who were they?"
"I... I don’t know," she replied, her voice breaking. "I tried to call you first, but you didn’t answer... and I didn’t know what else to do. I was forced to call Mada."
Damn it. The realization hit hard—I had ignored her call. My focus had been entirely on Claire, and now Eliam was in danger because of my negligence.
I inhaled deeply, rage simring just beneath the surface. My grip on Claire’s waist tightened involuntarily as I clenched my jaw. "Who were they?" I asked again, my voice cold and dangerous and my patience was running thin.
"Th... They were so won," the nanny stamred as fear was evident in her voice. "A few won... I didn’t recognize them..."
I didn’t wait to hear more. I ended the call abruptly; my thoughts beca a chaotic ss.
When I turned to Claire, her fiery glare t , filled with accusation. "Why!?" she shouted, her voice trembling with both fury and pain. "Why didn’t you take the call?" Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, and her body shook as she stared at , demanding answers.
I got confused at the way she was acting out of the blue as I raised my brows.
"You didn’t answer the call back then either!" she exclaid, her voice cracking as tears spilled over. "I... I begged you to save , to save our son, but you didn’t answer even in the past!"
Her words hit like a whip, cutting deep. I opened my mouth to respond, but she didn’t give the chance. "You were such a bad person!"
Her sobs broke through, her hands trembling as she clenched them in fists. The weight of her words crushed . This wasn’t just about Eliam... it was about the past, the pain she still carried in her heart.
"Claire..." I started, but the words caught in my throat. Yes, she had called then, but I had been unconscious in the ICU, unable to respond. She had no way of knowing that, and her pain had grown into a festering wound.
I pulled her into my embrace before she could crumble completely. "Shh, shh," I whispered, my voice softer now. "Calm down. I am here, Claire. I won’t let anything happen to Eliam, I swear."
She didn’t push away but sobbed into my chest, her grief and fury pouring out. I patted her back gently, my hand trembling as I tried to soothe her.
Inwardly, my rage flared again at whoever dared to take Eliam. They had crossed a line, and I would make them pay. But first, I needed to calm Claire and assure her that I wouldn’t fail her again.
"It’s going to be okay," I said, my voice steady as I tried to reassure her, even though every part of was screaming inside. "We will find him, Claire. I promise."
Her fingers gripped my shirt tightly as she buried her face in my chest, her tears soaking through the fabric. I held her closer, gently stroking her back to calm her trembling form, all while my mind raced with a thousand questions.
Who dared to take Eliam?
Whoever it was, they wouldn’t get away with this.
"Let’s go," I said as I carried in my arms as her arms wrapped around my neck. She hid her face in my chest as I took her to the car.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Claire’s POV
I was on the verge of losing control when the words sank in—soone had taken Eliam. My chest tightened, my breathing beca shallow, and I felt myself spiraling into a panic.
But then Evander’s firm grip steadied , grounding in the mont. His hands on my waist were unyielding, and though my heart raced with fear, I found myself clinging to that small thread of stability.
Strangely, his presence had a calming effect on , even as the storm of emotions raged inside. Yet, when I learned he had ignored the call from the mansion, anger bubbled up, overpowering my fear. My voice faltered, and my hands clenched into weak fists, but my body betrayed —I didn’t have the strength to lash out at him.
Instead, I let my frustration spill into hot and silent tears. The emotions I had bottled for so long... fear, anger and guilt were now breaking free.
But then Evander did sothing I didn’t expect. He wrapped his arms around , pulling into a protective embrace. His hand moved gently along my back, caressing it in soft and comforting motions.
I froze for a mont, stunned by the tenderness of the gesture. It felt so foreign yet oddly soothing as if he was drawing the panic out of with each stroke. To my surprise, the overwhelming need to take my dication subsided. His embrace alone was enough to steady my nerves.
For the first ti in what felt like forever, courage began to replace my fear. The thought of Eliam being in danger ignited a fire within . I couldn’t let this break ; I just couldn’t. No matter who had taken him, I would get my son back.
Before I could voice my determination or take a single step, Evander acted. Without a word, he scooped up effortlessly into his arms. His movents were swift, his expression was sharp and focused as if nothing in the world could stop him.
I was too stunned to protest, my body instinctively leaning into his warmth. The fear that had consud monts ago felt distant now. Evander carried out of the building and toward his car.
I was too embarrassed to be carried out like this, and I didn’t even bother to think about what would happen if soone would see !
As he settled into the passenger seat and climbed in beside , I realized sothing: with him by my side, I felt like we were stronger than we were in the past. And together, we would bring Eliam ho.
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Please continue to read as I am still a lot of unlocks away to reach 300!!
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