THIRD PERSON POV
Ace pushed through the front doors of NovaTech, his pulse still pounding in his throat. The confused stares from Sharon's colleagues followed him, but he didn't slow. The air in the lobby felt thick, pressing against his skin.
He didn't wait to be asked questions, his phone was already at his ear, dialling Zion's contact.
Zion picked up on the second ring, voice dry.
"You call too often. Can't you..."
"Sharon's missing."
There was a beat of silence. Then Zion's tone shifted, sharp, urgent.
"What?"
"I'm right in front of her office," Ace said, his words clipped.
"How did it happen?"
"I don't know," Ace snapped. "I dropped her off myself..."
"I'm on my way," Zion cut in. "Wait at the front of the building. Don't move."
The call ended, and Ace shoved the phone into his pocket. His jaw clenched as he walked back toward the street where he'd left Sharon that morning. His eyes swept every inch... The pavement, the cars, the shadows cast by the trees. Nothing. No bag, no scarf, no trace of her.
He ran a hand over his face, forcing his breathing steady. Behind him, Sharon's colleagues had followed outside, whispering among themselves.
Mrs. Rachel approached cautiously. "Mr. Langley… is something wrong?"
Ace didn't look at her. His tone was ice.
"Where can I get the CCTV footage from around here?"
She blinked at his directness. "Uh, the main cameras belong to the building management. Security room's on the lower ground floor."
He nodded once and pulled out his phone again.
"Chris, come to NovaTech. Now," he said to the person on the other end, his voice low, dangerous. "Bring your system."
A rough, static-filled reply came
"I'm on it, boss."
Minutes crawled. Then Zion arrived, black car, tinted windows, sharp suit, sharper eyes. He didn't waste words; his look alone demanded answers but Aec's aura felt higher...
"They're setting up the footage," Ace said coldly, clearly filed with rage.
Inside the security room, the flicker of monitors cast pale light over tense faces. The technician Ace had called was already hunched over a console, fast fingers flying over the keyboard. The staff lingered at the door, too nervous to leave.
"There," Chris muttered, replaying the feed from the building's external camera.
On-screen, Sharon appeared, walking along the sidewalk, phone in hand, her scarf tied neatly around her neck. Then, in one swift blur, a van rolled into view. Someone stepped out, face hidden and before she could even react, her body jerked back, dragged into the vehicle.
The van door slammed. The vehicle sped off.
And just like that she was gone.
Silence filled the room. No one breathed.
Aec leaned forward, voice low.
"Pause it Chris. Zoom in."
The image pixelated, but even through the distortion, it was clear, the license plate had been deliberately blurred out.
"They knew exactly what they were doing," Zion muttered.
Ace's fingers curled into fists. He stood motionless, jaw tight, his eyes fixed on the frozen frame ... Sharon's last visible moment.
Ace didn't move for a moment then his gaze snapped toward Chris.
"Find them... Get your men ready," he said, his voice quiet but lethal.
Chris swallowed hard. "Y–yes, sir. I'll track every nearby camera and run facial recognition."
Before he could say more, Zion was already a few steps away, phone pressed to his ear.
"William," he said, his tone sharp and clipped.
"Pull up everything connected to a black van, private, stolen, rented, doesn't matter. Cross-check with any traffic feed within a ten-mile radius of NovaTech. And do it fast."
Static filled the air for a moment before a voice on the other end replied, "On it, boss."
Zion ended the call and turned back, but Ace was already walking out of the security room.
"Ace!" Zion called after him, catching up as they reached the building's exit. "Where are you going?"
Ace didn't stop. His steps were fast, controlled fury in motion.
"Finding Sharon," he said without looking back.
"Call your people, Zion. This..." he glanced over his shoulder, eyes cold, voice low and sharp "this is my father's work."
The glass doors slid open as he stepped into the daylight, his phone already in hand again, his expression unreadable.
Zion stood there for a moment, watching him disappear into the sunlight, jaw tightening. He knew exactly what that meant.
This wasn't just about Sharon anymore.
This was about power. And family.
And whatever came next… wasn't going to end cleanly.
Zion stood still, watching as Ace stormed out of the building, his footsteps echoing down the corridor. Chris was already moving in the opposite direction, heading off to carry out Ace's orders. The air felt heavy, charged, like something terrible was about to unfold.
Just then, Zion's phone buzzed in his pocket. He glanced at the screen.
"Dad..."
He exhaled sharply and answered, "Dad, I'm a little busy right now. Can we talk later?"
His father's voice came through calm but firm.
"Zion, I need you to come back to the States. Now."
Zion frowned. "What? Why?"
"It's urgent," his father said flatly.
He hesitated. "Okay, no problem, but I just need to handle something first."
There was a pause. Long enough to make Zion uneasy. Then his father's voice returned, quieter, heavier.
"What issue?"
Zion rubbed the bridge of his nose. "It's nothing important, but I have to go."
The tone on the other end changed, colder now, clipped with restrained anger.
"Deputy William just called me. He said you asked him to search for a van or something."
Zion froze, the hallway suddenly feeling smaller.
His father continued, his voice low but sharp.
"The Langley family's affairs are not something you should engage in. Come back home, Zion. That's an order."
Zion's brows furrowed. He pulled the phone from his ear slightly, staring at it as if it might explain how his father even knew.
Then he raised it again, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Dad… what do you know about this?"
The line went silent.
And for the first time, Zion wasn't sure if his father's silence meant fear or warning...
---
Ace's car screeched to a stop in front of the Langley estate. The guards opened the gate at once; they didn't dare question him. His steps were fast, sharp, almost mechanical as he crossed the marble-floored hall.
"Mrs. Venn!" he called, his voice echoing off the walls.
The housekeeper appeared almost instantly. "Yes, Mr. Langley?"
"Where's my father?"
"He left early, sir. Said he had a meeting outside the city. Mrs. Camila went with him."
Ace's jaw tensed. Without replying, he turned and walked straight to his father's study. The smell of expensive wood polish filled the air. Everything was in its usual perfect order but it felt cold, distant, untouched.
He pulled out his phone and dialed.
The line rang twice before connecting.
"Ace," Victor Langley's voice came, smooth but cold. "To what do I owe this call?"
"Where are you?" Ace demanded.
"Working. Why?" Victor replied immediately
"Sharon's missing."
A long pause, then, softly...
"I see."
Ace clenched his fists. "You see? That's all you have to say... Where is Sharon, Victor?"
Aec spoke his voice shaking with rage...
"You shouldn't have gotten involved with that girl."
The words hit harder than Aec expected.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"It means there are things you don't understand, and you're pulling this family into trouble that doesn't concern us."
"Trouble?" Ace's voice rose. "Who I get involved with has nothing to do with you old man!"
"Enough," Victor snapped. The authority in his tone sharp and cutting. "If you value what's left of this family, you'll stop looking for her. Let it go."
Ace stood there, stunned, the phone pressed tight to his ear.
"I know you know something," he said quietly.
No answer.
"Don't you?" he pressed, voice shaking now. "You know what happened."
The silence stretched, long, suffocating.
When Victor finally spoke, his voice was low, almost regretful.
"Some debts, Ace… can't be paid twice."
The line cut.
Ace stayed there, staring at his phone, the echo of his father's words pulsing in his head like a heartbeat.
Outside, thunder rolled faintly across the darkening sky.
And somewhere deep inside, Ace knew whatever had happened to Sharon wasn't random.
It was a message and he was going to reply through Diana too...