Baldwin's Mansion
The clock chimed 8 PM. Blaze had returned to the mansion after a long day at the company. His dark and authoritative demeanor filled the vast hall with an undeniable aura. The moment he stepped inside, Arthur followed, keeping a calculated distance as he asked a few of the men about security matters.
Blaze ascended the grand staircase. Arthur knew better than to follow beyond this point. Instead, he remained downstairs, speaking in hushed tones with the other men.
Once inside his bedroom, Blaze finally laid eyes on the one thing he had been yearning for all day—Savannah.
Without a moment's pause, he moved in close, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. Savannah sensed him immediately, remaining still as she recognized his familiar presence.
"I missed you," he whispered.
Blaze buried his face in her neck, inhaling deeply. He was addicted to her scent. Tightening his hold, pulling her closer.
After a few minutes, he finally lifted his head. "What are you looking at?" he asked, noticing her gaze fixed outside.
"I planted some flowers around the patio," Savannah replied calmly.
He followed her line of sight, his eyes narrowing at the colorful blooms that adorned the garden. "You did that, Ana?"
She nodded, "Yeah."
Blaze turned her to face him, his hands resting gently on her shoulders. "You must have been bored," he mused, studying her face.
Savannah looked up at him, a moment of looking at his face "Kind of."
Blaze chuckled, but the warmth in his eyes faded as he took her hands in his. His expression shifted to concern as he felt the roughness of her palms. He brought them closer, his gaze sharpening. "What happened to your hands?"
"I planted those flowers." she confessed.
"No one helped you?"
She paused for a moment looking at him her expression giving nothing away, then answered, "Elijah and I planted them."
"No one else?" Blaze's voice dropped, a hint of concern creeping in.
She shook her head.
An hour later, with Savannah peacefully asleep, Blaze quietly slipped out of the bedroom, a fire of anger igniting in his chest. His men stiffened as he strode into the hallway, exchanging nervous glances. Without saying a word, Blaze gestured for them to follow him outside.
In the front yard, the men stood in a tense line, with Arthur and Elijah noticeably absent.
"Why did none of you help her while she planted?" Blaze's voice was sharp, deadly, as he puffed on a cigar.
The atmosphere grew heavier. Silence reigned.
"Answer me!" Blaze bellowed.
Finally, one of them stammered, "She disrespected you, boss, so we thought-"
Before he could finish, Blaze, in one swift motion, shoved the lit cigar into the man's mouth. A muffled scream of agony filled the air before another guard covered his mouth, ensuring Savannah wasn't disturbed.
Blaze's glare swept over the rest. "Whoever dares to disrespect my wife will not get away with it. Get this through your thick skulls-I won't tolerate even the slightest offense."
With that, he turned sharply and headed back into the mansion, his message unmistakably clear.
The morning sun poured through the tall glass windows of Blaze's study, casting a warm golden glow over the rich mahogany furniture, bathing the room in a cozy light.
The air inside was filled with a subtle blend of leather-bound books, polished wood, and the comforting scent of freshly brewed coffee. The spacious room radiated authority, its walls lined with towering bookshelves brimming with files, records, and rare tomes that whispered tales of both wealth and wisdom. A grand fireplace stood quietly against one wall, its mantle decorated with a few ornate artifacts, each with its own story to tell.
At his imposing desk, Blaze was deeply engrossed in his work, his keen eyes scanning the documents laid out before him. His fingers moved with purpose, flipping through pages, signing where needed, and jotting down notes in the margins. His concentration was unwavering, his mind already strategizing several steps ahead. The only sound in the expansive room was the soft scratch of his pen on paper, a rhythmic dance of ink on parchment.
Then came a knock.
It was firm, measured, and expected. Blaze did not react immediately. Instead, he finished the sentence he was writing before leaning back in his chair. Without turning, he simply said, "Enter."
The door opened smoothly, and Arthur stepped inside, his posture rigid, his demeanor composed. His suit, crisp and well-tailored, reflected his disciplined nature. He carried an iPad in his right hand, which he extended forward as he reached Blaze's desk, placing it gently on the polished surface before straightening once more.
"Here's the surveillance footage from the entire area," Arthur reported, his voice steady and professional.
Blaze's gaze flickered to the device before moving up to Arthur's face, scrutinizing him. "It took longer than expected," he remarked, his tone devoid of warmth but not outright displeased.
Arthur held his ground. "Apologies, Boss. Many people there were difficult to convince it took longer than anticipated. But we managed to acquire every surveillance clip available from the area."
Blaze let out a slow exhale before picking up the iPad. He tapped the screen, and the footage began playing. The market appeared on the display-lively, bustling with vendors calling out to customers, carts rolling over cobbled paths, and shoppers weaving through the chaos of daily trade. It looked like any ordinary day, filled with the rhythmic pulse of commerce.
His eyes moved carefully, scanning the footage for anything that seemed off.
"Anything suspicious?" he asked, his voice sharp.
Arthur hesitated slightly before answering. "Nothing at first glance. But... there's something odd about the footage from 1 PM."
Blaze's gaze sharpened. He fast-forwarded the video until the timestamp hit 1 PM. The moment the screen transitioned, something felt off. The perspective had shifted unnaturally-half the market was now missing from the frame, as though an unseen force had cropped the view.
"If you look closely," Arthur continued, stepping forward slightly, "the footage no longer covers the full area. And then... watch that man."
Blaze followed Arthur's finger to a middle-aged man in a dark coat, standing by a fruit stall. At first glance, he looked like any other shopper. But then, he abruptly turned his head sharply to the right, his expression tense for a moment. Without a second thought, he walked toward something—or someone—just out of view.
Blaze squinted. "Did you figure out who he was looking at?"
"We reviewed the surveillance from the other side," Arthur said, tapping the screen.
"Play the next clip."
Blaze swiped to the next footage. The same man appeared, but this time, the angle revealed more. He had approached a small boy, speaking to him in what appeared to be a scolding manner. The child seemed startled, his posture hesitant.
"We asked around," Arthur elaborated. "That boy was his grandson. Apparently, the child had followed his grandfather to the market that day."
Blaze let out a breath, his face a mask of concentration. "And?" He sensed there was more to uncover.
Arthur reached forward, pausing the video at a particular frame. "If you go back to the first footage, you'll see his phone resting on that apple crate. But in this clip..." He swiped back to the second footage, freezing the frame again. "The phone is gone."
Blaze rewound the footage, scrutinizing every frame. Arthur was spot on. The phone had disappeared without a single clue.
"Someone's tampered the footage," Blaze muttered, his jaw tightening in frustration.
"Exactly," Arthur replied. "I already took it to our tech team, but they said there's no way to recover the missing frames. Whoever did this knew what they were doing."
Blaze's fist tightened, his knuckles turning pale. Thoughts raced through his mind, connecting the dots. If only he had kept a closer watch on Savannah that day, they wouldn't be in this mess.
The weight of the moment settled between them, heavy and unresolved. Blaze exhaled through his nose, his expression hardening. "Find out who had access to the cameras. And track down that phone."
Arthur nodded. "Understood, Boss."
As Arthur left the study, Blaze's gaze remained locked on the still frame. The missing footage, the strategically vanished phone-someone had gone to great lengths to cover their tracks.
And that could only mean one thing.
They were inching closer to the truth.
Author's Note :
Thankyou for reading<3
Have a good day/night <3<3