Chapter 12 - THE PRICE OF FEAR|
Elena's first instinct was to blame herself.
She had promised Sophie that she would keep her safe. She had believed that police protection, careful planning, and a secure place to stay would be enough.
Now Sophie was missing.
Alessandro found her in the library, pacing beside the window with her phone pressed to her ear.
“They took her,” Elena said. “Ryan took her because of me.”
“We don't know who took her yet.”
“He knows everything about us. He knows where she studies. He knows when her classes end.”
Alessandro kept his voice steady.
“Then we'll give the police every detail we have.”
He did not promise to send armed men across the city. He did not tell Elena that he would destroy anyone who stood in his way. Instead, he contacted the lead investigator and arranged to transfer the security footage, the threats, and the information about Northbridge.
The police issued an urgent missing-person alert and began tracing the SUV.
Marco worked alongside them, checking the mansion's records for any sign that someone had leaked Sophie's schedule. Within an hour, they discovered that an unknown person had accessed a staff calendar containing details of the sisters' movements.
The access had come from a computer in Richard Sloane's office.
Elena stared at the report.
“Why would he target Sophie?”
“Because he believes she can make you cooperate,” Alessandro said. “Or because someone else is using his access.”
“Either way, she's paying for something she didn't do.”
“Yes.”
The answer was simple, but Elena heard the anger beneath it.
The lead investigator called with an update. The SUV had been captured on a traffic camera heading toward an industrial district near the river. A second vehicle appeared to be following it.
The police asked Alessandro to provide any information about buildings connected to his family's old businesses in that area.
He did.
One property stood out: a disused distribution warehouse that had once stored medical supplies for the company where Elena's mother worked.
The investigators arranged surveillance before approaching the site.
Elena wanted to go with them.
Alessandro did not dismiss her fear or treat her like a child.
“You can give the officers everything you remember about Ryan and the warehouse,” he said. “But if you enter that building without a plan, you could make it harder to bring Sophie home safely.”
She hated that he was right.
“What if they hurt her?”
“Then we need to give the people trained to handle this the best chance to prevent it.”
For the next several hours, Elena waited with the lead investigator and a victim advocate. She gave a statement, identified Ryan's associates, and described the threats in detail.
Every minute felt endless.
Then the investigator received a call.
The SUV had been located near the warehouse. A surveillance team had confirmed that someone was inside.
Elena stood.
“Is Sophie there?”
“We're working to establish that.”
“Please don't tell me to be patient.”
The investigator looked at her with compassion.
“I won't. I'll tell you what we know, and I won't make promises I can't keep.”
Alessandro stood beside Elena without touching her until she reached for his hand.
It was the first time she had initiated the contact.
His fingers closed gently around hers.
At dusk, the police moved toward the warehouse.
A few minutes later, a message arrived on Elena's phone from an unknown number.
It contained a photograph of Sophie sitting in a dark room, frightened but apparently unharmed.
May you like
Below it were six words.
BRING THE ORIGINAL RECORDING. COME ALONE.
