Marcus didn't move for a long time after she was taken.
The room was silent.
Too silent.
The broken glass, the cold air, the faint echo of footsteps long gone—everything felt distant.
Irrelevant.
Because the only thing that mattered…
Was that she was gone.
His jaw tightened slowly, a dangerous calm settling over him.
"Sir…"
One of his men stepped forward cautiously.
Marcus didn't look at him.
"Say it."
"They've cleared the perimeter. No trace of their vehicles."
Of course they had.
Adrian didn't make mistakes like that.
Marcus finally turned.
His expression was unreadable.
But his eyes—Cold.
Sharp.
Lethal.
"Lock the building down," he said.
His voice was quiet. Controlled.
"Now."
The man nodded instantly and moved.
Marcus walked toward the shattered window, staring out into the night.
Somewhere out there—She was with him.
Alone.
A slow breath left his chest.
"She chose to go."
The words were barely audible.
But they weren't doubt.
They were understanding.
Because Marcus knew her.
Helena wasn't weak.
She didn't panic.
She calculated.
Which meant—
This was part of something.
His gaze darkened.
"Find her," he said.
Another man stepped forward. "We're already tracking possible routes, but—"
"No."
Marcus turned sharply.
"Not possible routes."
A beat.
"Find Adrian."
Silence fell.
Because that changed everything.
"You want us to go after him directly?"
Marcus's expression didn't change.
"Yes."
"But sir… we don't have confirmed locations. He's been off the grid for years—"
"Then bring him back on it."
The room went still.
Marcus stepped away from the window, his presence filling the space again.
Dominant.
Unyielding.
"Pull every record," he continued. "Financial movements. Shell companies. Private security contracts."
His voice sharpened.
"I want everything."
"Yes, sir."
The team moved immediately.
Phones. Laptops. Calls.
The silence was replaced by controlled chaos.
Marcus stood in the center of it.
Still.
Focused.
Dangerous.
Because this wasn't panic.
This was precision.
Minutes passed.
Then—
"Sir."
Marcus looked up.
"We found something."
He stepped forward.
"What?"
"One of his old subsidiaries just activated a dormant account."
Marcus's eyes narrowed.
"Location?"
"Unknown," the man said. "But the signal bounced through a private server."
Marcus leaned slightly over the screen.
"Trace it."
"We're trying, but—"
"Not good enough."
The tension spiked instantly.
"I don't care how long it takes," Marcus said coldly. "You don't stop until you have it."
"Yes, sir."
The man swallowed slightly and turned back to his work.
Marcus straightened slowly.
Think.
Adrian was careful.
Calculated.
He wouldn't expose himself without a reason.
Which meant—This wasn't a mistake.
It was a message.
Marcus's gaze darkened.
"You want me to come to you…"
A faint, dangerous smile touched his lips.
"Then I will."
Across the city.
Helena sat still.
Watching.
Listening.
Waiting.
The room they placed her in was different from before.
Larger.
More open.
But still controlled.
Still trapped.
Her hands rested in her lap, her posture calm—but her mind was anything but.
Every second mattered now.
Every move.
Every word.
Because one wrong step—And everything would collapse.
The door opened.
Helena didn't react immediately.
She already knew who it was.
Adrian walked in slowly, his gaze locking onto her instantly.
"Settling in?" he asked.
Helena looked up at him.
Unimpressed.
"I've had better accommodations."
He smiled faintly.
"I'm sure you have."
A pause.
"Ready to begin?"
Her heart beat faster—but her expression didn't change.
"Tell me what you want."
Adrian stepped closer.
"Simple," he said.
"You're going to call him."
Her breath caught.
"Marcus?"
"Yes."
Helena's fingers tightened slightly.
"And say what?"
Adrian's gaze sharpened.
"Tell him you're safe."
A beat.
"Tell him not to look for you."
Silence.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
Helena held his gaze.
"And you think he'll listen?"
Adrian smiled slowly.
"No."
Her stomach dropped slightly.
"Then what's the point?"
His expression darkened.
"The point," he said softly, "is to see how far he's willing to go."
Helena's pulse quickened.
This wasn't just manipulation.
This was a test.
A trap.
And Marcus was walking straight into it.
Back in the office—Marcus's phone rang.
The room froze instantly.
Because everyone saw it.
The unknown number.
Marcus stared at it for half a second.
Then answered.
"Talk."
Silence.
Then—
"Marcus."
Everything inside him stilled.
Helena.
Alive.
His grip on the phone tightened slightly.
"Where are you?"
"I'm fine," she said quickly.
Too quickly.
His eyes darkened.
"No, you're not."
A pause.
He could hear it.
The control in her voice.
The restraint.
She wasn't alone.
"Listen to me," she continued.
Her tone shifted—slightly softer.
"Don't come looking for me."
The room went completely silent.
Every single person watching him.
Waiting.
Marcus didn't respond immediately.
Because he understood.
This wasn't a request.
It was a warning.
A coded message.
His jaw tightened.
"Helena—"
"Don't," she said quickly.
A beat.
"Please."
Silence stretched.
Heavy.
Loaded.
Then—The line went dead.
Marcus lowered the phone slowly.
The room felt colder.
Sharper.
More dangerous.
"Well?" one of his men asked carefully.
Marcus looked up.
And for the first time—There was no restraint left.
"No more waiting," he said.
His voice was low.
Deadly.
"We end this."
Elsewhere—Helena lowered the phone slowly.
Her heart was racing.
Because she knew—He understood.
And that meant—This was about to get worse.
Much worse.
Adrian watched her closely.
"Good," he said.
Helena met his gaze.
Calm.
Controlled.
But inside—She was already preparing.
Because Marcus wasn't the only one hunting anymore.
She was too.