Heather was still in the manager's office, grappling with the shocking information she had just received. Lily Tatiana Thorne, Caius's sister, a woman Heather had never known existed, had kidnapped Alex and Asher. Denial clouded her thoughts as she tried to piece together the truth. Before she could process it all, her phone began ringing.
"I need to take this," she mumbled to Marcus, stepping outside to answer the call. The captain's voice came through.
"Asher was found a few hours ago. He's safe," he said. "But there's no word on Alex yet. The kidnapper didn't leave any lead, but we tried tracing the plate number to another state, and we found a match. The investigation is ongoing, we're still working on it. Don't worry, we won't stop until he's found."
Heather's breath hitched. He didn't know she already knew who the culprit was, but she wasn't ready to reveal it, not yet. She didn't want the captain digging into Lily Tatiana Thorne until she could handle the situation herself.
"Thank you, Captain. I appreciate it." She ended the call quickly. She wasn't ready to let him, or anyone else, find out about Lily. Not before she does.
Heather returned to the manager's office.
"I need you to erase Lily Tatiana Thorne from your list of recent car renters," she said firmly. "Replace her with a fake name, fake address, and fake payment details."
The manager blinked, confused. "Wait, what?" he was baffled, why would she hide the kidnapper's traces instead of following them? Nonetheless, the life-changing sum of money Heather offered made him less interested in knowing. "All done." He finally said.
Heather and Marcus left the office, with the manager trailing closely behind, sticking to them like gum under a shoe on a hot day. Heather motioned to Marcus to deal with him. Marcus led the manager to one of the bodyguards, who whisked him away. Then Marcus returned to the car.
Heather was silent.
"Where do we go now?" Marcus said, breaking the silence.
Heather didn't answer immediately. She thought about going to Caius to confront him, to demand answers. But she couldn't bring herself to do it. If she saw him now, she might not be able to resist slapping him, for keeping secrets, for being the root of so many problems.
"We're going to find Lily," she said finally. Her tone left no room for argument.
Marcus nodded. He'd already mobilized his crew, instructing them to start dig into Lily's life. When they arrived at the hotel Heather had booked, the group began piecing together details about her.
"She lives in Europe and attends university there," Sheng said, flipping through his notes.
"Wait…" Wie Jian interjected. "She's a triplet?"
Heather's eyes widened. "Triplets?" she asked.
"Yes. Lucy, Lily, and Lila Thorne," the man clarified.
"They're sisters?" Heather's voice carried a hing of disbelief.
Sheng adjusted his glasses. "Lucy is an artist living in Paris. Lily, we know she's somewhere in Europe. And Lila? She's a neurosurgeon in Berlin."
Heather couldn't help but be stunned. An artist, a neurosurgeon, and... a kidnapper? The idea was unsettling. What kind of family dynamic bred such disparate paths? What secrets had Caius kept from her all these years?
Why had Lily fixated on her son Alex? What could Alex possibly mean to her?
Heather stood abruptly. "Keep digging. We need to find Lily. And uncover everything there is to know about these triplets, past, present, and future. No stone unturned."
Sheng squinted at his laptop screen. "It says here she's a model. A big one. She's signed to Bellezza International," he said, leaning closer to the screen.
Heather brows knitted together. "Bellezza International?"
That name stirred memories she couldn't forget. It was the company that had once pushed Miss H to endorse one of their top agents in a high-profile brand campaign. They'd even insisted on a face reveal, wanting her big reveal to be associated with their name. But Miss H refused. Their persistence turned aggressive, and when she didn't comply, they'd attempted to blacklist her, only to realize she was far stronger than they'd bargained for.
Sheng nodded, his lips pressed into a thin line. "It is. She's not just successful, she's influential. Millions of followers online, endorsements, clean record. There's not a single red flag about her life." He sat back slightly, adjusting his glasses.
Wie Jian rubbed the back of his neck, frowning as he thought aloud. "She's been in this state for only a few weeks. Before that, it looks like she was traveling for work. Why would someone like her get involved in kidnapping?"
Heather crossed her arms. "There's no reason for her to do this. She released Asher, but Alex is still missing… Why? What's the connection?" Her voice grew quieter. She stopped pacing and stared out the window. Could it be about Caius? Does his family want to meet the children? But no one knows Alex is Caius's son. That's the part that doesn't add up.
Marcus leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. "Ma'am, what's the next move?"
Heather's gaze flicked to Sheng. "She has an online presence. Contact her team. Send them a message they can't ignore."
Sheng nodded, straightening his shoulders. "What should I say?"
Heather paused. "Let them know we're aware Lily took Alex. Make it clear that if they don't cooperate, we'll release this information online. Keep it sharp, but professional."
Sheng's fingers began flying over the keyboard, the click-clacking filling the room as everyone else fell silent. Heather walked over to the table, leaning on its edge while she watched him work. Marcus glanced at her, his jaw slightly clenched. He didn't need to say it, the tension in the room was heavy enough.
Barely half an hour had passed when Heather's phone buzzed. She unlocked it, her brows furrowing as she read the message.
I've been caught! Lol. If you want to see Alex, come to 84 Willow Creek Farmhouse. Come alone."
Heather's lips pressed into a thin, grim line as she handed the phone to Marcus. He took it with a frown, his eyes darting across the screen. "84 Willow Creek Farmhouse," he repeated, typing the address into his tablet. "That's about an hour from here."
He looked back at Heather, his voice low but firm. "You're not seriously planning to go alone, are you?"
Heather sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. What does Lily want with me? Is Alex even there? Could this be a trap? She felt a pang of regret for acting too many crime dramas, her imagination wouldn't stop conjuring worst-case scenarios.
"No," she said finally, her voice steady. "Marcus, prepare your men." She hesitated, glancing at the others in the room. "And weapons."
The guys exchanged uneasy glances.
"Just in case."