Chapter 94
Kessler’s POV
I feel paralyzed as if the blood in my veins has turned to ice, freezing me in place. But I managed to ask, “How did it happen?”
“It happened so fast, boss,” one of the guards quickly responds. “We were trying to be discreet, you know, so we wouldn’t be seen.
The last we saw her was when she went to check the apartment. Conor stepped out, and we moved closer to check on her, only to discover that she wasn’t in sight.”
The shock weighs on me as I try to process the information. My mind races with questions, each one more urgent than the last. How could this have happened? Where could she be? Anxiety grips me as I struggle to make sense of the situation.
“It’s crystal clear that Jack was behind this. It happened hours after he broke out of the dungeon. He had it all planned out, and the mole was in on it with him all along,” I mutter angrily, piecing together the unsettling puzzle.
“Shit! Goddamn you!” I bark into the phone like a maniac. “Check everywhere, comb every corner of the city, and find me Lyra!”
At this point, I care for Lyra’s life and that of my heir more than anything else. The mere thought of anything happening to them fills me with dread.
They have come to mean the world to me, thinking of Lyra and our unborn child, my heir.
Just then, my mom barges in again, and I groan out loud, “Oh my God, Mom, please, now is not the time.”
“Son, please hear me out,” she says calmly, surprising me. I can see regret in her eyes.
Confusion washes over me. Just moments ago, she stormed out of my office, blaming me for everything that had happened in the pack. Her sudden change in demeanor catches me off guard, leaving me wondering what she has to say.
“I need to hear her out,” I resign myself to fate and ask, “Mum, what is it?”
Her voice filled with genuine regret. “Kessler, I’m sorry.”
I look around my office, half expecting someone else to have said that behind me because it sounds so foreign coming from her mouth.
“Oh, Kessler, please stop,” she pleads, sensing my disbelief. “Don’t make me repeat it. You know I’m not the type to say sorry.”
I’m too dumbfounded to speak, but I know I need to say something to break the lingering tension.
“Mum, that’s the reason it sounds…” I trail off, still trying to process her unexpected apology. I had to be sure I hadn’t heard it wrongly.
“Son, truth be told, I know I haven’t been the best to you, forcing my decisions on you, imposing Annie on you when you had already found your mate… I know I was wrong.”
Tears prick at the corners of my eyes as I listen to her words. Despite her mistakes, I can see her vulnerability, and it pains me to see her like this. She has always been a strong-willed woman who commands respect wherever she goes.
Reaching out to her, I offer a comforting embrace. “It’s okay, Mum, we all make mistakes. What matters is that we learn from them and try to make things right.”
She holds up her hand, signaling for me to let her speak freely. “Please, I need to let it out,” she begins. “I forced Annie on you, and look where that has left us. Who knows the damage she has caused that we are yet to uncover.”
“From now on, I’ll respect your decisions regarding everything in your life. You are a good son, Kessler, and I don’t regret having you and your sister. I can’t wait to make things right with whoever you choose to rule by your side.”
Her words carry a weight of sincerity and regret, and I feel a sense of relief and hope. Maybe this conversation marks the beginning of healing and reconciliation within our family.
I’m not usually one for emotional hugs, but hearing my mum say all of this, I’m a complete emotional wreck. The thought that she would fully accept Lyra when I get her back fills me with overwhelming hope. Without hesitation, I engulfed her in a heartfelt hug.
“Thank you, Mum, this means a lot to me. But as much as I would like to continue this conversation, I need to be somewhere else.”
She taunts me, questioning where is more important to be than being with a vulnerable mother who has bared her soul.
“I promise, Mum, we’ll continue this later,” I assure her, pulling away from the hug. “Right now, I have urgent matters to attend to.
I let out a small, bitter laugh as I shared the grim truth with my mum. “Mum, Lyra has been kidnapped. I know Jack is responsible for this because it happened a few hours after he escaped from the dungeon.”
My mum goes numb, and I can see the fear in her eyes. “Mum,” I shake her gently to get her attention.
Finally, she speaks, her voice filled with concern. “Is she alright? I heard she is pregnant.”
“Mum, I wouldn’t know if I didn’t go myself,” the uncertainty about Lyra’s well-being and the safety of our unborn child weighs on my mind.
“Okay,” she says in a hurry as she releases me from the embrace. “Please find her. Nothing must go wrong with her.”
“Okay,” I reply, my mind already focused on the urgent task at hand. I leave my office, leaving my mother behind to ponder over her sudden change of heart. Whatever came over her to prompt this change must be significant. Sometimes, I wonder how my father coped with her.
Don’t get me wrong, behind all the fracas she displays to everyone around, she is a sweet soul, loving to the core. But when it comes to situations she believes are right, she will argue her point to the end and ensure it works in her favor. It’s a trait I’ve come to sometimes find challenging.
“I’ll mind-link Zach to find our way to Northville. I think it’s high time I visit Conor,” I mutter to myself. “How did he expect to protect Lyra when she was kidnapped right under his watch?”
“How could he leave her and promise to send his driver to pick her up when he got a call? Shouldn’t he have taken her back home?” I continue, questioning Conor’s actions.NôvelDrama.Org holds © this.
The thought of Lyra’s safety being compromised infuriates me.
“He doesn’t know how precious Lyra is to us, and that her uncle is on her tail,” Dolph’s voice echoes in my head. “That’s a new one, Dolph taking sides with someone who has put Lyra’s life in danger.” The irony of the situation is not lost on me as I contemplate the next steps to ensure Lyra’s safe return.
“Ready, Zach?” I ask as I approach him at the underground parking lot.
“Always ready, my Highness,” he replies with a smirk.
The drive to Northville feels long. Knowing I’m not in the right frame of mind to drive, I call Owen, my chauffeur, to take the wheel.
As we navigate the road, I feel like Owen is driving too cautiously, almost as if he’s crawling along. I try to remain calm, not wanting to add to his pressure, but the tension mounts.
My thoughts are in chaos as I try to imagine the state Lyra might be in right now. Fear grips me, not just for her life, but also for the life of our unborn child. What-ifs and worst-case scenarios play out in my mind, but I force myself not to dwell on them.
A reassuring squeeze on my shoulder brings me back to the present. I know it’s Zach; he has always been my anchor in times like this. I owe him a lot for his steadfast unwavering loyalty.
I placed one of my hands on Zach’s hand to acknowledge his unwavering support. After enduring hours of torturous driving, we finally arrived at Conor’s mansion. As soon as the car came to a stop, I bolted out the door and made my way to the front porch.
“What the fuck, Kessler?” Zach exclaimed behind me, taken aback by my sudden actions. I barely registered his words as my anger surged.
Then, I saw Conor stepping out with a lady by his side. The sight fueled my rage, and without thinking, I launched a punch at his face. The satisfying sound of his nose cracking and a smirk of satisfaction crossed my face.