Chapter Seventeen
Rolling on the vast bed, Sandro covered his ears with the pillow in response to a knock. He sighed and tried to drift off again, but the pounding on the door persisted.
Slowly opening his eyes, he winced as sunlight streamed in from the window. His gaze shifted to the large clock on the wall, and he suddenly shot out of bed. It was mid-afternoon, and he had never slept this late before today. Frowning, he tried to recall if he had partied last night, but nothing came to mind. He believed he hadn’t done anything to warrant oversleeping, and he had been with Arabella throughout the day as well.
“Arabella,” he mumbled as the image of her lifeless body flashed in his mind.
“Sh*t!” he exclaimed as memories of what had transpired rushed back. He had gone overboard with his punishment, and she had ended up unconscious.
He wasn’t sure if she was awake now, but Francis had assured him she’d be okay after checking on her the previous night. Sandro quickly threw on a faded pair of jeans and a red plaid shirt before walking to the door.
As he opened the door, his eyes fell on Blaze. “What?” Sandro grunted. “I…”
His attention shifted to Francis, who was standing behind Blaze. “What’s going on?” Sandro asked, concern welling up within him. His chest tightened as Francis twisted his fingers together.
Francis stared at the ground, exhaling a breath as he pondered how to convey his thoughts in front of Sandro. He had rehearsed what he would say during the short time he and Blaze had arrived at Sandro’s door, but now that he was face-to-face with him, the words seemed impossible to form.
“Is she d-dead?” Sandro’s voice trembled with anxiety, his chest constricting with each passing second. Francis remained silent, his gaze still fixed on the floor, lost in thought.
“Wouldn’t you be happy if she died?” Blaze’s voice interjected. He scowled and clenched his fists, his tone accusatory. “That’s what you wanted all along.”
Sandro rolled his eyes and locked his gaze on Francis. “Why are you tongue-tied? Will you tell me what’s wrong, or do I need to find out for myself?”
“O-of course!” Francis sputtered, nodding hastily. “The thing is…”
“Arabella is missing,” Blaze cut in.
Sandro shifted his gaze from Blaze to Francis. He chuckled, and then his laughter intensified into a belly laugh. “I must admit, that’s the most hilarious thing I’ve ever heard,” Sandro mumbled, patting his chest as he struggled to contain his amusement.
“It’s no joke,” Francis said in a small voice. “She’s nowhere to be found.”
Sandro moved past Francis and strode towards the clinic. He pushed the door open, stepping into the room where he had left Arabella the previous night. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the empty bed.
“Francis!”
“Y-yes, Signore?” Francis stuttered, standing by the door and exhaling a shaky breath.
“Is this some kind of joke? Where is she?”
“I don’t know,” Francis replied.
Sandro swiftly closed the distance between them and pushed Francis against the wall. “What do you mean you don’t know? I left her in your care!” Sandro barked, pressing his elbow against Francis’s neck.
“I’m sorry!” Francis gasped out. “I-I came to an empty room. She must have escaped during the night!”
Sandro scanned the spacious room, and his gaze fell upon the CCTV cameras in the corner of the ceiling. “Check for any footage! She wouldn’t have left on her own. Someone must have helped her.”
Sandro looked at Blaze just in time to see him shrug. He released Francis from his grip and approached Blaze. “I swear, if you’re found guilty, I’ll extract your heart without a second thought. Replacing you won’t take me more than a second!”
Blaze shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them to meet Sandro’s gaze. “You think I’d ever betray you? Why the hell am I your Beta, then?”
“As far as I’m concerned, I don’t know what to believe anymore. It seems you’re looking for an opportunity to stab me in the back when I’m not looking!” Sandro retorted.
“But I’ve always been looking out for you. I even managed to get her information to you before you caught up with her, but you treated her badly.”
“How I treat a captive and a sinner is none of your fucking business!” Sandro’s voice thundered in Blaze’s face.
“I did nothing,” Blaze mumbled, raising his hands in the air and giving a half-shrug. “I know nothing.”
“It’s just a warning. If you’re seen in any footage with her, you’ll be fucking dead.” Sandro shoved him against the wall and walked away.
“Signore…” Francis began, addressing Sandro.All content © N/.ôvel/Dr/ama.Org.
Sandro turned to Francis. “Did you see anything?”
“I saw nothing. She was lying in the bed, and that was all. The camera was off somehow. I didn’t know how. Maybe I accidentally turned it off after checking on her last night.”
Sandro grimaced and kneaded his temple. He was furious. That bitch! If he found her again, he’d definitely kill her.
“What do we do? She’s not in any condition to be out on her own. I mean, she’s hurt and needs a lot of rest,” Francis said, wincing as he rubbed his neck.
He knew Arabella would be experiencing even more pain than he was feeling at the moment. She had left, and he didn’t blame her. If he had been tortured like that, he would have done the same.
However, it puzzled him how she had disappeared without a trace on camera. Despite the maximum security, no alarms had gone off to alert anyone.
Francis was convinced that someone had assisted her escape, but he couldn’t fathom who would dare defy Sandro’s authority.
“I’ll find her,” Sandro declared, breaking the silence. He stepped toward the door and turned to look at both men. “Go back and gather the pack members. Let them prepare for a funeral because I’m returning with her corpse!”