Vivian stared at him. “Do you think Nahir did this?”Alexander did not answer immediately; his mind returned to the Radisson Blu.He remembered Nahir's expression when he discovered that Clara was not with him. He remembered the disappointment that had briefly flashed across his face and the strange tension that had surrounded him throughout their confrontation.More importantly, Alexander remembered how unusually attentive Nahir had been to his movements.“He had a reason to want Clara gone,” Alexander finally said.Aurelia's face became even paler. “Nahir?”Alexander looked directly at her. “I don't know whether he ordered this kidnappin

She had never imagined that Elliot would be the person standing before her, the man she had once refused to marry.The man who had threatened to return after Alexander humiliated him and his men at the auction. And now, he had returned.Elliot crouched in front of her, his smile gradually disappearing as he studied her frightened expression. "What's wrong? You look surprised to see me."Clara swallowed, forcing herself to maintain eye contact even as her heart pounded painfully against her ribs. "Why did you bring me here?""Why?" Elliot repeated, pretending to consider the question. "You really need to ask me that?"He rose to his feet and adjusted his sleeves before turning toward the unfinished wall. His expression darkened as the memory of the auction returned to him."Your new boyfriend humiliated me at the auction," he said, his voice growing sharper. "He beat up my men because of you, embarrassed me in front of everyone, and made me look like a complete fool. Do you have any id

Clara tried to speak through the gag, but only a muffled sound escaped her lips.Elliot ignored her and walked toward a group of men gathered near the far side of the building. One of them was holding a phone, while another appeared to be reviewing information on a tablet."Have you found him yet?" Elliot asked.The man holding the phone shook his head. "No, sir. We've checked the places we know he visits, but we haven't been able to locate him."Elliot's expression darkened. "What about his hotel?""We haven't seen him return there. Our people are still watching the locations we identified, but he seems to have disappeared."Elliot glanced back at Clara.She was watching him intently, her eyes filled with concern. Even with her mouth restrained, her expression made it clear that she was thinking about Alexander.Elliot gave a dismissive snort. "Keep looking. He can't disappear forever.""There's something else, sir."Elliot turned. "What?""We know where Aurelia lives. Should we send

Aurelia had spent the last several days caught between Alexander and him. She was frightened, confused, and emotionally exhausted.Alexander had walked away from her, made it clear that he intended to end their marriage, and left her with the accusation that Nahir had poisoned his food.Now Clara had supposedly been kidnapped again.If Aurelia believed Nahir was responsible, she would have nowhere else to turn.Nahir slowly reached for his phone. “Fine.”He dialed Aurelia's number. The call rang once, then again. There was no answer.Nahir frowned and ended the call. “See? I knew this was a bad idea.”Scar's brother insisted, “Call again.”Nahir looked at Scar's brother. “She didn't answer.”Scar's brother looked at him you never know; she could be busy. “Call again.”With an irritated sigh, Nahir dialed the number a second time. Again, the phone rang without anyone answering.He ended the call and tossed the phone onto the table. “I told you.”Scar's brother remained completely unfaz

For several seconds, Nahir simply stared at Scar's brother.The question he had asked seemed to hang heavily between them, carrying an implication neither man wanted to confront. “Did you kidnap Clara?”Scar's brother looked genuinely stunned. His expression changed so quickly that even Nahir noticed it.Confusion crossed his face first, followed by disbelief, as though he could not understand why Nahir would seriously suspect him of doing something that had not been part of their plan.“What did she say?” he asked immediately.Nahir slowly lowered his phone, his fingers still wrapped tightly around it.“Aurelia sounded strange.”Scar's brother waited.“She was crying,” Nahir continued. “She accused me of kidnapping Clara again.”The man's eyes widened. “Again?”Nahir nodded. “She said Alexander told her Clara had been kidnapped after we left the hotel. She demanded that I let Clara go, and she even begged me to release her.”Scar's brother stared at him for several seconds before slo