THE HEIR'S REVENGE

chapter 16

I didn't know why I had the nudge to get Lily a bodyguard after the experience with Curtis. I just knew that Victoria was ruthless and if she was working against me, she'd try to make her move against Lily too.

I was in the middle of a meeting with Anderson's tech division team when my phone rang at two forty seven in the afternoon.

Anderson was giving a detailed presentation but he kept pausing to add context. The presentation was getting longer than it should.

When my phone rang, I was a bit relieved but when I looked at the caller, I was surprised.

My phone rang at two forty-seven in the afternoon.

Mrs. Park. Lily's nanny.

She doesn't usually call me, not even when there was a problem, which I never had to bother about. She always relates with Henry and I'm grateful that she has never given me a reason to worry.

I picked it up before the second ring.

“Mr. Blackwell.” Her voice sounded wrong. She was trying so hard to put herself together. She was just trying too hard. “I need you to come to St. Clare's Kindergarten. Now. Please."

That was Lily's school. Everything in the room seemed to get blurred.

“What happened.” I stood up instantly.

“Someone tried..Lily is safe.” She was breathing deeply. “She's safe but someone tried to take her away. The police are here..”

Take her away. What did that mean?

“I'm on my way.” I said, moving towards the door.

I heard Anderson say something to me but I didn't hear what it was.

The drive to St. Clare took eleven minutes and it felt like an hour. I kept thinking about what Ms. Park said. How is it possible that Lily tried to get kidnapped?

She said that Lily was safe so I held onto that singular word.

The driver didn't need me to tell him to drive fast. He knew exactly what was happening.

Henry was at the front seat, he had planned to go for a meeting but with the situation at hand, that wouldn't be utterly possible.

He was making a call but I wasn't listening. All I could hear was him barking others at the person at the other end.

The school

The school appeared through the window and I was out of the car before it had completely stopped.

I saw two police vehicles at the gate and another car that I didn't care to notice.

Some parents were standing in front of the gate,worry written all over their faces. They all watched the entrance, frightened even though they were trying so hard to hide it.

A uniformed officer, I didn't care to look at moves towards me.

"Sir, I need you to.."

"Ethan Blackwell. The child is my ward."

He stepped back instantly watching me walk away. That name had given me access and made opportunities for me where I couldn't. I still wasn't yet used to that but today, I was grateful for it.”

The school's front courtyard seemed to be busy. I found two more officers, a woman who was talking into her phone, agitated.

Then I saw Ms. Park.

She sat on the low bench near the entrance and Lily was sitting on her laps, her face pressed into Ms. Park's coat.

Ms. Park looked up and relief filled her eyes when she saw my face. She stood immediately still holding Lily. When Lily turned, she also saw me.

She only said my name once, just once and the sound of that small frightened voice got to me. I took her from Ms. Park and she wrapped herself around me immediately, her face sad. She was literally shaking.

I held her but didn't say anything. I wanted her to calm down first. It her know that I was here for her. That the thing that got her frightened wasn't in front of her anymore.

“I'm here.” I answered quietly, whispering to her ears. “I've got you. You're dint need to be afraid.”

She said nothing, just held me tighter.

I then looked at Ms. Park demanded that she tell me how everything played out.

Ms. Park was fifty-three three years old and had worked with children for a long time. She had Bern taking care of Lily even before I came into the picture.

I'd tried to make sure that she was legit from Henry and he told me how verified she was.

I've not known for a long time but from the little I knew she was like the very few people that got scared easily. She was always so calm and composed and she was competent. That was an added advantage too.

“We came out through the main gate at the usual time.” She started explaining. “It was just like every other day. The driver was waiting patiently for us.” She paused.

I listened without interrupting her.

“A woman came from the left side of the gate, very well dressed. She introduced herself as Lily's Aunt. I wasn't convinced but she knew Lily's full name and she knew my name too.”

A pause.

My jaw tightened as I waited for her to continue.

“She said she had tried reaching out to you. As she was still speaking, she reached out for Lily. She was quick about it. Before I could understand what was happening. Lily screamed. I grabbed her back. The driver, Marcus, was out of the car immediately. He's a big man, you know that. He came around the front of the car and put himself between us and the woman. She had a second person with her. A man, standing back near the parked cars. When Marcus came forward, the man moved toward us."

"What stopped them?"

"School security." Mrs. Park said it with an exhale that carried a week's worth of tension in it. “I didn't know how it happened because my brain was no longer processing anything but I saw the woman and man run. That was when we called the Police.”

I held Lily tighter, breathing carefully.