Chapter 22
His eyes slowly shifted back to Sierra as the voice replied, “It was Sierra. She smeared lipstick on herself–made it look like a mark. Rachel must’ve seen it.”
He didn’t need further explanation.
They were all adults. A lipstick smudge in the wrong place looked a lot like something
else–especially to a woman already pushed to the edge.
Aaron ended the call, his eyes colder than steel. Without a word, he raised his hand and
gestured toward Adam.
“You know what to do. I never want to see her again.”
Adam understood immediately. He stepped forward, motioning to the team waiting outside. They surrounded Sierra before she could make another move, muffling her
cries as she struggled to get to Aaron.
But Aaron was done. He got into
He drove like hell.
car and slammed the door shut.
There was only one thought in his mind now: find Rachel. Explain everything. Clear the air before she made a mistake–before she gave her heart to someone else.
But by the time he arrived, it was already too late.
No matter how long he rang the bell, the place stayed silent.
Not a single light on inside. Not a sound.
Frustrated, he pressed the intercom button again and again, until his voice cracked.
“Rachel. It’s me. Open the door.”
A click sounded behind him.
It was a neighbor from down the hall, clearly annoyed by the noise. The man stepped
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out onto his porch and frowned. “Sir, could you stop ringing the bell? No one lives there
anymore.”
Aaron froze. “They moved?”
The neighbor nodded. “Left just a few hours ago. Said something about eloping with her boyfriend. You seriously didn’t know?”
Before the man could finish, Aaron was already gone–bolting down the steps like a
storm had hit.
He jumped into his car and sped toward the nearest airport, calling Rachel over and over
along the way.
Voicemail.
Every. Single. Time.
Not once did she pick up.
Then Adam called.
“Alpha,” he said, “Sierra’s debts caught up with her. The moment we arrived at Whitemoon territory, some guys were already waiting. They dragged her off before she even made it past the gate.”
Aaron barely flinched. “I don’t care. Mobilize everyone. Sweep every nearby airport. I don’t care if you have to turn the damn runways upside down–find Rachel. Now.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
“Wait-” Aaron suddenly remembered something.
The last time she left the country, he couldn’t trace her flight info at all. No records
under her name.
“She might not be traveling under her legal name. She has a Singaporean passport.
Look for Jane Hudson.”
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“Got it. I’ll run it through international databases right away.”
Three days passed.
Aaron put every resource he had on it. Every contact. Every favor.
Still–nothing.
This time, she’d disappeared completely.
He hadn’t slept, hadn’t eaten. Just waited in silence, hoping for the smallest lead.
Eventually, news reached Edmund. Concerned, he called.
The moment the line connected, Aaron’s voice cracked with urgency. “Is it her? Do you
know where she is?”
Edmund sighed. “No, Aaron. I called because of you. You can’t keep going like this.
You’re going to collapse.”
Aaron didn’t respond.
“I don’t know what happened between you two,” Edmund went on, “but Rachel’s right
about one thing–she’s an adult. She has the right to make her own choices.”
Aaron sat alone in a darkened room, the weight of Edmund’s words pressing down on
him. He heard every syllable clearly–he just couldn’t bring himself to accept them.
This time, Rachel hadn’t just left.
She’d made sure even Edmund didn’t know where she’d
gone.
She was really done.
Somewhere far away, nestled in the quiet countryside, the sun shone gently across a
cozy little garden.
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Rachel lay back in a rocking chair, eyes closed, soaking up the rare autumn warmth.
Days like this were rare now that fall had truly arrived.
Justin sat a few feet away, cleaning camera lenses and adjusting gear. When he glanced over and saw her dozing, he couldn’t help himself—he raised the camera and clicked
the shutter.
But Rachel had a sixth sense when it came to shutter sounds.
Her eyes flew open and she sat up instantly, grinning as she leaned toward him. “You better not have caught my double chin or something. If I look terrible, you’re deleting
it.”
Justin chuckled and handed her the camera. “Relax. See for yourself.”
She studied the shot, then gave a satisfied nod. “Okay, not bad. You’re safe–for now.”
Justin laughed. “Give me a little credit. I studied under Edmund too, remember? Technically, that makes me your senior.”
They ended up chatting and teasing each other for a while, the tension melting into the
breeze.
But when a sharp gust of wind swept through the yard, rustling the dry leaves, Justin
hesitated–then finally said what was on his mind.
“I called Edmund today. He said Aaron’s tearing through Europe trying to find you. He’s even sending people across borders now…”
Rachel’s smile faded.
Justin noticed, but pressed on gently. “Edmund also said he’s not doing well. At all.”
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