[CONTENT TEMPLATE HERE]
Chapter 834:
A low, broken sound escaped his throat. He hurled the phone to the ground, then dropped to his knees and began gathering the broken pieces with trembling hands, as though they were irreplaceable. His men watched in stunned silence.
Cole looked up, his bloodshot eyes blazing with a desperate, destructive energy. “Lock down the city,” he said, his voice low and absolute. “Every exit. Every airport, every port. Use every contact we have — the NYPD, the FBI. Tell them the matriarch of the Compton family has been kidnapped.” He rose to his feet. “I will turn this entire city upside down p>
On the other side of Manhattan, Crawford’s car arrived at the most expensive address on Central Park West. He carried June through his private elevator, the doors closing behind them, shutting out the chaos and the cold and everything below.
Inside his mobile command center, Cole was surrounded by screens. His tech team worked frantically. “Sir, we have the vehicle,” a hacker reported. “DMV records accessed through a back channel — the GMC is registered to Love Media Holdings p>
Crawford Love. When the name appeared, the madness in Cole’s eyes crystallized into cold, precise killing intent. He remembered Lucas’s warning. Crawford’s declaration of a fair fight. This was no random kidnapping. It was a deliberate move by a rival.
“We tracked the vehicle’s route,” the hacker continued. “Final destination: 15 Central Park West. Mr. Love’s penthouse p>
Without hesitation, Cole dialed Crawford’s private number. It rang for a long time before the line opened. Crawford’s voice came through the speaker, lazy and faintly amused. “Compton? To what do I owe the pleasure at this hour?” In the background, classical music drifted over the soft crackle of a fireplace — a scene of perfect, infuriating calm against the wreckage of Cole’s night.
“Where is she?” Cole’s voice was hoarse and precise, each word carrying its own weight of menace.
Crawford chuckled. “She? I only have fine whiskey and a beautiful view up here. Care to join me p>
The deflection detonated something in Cole’s chest. “Crawford. I’ll say this once. Give her back, or by sunrise, Love Media will cease to exist p>
Crawford’s laughter stopped. His voice turned flat. “Give her back? Cole, you threw her away. I simply picked up what you discarded and decided to treat it with care. What right do you have to demand anything?” He let the silence sit for a moment. “She is my guest. I saved her. She is safe, and very… comfortable.” He stressed the last word with deliberate precision.
𝘙e𝘢𝘥 w𝘪𝗍𝗁o𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝖾𝘳𝗿𝘶p𝘁𝗶оns 𝗈ո
Unbearable images flooded Cole’s mind. Jealousy and rage made his jaw ache. He forced himself to draw back from the edge long enough to ask one more question. “Who hired the kidnappers p>
Crawford paused, savoring the silence. Then, slowly: “For that answer, you should ask your own delicate ‘white moonlight.’ I left two messengers for you at the pier. I’m sure they’d be delighted to fill you in p>
He hung up.