Chapter 69
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William’s bodyguards stood locked in a tense standoff with Chris’s security team. The area outside the apartment building was packed with men, their presence heavy and imposing.
Chris’s team clearly had the numbers. Even without that advantage, Gavin alone was enough to make the opposing side wary.
Just then, Gavin caught a glimpse of a figure emerging from the building.
Chris was pale, his heavy footsteps echoing against the pavement. Gavin’s heart tightened as he rushed forward to meet him. “Mr. Xander p>
Up close, he could see the cold sweat on Chris’s temple. It was likely the injury to his back flaring up.
Chris cast a cold glance at William’s men and walked toward his car. “Back to the office,” he said flatly.
Gavin remembered the executive meeting that was about to begin. He nodded and gestured for their team to withdraw.
Once they were certain Chris’s team had cleared out, the lead guard for William pulled out his phone and dialed Winter’s number.
There was no answer.
A sharp sense of unease flared in the guard’s gut. “Let’s go. Check the apartment p>
The elevator stopped on the nineteenth floor.
The guards rushed out and spotted a phone on the floor.
“Is that her phone?” Zion Zimmer, William’s longtime lead guard, bent down and picked it up.
He recognized it as Winter’s phone immediately. It even displayed his own missed call on the screen.
Zion frowned.
The screen was still lit and unlocked. Most people didn’t set their screens to stay on indefinitely, which meant it had been dropped no more than five minutes ago.
He hurried to the door and pressed the bell.
The chime rang repeatedly, but no one came to the door.
The phone was on the floor outside the door and there was no response inside.
“Ms. Scott! Ms. Scott!” Zion’s voice grew tense as he knocked harder.
Still, there was no response.
William had given clear instructions. During this sensitive period, if anything happened to Winter, they were authorized to act without waiting for approval.
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Zion entered the access code and pushed the door open.
The apartment was small enough to see nearly everything at a glance. It was empty.
His face went white.
She was gone.
They had been outside the building the entire time and hadn’t seen anyone leave. Zion was certain Chris had come downstairs alone. Still, he couldn’t rule out the possibility of a diversion.
At that moment, the phone in his hand rang. The caller ID showed Zac.
Zion signaled his men to begin a floor–by–floor sweep of the area while he headed downstairs with two others to check the security room.
If Chris had taken her, they would need proof before storming the Xander Estate. Without it, they would never get past the gates of a man as powerful as the head of the Xander family.
He answered the call as he stepped into the elevator.
“Winnie, your bag is still with me p>
Zion cut him off, his voice steady but grim. “Mr. Davis, Ms. Scott is missing p>
After parting with Winter, Zac had been driving toward the hospital when he realized her bag was still in his car. He had been carrying his jacket and her bag in the same hand and had placed both on the passenger seat. He only noticed at a red light.
Hearing a stranger’s voice answer her phone, Zac’s heart tightened.
He hadn’t driven far. He immediately made a U–turn and headed back to her apartment complex.
Accessing the security footage didn’t take long.
However, the security guard informed Zac and Zion that the cameras in the hallways and elevators had coincidentally malfunctioned that morning. Only the lobby entrance camera was still operational.
“The technicians are working on it. Other buildings are coming back online, but we’re short–staffed. We haven’t started repairs on Ms. Scott’s building yet p>
Zion’s expression turned grim.
“Let’s see what we have,” Zac said calmly.
At the moment, the only footage available was from the lobby outside the elevators.
Zac recalled the time he had parted with Winter and dragged the timeline forward.
The high–definition camera showed faces clearly. When Winter appeared on the screen, his breathing. hitched.
Chapter
She walked into the elevator.
A figure entered the frame from the building’s main entrance and followed her in.
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Florence
A passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.