Chapter 409
Chapter 409:
His jaw tightened. “Where is she?” he said, turning on Leo.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about!” Leo snapped, already reaching for his phone. “Get out of my house, or I’m calling the police p>
Colton crossed the room, took the phone from Leo’s hand without ceremony, and set it on the desk. “Where is Kristine p>
Alma looked around the room with genuine confusion. She had seen Kristine come in here — she was certain of it. But the room held only her father.
і𝘯s𝘵𝗮ո𝘵 𝘢сс𝖾𝘴𝗌 𝗈𝘯
She gathered herself quickly. “Mr. Yates, you’ve seen everything. She isn’t here. Don’t you think it’s time to go p>
Colton didn’t move. His eyes traveled slowly across every inch of the room, walls, corners, ceiling.
Devin’s voice came low through his earpiece. “She’s lying to you. My people have every exit covered. No one has left this property. They’re still inside p>
Colton turned his gaze back to Alma, who looked as though she was running out of composure fast. Behind her, Leo stood rigid, watching Colton with a fury he was barely managing to contain.
Colton was quiet for a moment. Then, unhurriedly, he looked at Alma and said, “A house this size must have a basement p>
The instant the word left his mouth, Leo’s body went completely still.
Colton’s eyes went cold. “Find the basement. Now p>
His men dispersed instantly, fanning out across the estate in every direction.
Leo watched them take over his home, his face darkening with fury. “You have no right to be here! I’m calling the police!” he shouted.
Nobody so much as glanced at him.
His own security team had already been overpowered and restrained by Colton’s men, who moved with a professionalism that made resistance pointless.
Minutes later, one of them located a concealed wine cellar beneath the floor. The men swept through it — bottles lining every shelf, shadows filling every corner — but Kristine and Asher were nowhere to be found.
Colton stood in the cellar, tall and terrifyingly still in the dark. His face was half-hidden in shadow, but his eyes caught the dim light and held it like blades. The silence around him felt dangerous.
“Don’t stop,” he said, his voice low and precise. “Take this entire estate apart if you have to. Find her p>
He walked out, and no one left behind dared to breathe too loudly.
Outside in the car, Devin sat hunched over the surveillance monitors, his frown deepening by the minute.
He had watched every door without blinking. Not a single person had left the property. So how had Kristine and Asher simply ceased to exist?
He let out a short, humorless laugh. People didn’t vanish into thin air.
The car door was wrenched open without warning.
Colton dropped into the seat and grabbed the monitor without a word, rewinding the footage to the beginning — the moment Kristine had arrived, pushing Asher’s wheelchair through the gates.
The sight of her tightened something in Colton’s chest until his knuckles went white.