Chapter 9
Julian didn't look back as he turned away from Elena, striding purposefully out of the bridal suite and leaving her trapped in her own elaborate web of deceit. He needed to get back to Marcus and Lily immediately. As he hurried down the grand staircase of the country club, the ambient noise of the restless wedding guests washed over him. Whispers and murmurs died down instantly as people turned to stare at the groom walking briskly through the lobby with a face carved from stone. He ignored the questions, pushing past the glass doors and heading straight toward the secure parking area where Marcus was waiting with Lily.
The cool night air hit his flushed face, instantly clearing his mind. He pulled out his phone, dialing Marcus’s direct number. The phone rang three times before a sharp click signaled the connection, but instead of Marcus’s familiar voice, a low, distorted whisper came through the speaker.
"Your friend and the little girl are taking a very nice drive with us, Julian," the voice purred mockingly. "If you ever want to see them again, you will bring the brass key to the old harbor warehouse by one o'clock."
Julian stopped dead in his tracks in the middle of the empty asphalt lot. A cold wave of sheer terror gripped his heart, far worse than the loss of his ancestral home. Lily. They had taken Lily.
"If you touch a single hair on her head, I will personally ensure you spend the rest of your natural life rotting in a maximum-security prison," Julian threatened, his voice trembling with uncontainable rage.
"One o'clock, Julian," the caller repeated coldly before abruptly disconnecting the line, leaving only a harsh, steady dial tone humming in his ear.
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Julian’s mind raced with desperate calculations. The country club was forty minutes away from the old harbor warehouse. That left him less than an hour to coordinate with the authorities, intercept the kidnappers, and rescue his daughter. He sprinted toward Marcus’s parked car, pulling the door open and sliding into the driver's seat. Before he could turn the ignition, the passenger side door flew open, and a breathless, disheveled bridesmaid named Sarah tumbled into the vehicle, her eyes wide with shock and a heavy Manila envelope clutched tightly in her trembling hands.
"Julian, wait!" Sarah gasped, holding the envelope out toward him. "Elena dropped this in the hallway when she tried to run. It has your daughter's name on it."
