Chapter 53

Dominic stood slightly taller than Luke. As their eyes met, Dominic’s gaze, slightly downturned, remained calm and detached. He exuded an air of superiority—like one dismissively glancing at a stray dog.

“What do you mean she’s gone?” Luke growled, his fists clenching, the crack of his knuckles sharp in the air.

Seeing the rising tension, Gerard feared Luke’s explosive temper might ignite a confrontation right at the hotel entrance. Acting quickly, he stepped between them, raising a hand to create some distance.

He quickly explained, “Mr. Munoz, here’s the situation. Ms. Gildon applied for the chief secretary role at our company and is currently working for Mr. Reid. This morning, she went to one of our subsidiary factories, but she hasn’t returned. We’ve tried calling, but we can’t reach her. We’re on our way to the factory. That’s all we know.”

Had Vespera really applied for the secretarial position? Was she Dominic’s secretary now? These two acts alone were enough to set Luke’s anger on fire. And to make matters worse, she had gone missing after heading to the factory, her phone unreachable… The crushing weight of it all was on the brink of breaking him.

Dominic’s car was already waiting at the hotel entrance, the driver standing by with the door open. Without a second glance, Dominic turned and got into the car. As the car pulled away, Luke’s vehicle followed closely behind.

Gerard glanced in the rearview mirror. “How did Mr. Munoz find her? I thought Mr. Chandler erased all traces of her.”

“If he truly wanted to find her, he would never stop searching,” Dominic replied. He wasn’t the least bit surprised. But at that moment, his focus wasn’t on Luke. “What exactly did she uncover yesterday?” he asked.

With that, Gerard recounted everything Vespera had discovered the previous night.

Dominic’s expression darkened. “Why didn’t you tell me about this earlier? There’s something shady going on, and she starts digging; do you really think they’d just let her walk away directly?”

Gerard paused, finally grasping the gravity of the situation. “I didn’t think it was that serious. She was just using the routine inspection as a cover for her investigation. They wouldn’t have known her true intentions. Even if they did, they wouldn’t have gone as far as detaining her, would they?”

“What if they realized she was onto them? Or worse—what if she uncovered something incriminating and confronted them?” Gerard fell silent. Given Vespera’s boldness at the poker table, it wasn’t hard to picture her pushing the wrong buttons. Dominic rubbed his forehead, lost in thought. “Issue an official notice; if we don’t hear from Ms. Gildon within the next hour, dismiss the entire management team at the branch office and the factory.”

Gerard’s heart missed a beat. “But what’s the justification? They’ll demand an explanation and accuse you of being unreasonable.”

Dominic stood tall, radiating the commanding presence of a ruthless, decisive leader. “There’s no need for an explanation. If they dare make a move against my team right under my nose, it means they have no respect for me.”

“But… but we don’t have solid proof that Ms. Gildon’s disappearance is tied to the factory,” Gerard protested.

“It is my instinct.”

There was no other choice. Vespera had come with him, and he would protect her at all costs.

Vespera’s hands were tightly bound behind the chair, her mouth taped shut. The darkness consumed her, with the sound of crashing waves faintly echoing in her ears. The air was thick with the stench of rotting wood and damp decay.

Earlier that afternoon at the factory, Derek had arranged for someone to pick up the supposedly disabled couple. Half an hour later, he told her they were waiting at a nearby…

Vespera figured they wouldn’t dare make a move—it was broad daylight, and the restaurant was busy with people coming and going. Her curiosity got the better of her; she wanted to see just how far they would go with their lies and how convincing their act would be. So, she decided to go.

But before she could even reach the restaurant, she was knocked out in an alley. When she came to, she found herself locked in this place.

Time passed in a blur, and the door creaked open. A shaft of moonlight filtered in, casting light on the sinister smile of the person who entered.