Chapter 111

Ava’s POV

A triumphant smile tugged at my lips as I watched Jeremy pace anxiously outside the restaurant. From our concealed vantage point, I could tell he’d made the call.

“You know, you don’t have to look so smug,” Isabella remarked, rolling her eyes. “It was my newly acquired, albeit stalkerish, skills that led us here.”

“Thank you, Bels. Whatever would I do without you?” I replied, mirroring her eye roll.

“I can hear the sarcasm, Lilian, but because I love you, I’ll ignore it.” Her gaze shifted to the corner where Ivan and two other men were hidden in the shadows, awaiting my command. “I bet you twenty dollars he wants to see what’s under that sweater. Hold on a minute—why are you wearing a sweater on a stakeout?”

“Firstly, it’s cold. Secondly, who wants to see what’s under my very comfortable sweater?”

She rolled her eyes again. “Ian over there. Did you see how quickly he jumped to assist when you asked for help?”

“He offered because I am his Luna, and he wants to get into my good graces.”

“Or into your pants,” she teased, wiggling her eyebrows.

I swatted her hand. “Knock it off. He’s one of Grayson’s men. Stop saying nonsense. He’s acting out of respect. Now, if you’d just keep quiet so I can focus on the mission, that would be great.”

“That scary man from the alley should hurry up,” Isabella muttered, wrapping her arms around herself. “It’s freezing.”

“Maybe you should have worn a sweater,” I murmured.

She glared at me. “Shut up, Lilian.”

We both burst into laughter. She playfully swatted me, and I laughed harder. Our mirth was interrupted when Jeremy stopped pacing. I was about to comment when a black car screeched to a halt in front of him. Everything happened so fast. Two men emerged; one placed a bag over Jeremy’s head, and they bundled him into the car before speeding off.

“Shit. Shit. Shit.”

I sprang to my feet as Ivan and the other two men emerged from the shadows. “We have to follow that car. We cannot lose them.”

Ian nodded, and I grabbed Isabella, pulling her toward Ian’s car. We slid into the back seat, urgency propelling our movements. My wolf growled in my mind, a low rumble of discontent. Was it disappointment or frustration? I couldn’t tell. All I knew was that my plan had backfired spectacularly.

This is what happens when I try to be something I’m not. I should have approached Jeremy directly, reassured him, not exploited his fear.

A gentle touch on my trembling hand drew me from my thoughts. I turned to Isabella, who offered a faint, reassuring smile. “He’ll be okay, and this isn’t your fault. You told him to do the right thing; he chose otherwise.”

I nodded, though guilt gnawed at me. My eyes fixed on the road ahead, where the car containing Jeremy sped away. Ian’s sudden curse broke the tense silence.

“What is it?” I asked, my voice edged with concern.

“I think they know we’re following them,” Ian replied, his grip tightening on the steering wheel.

The car ahead swerved abruptly, taking a sharp turn down a narrow alley. Ian accelerated, tires screeching as we pursued the kidnappers. The cityscape blurred past in a dizzying array of lights and shadows.

My heart pounded in sync with the car’s engine, each beat a reminder of the stakes.

Isabella, beside me, clutched her seat, her knuckles white. Yet, a glint of excitement danced in her eyes. “This just got a whole lot more interesting,” she remarked, a wry smile tugging at her lips.

I glared at her. “Focus, Bels. Lives are on the line.” Ian’s voice cut through the tension. “Hold on,” he warned, his tone urgent.

Without warning, he executed a sharp turn, the car fishtailing as it veered onto a narrower street. The sudden maneuver threw me against the door. I caught a glimpse of the kidnappers’ vehicle ahead, their taillights glowing like malevolent eyes in the night.

The chase intensified. We weaved through traffic, narrowly avoiding collisions as horns blared. Pedestrians turned their heads, faces painted with shock and fear.

“They’re trying to lose us,” Ian muttered, his grip tightening on the steering wheel.

The kidnappers’ car swerved abruptly, taking an unexpected exit onto a dimly lit industrial road. Ian followed, the tires skidding. The surroundings grew desolate, warehouses casting long shadows under sparse streetlights.

Suddenly, the kidnappers’ vehicle braked hard, skidding to a halt. Before we could react, they reversed at high speed, aiming directly for us.

“Brace yourselves!” Ivan shouted.

He swerved to avoid the collision, the car spinning 180 degrees before stopping. The kidnappers’ car sped off in the opposite direction, disappearing into the maze of streets.

“Damn it!” Ivan slammed his fist against the steering wheel.

I took a deep breath. “This is not good. We need to get back to the estate and find Grayson.”

Slumping back against the seat, I let out a huff. So much for handling this on my own.

Closing my eyes, I whispered a silent prayer to the moon goddess, begging her to let Jeremy live. It didn’t matter that I hardly knew him or that he’d tried to betray us; using people wasn’t who I was. Now, I just had to find Grayson and ask him for help.

The thought of facing Grayson after ignoring him for a week made my stomach churn.

My thoughts wandered, and I barely noticed the car had started moving again or that we’d arrived back at the estate until Isabella’s voice broke through my reverie. “Lilian, are you going to get out?”

I blinked, snapping back to reality. “Oh, yes. Sorry.”

I got out, heading toward the mansion. I felt like he’d be in his study.

I turned to Isabella, telling her to wait and let me speak to him alone. I didn’t know what to expect, and I preferred to face it alone.

As I approached the study, I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard Elaine’s voice, shaky as if she’d been crying. “Even after everything you’ve done, you bring that commoner here. You continuously belittle me because of this, even though you made me like this. And still, you pick her—over and over and over again. You want to make this right? Then tell her to leave.”

What?

There was a pause before Grayson’s voice followed, shattering me. “Fine. I’ll ask her to leave. I was going to do so eventually because Ava Pierce means nothing to me.”