Chapter 22
Ethan hung up without another word, sprinting back inside the mansion to secure his tactical gear and alert his response team.
He rushed upstairs to check on Lily, but as he pushed open her bedroom door, a cold wave of horror washed over him.
The bed was empty, the window was shattered inward from the outside, and a chilling draft blew through the ruined curtains.
On her bedside table lay a single silver chess piece sitting directly on top of her favorite lavender pillow.
Ethan picked up the chess piece with a shaking hand, recognizing the unmistakable calling card of Arthur Cross.
He walked slowly back down the grand staircase, his mind racing with calcified fury and desperate paternal panic.
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His daughter had been taken right from her bedroom while his security team was distracted by the heavy morning fog.
He stepped out onto the front porch, standing proudly beneath the large US flag fluttering in the morning wind.
