Chapter 176: Safe in His Arms
"What? To meet the one suspected of taking Claire? Didn’t you say Claire hadn’t been found yet?" Andrew walked beside Zeke, confused by his words.
Zeke didn’t answer. He took long strides toward the warehouse, his expression tense.
"Good job," he said to Markus and Nolan, who were waiting at the door.
"You stay here," he ordered Andrew, then stepped inside.
Andrew, still completely confused, looked at Nolan and Markus. "Hey, have you guys caught the kidnapper already?"
Markus and Nolan just stared at him, saying nothing.
Their silence drove Andrew crazy. He tugged at his hair in frustration. "Can’t you answer me?"
But Markus and Nolan stayed still, like statues.
"Unbelievable," Andrew muttered, frustrated at being ignored. He shook his head and stepped away from them, distancing himself from Markus and Nolan.
Inside, Zeke saw a woman sitting in a chair, her hands and feet tied with rope, and her head covered with a black cloth. She struggled, muffled sounds escaping from under the tape over her mouth.
He nodded at Blake, giving a signal.
Blake pulled the cloth off her head.
At the sight of the man standing in front of her, the woman who had been struggling froze for a moment, her eyes briefly showing awe—almost love-struck, before quickly hardening into a cold, sinister glare.
Abigail struggled again, making the chair she was sitting on wobble.
Zeke gave Blake another signal, and Blake quickly removed the tape from Abigail’s mouth.
The moment her mouth was freed, Abigail, panting, shouted, "What are you doing? Let me go!"
Zeke stepped closer, his eyes blazing. "You did this. You took Claire, didn’t you?"
Abigail glared at him, struggling against the ropes. "I—I didn’t do anything!"
"Don’t lie to me!" Zeke shouted, his voice sharp and full of anger. "I know it was you. Tell me where she is!"
Abigail hesitated, fear flickering in her eyes, but she tried to play clueless. "I don’t know what you’re talking about!"
Zeke’s fists clenched. "Stop pretending! I won’t ask again. Where is Claire?" The tension in the warehouse was thick, his fury filling every corner.
Abigail still denied everything, her eyes cold and angry.
"You tried to hurt Claire and Cassidy, didn’t you? I know it was you." Zeke pressed closer, his own anger boiling.
"Where’s the proof?" Abigail shot back, still in denial.
Even though he didn’t have solid evidence yet, Zeke’s gut screamed that she was the one. "I may not have proof, but I know it was you," he said, voice low and dangerous.
Abigail laughed bitterly. "Don’t just accuse me without evidence," she sneered, refusing to admit anything.
Zeke’s patience snapped. He gave Blake a sharp signal.
Blake picked up a tool and heated it over the small flame he had prepared at the side of the room. Then he moved closer to Abigail.
Seeing Blake move closer, Abigail panicked and shouted, "What do you want to do? Don’t come near me!"
Blake ignored her and yanked her from the chair, pressing the heated tool against her hands.
"Ahhh!" Abigail screamed as the tool seared her skin. The pain, heat, and burning made tears stream down her face.
Zeke stared at her with a savage look, showing no pity even though she was a woman.
Abigail went hysterical, screaming and struggling, begging to be freed as fear took over. "Let me go. Let me go. I didn’t do it!" she cried.
"You still won’t confess, huh? Is this not painful enough? Do you want more?" Zeke threatened.
Abigail’s makeup had run and her mascara was smudged. She realized, in a cold instant, that Zeke was deadly serious about hurting her. But she also knew that if she confessed, it would be like signing her own death sentence.
"No, Zeke. Please, it wasn’t me. Let me go, please..." Abigail begged, still crying and denying.
"You still don’t realize the situation you’re in, huh, Abigail?"
"I told you already—it wasn’t me. I didn’t take your daughter. Please let me go."
Zeke was sick of her lies. Earlier, he had seen a hint of conflict in her eyes, and that only made him more certain she was the one behind it.
Zeke gave another signal to Blake. Blake yanked Abigail’s body from the chair again and pressed the hot iron against her arm, holding it there longer this time.
"Ahhhhh!" Abigail screamed in agony, her voice echoing through the warehouse. Her skin blistered and split, blood seeping through the wounds.
Zeke let Abigail scream and cry for several minutes before he finally spoke. "Are you ready to tell the truth now?"
Abigail glared at him with murderous eyes. The way she had looked at him earlier, almost worshipping, almost loving, now felt as if it had never existed.
"Let me go. I’ll report you to the police."
Zeke scoffed. His patience was gone, stretched past its limit. He couldn’t stand facing her any longer.
He gave Blake another signal.
As Blake stepped closer, Zeke’s voice turned cold. "Switch to her face. Maybe she’ll talk when that hot iron is pressed against her face."
Blake gave a small nod.
Abigail’s panic exploded the moment she realized what he meant. She thrashed against her restraints, her voice breaking. "Please, no!"
The iron came close, the heat brushing against her cheek. Her skin tingled with the burning threat.
Before it touched her, she screamed, desperation cracking her voice. "I know... I know where your child is—please, stop!"
Blake glanced at Zeke. With a small signal, Zeke told him to pull back, and Blake stepped away from Abigail.
Abigail let out a long breath, her panic still clear in her eyes. She stared at Zeke and blurted, "I know where your daughter is."
"Where is she?" Zeke asked through clenched teeth.
Abigail gave him an address.
Zeke’s eyes darkened. "If she’s not there, you’ll find out what happens next." His voice dripped with threat as he turned and hurried out of the warehouse.
Abigail, still tied to the chair, screamed after him. "Where are you going? Untie me first!"
Blake shot her a cold look before silently following Zeke out.
Zeke gave quick orders before leaving. "Markus, Nolan, stay here. Watch her closely."
Both men nodded firmly.
Without wasting time, he left the warehouse with Blake and Andrew. They got into the car. It was still late afternoon, and the streets were busy.
Inside the car, Blake called the guards. "Check this address right now," he ordered. "If you find the young miss there, tell me immediately," he said firmly.
Zeke sat in the back, silent, his jaw tight.
Twenty minutes later, Blake’s phone vibrated, and he quickly answered it.
The guards he had sent to check the place had already arrived. Abigail had apparently told the truth. They caught the female teacher who had kidnapped Claire and discovered her in the apartment, crying but otherwise safe.
As soon as Blake heard their report, he felt relief and immediately told Zeke, "They found young miss Claire."
Zeke wiped his face with his hand and let out a heavy breath of relief.
"Is she all right?" he asked, still worried.
"The young miss is safe. But when the guards found her, she was crying. Maybe a little shaken and scared from the situation."
Zeke clenched his fist and punched the car door, angry at himself for letting Claire go through that fear.
Zeke couldn’t wait to hold his daughter. He told the driver to go faster.
When they arrived, Zeke jumped out of the car and hurried toward the guards’ vehicle where Claire was.
"Daddy..." Claire cried out the moment she saw him. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed louder.
Zeke pulled her into his arms and held her tight. "I’m so sorry, princess. It’s all right now. You’re safe."
Still crying, Claire whispered, "Where’s Mommy? I want Mommy. I want Mommy, Daddy."
"Okay, princess. We’ll see Mommy soon. Please don’t cry." Zeke stroked her back gently, trying to calm her down.
Zeke immediately told the guards driving the car to head straight to his villa.
"I’m so sorry, princess," he said again, kissing the top of Claire’s head. Guilt weighed heavy on him. He didn’t know what he would have done if Abigail had lied—maybe he really would have killed her for keeping up her denial.
On the way back, Zeke sat with Claire in his lap, holding her close. He didn’t care about traffic rules. All that mattered was keeping her calm and safe.
Little by little, Claire’s sobs began to fade. Wrapped in her father’s arms, she finally drifted off to sleep, exhausted from crying.
When they reached the villa, Cassidy—still unaware of what had happened, rushed to them. The moment she saw Claire asleep in Zeke’s arms, her eyes slightly swollen, her heart sank. A mother’s instinct told her something was wrong.
"What happened?" she asked, her brows furrowed.
"I’ll put Claire to bed first. Then I’ll tell you everything." Zeke replied shortly as he carried Claire inside.
***