Diamant's POV
The moment the aircraft touched the runway, I was already standing.
The cabin door hadn't fully opened before I stepped onto the stairs.
"Car," I said.
"It's ready, sir," my assistant answered immediately.
Within seconds, we were speeding through the sleeping city.
Streetlights streaked past the tinted windows.
The roads were almost empty.
Good.
That meant less traffic.
Less delay.
I glanced at my watch.
Almost midnight.
By now...
Noah was probably asleep.
The thought eased the uneasiness in my chest, if only slightly.
I had been gone longer than I intended.
The investigation had demanded more of my attention than expected.
Once I confirmed the sabotage, leaving immediately would've raised unnecessary suspicion.
So I stayed.
Finished what needed finishing.
Now...
I was going home.
Home to Noah.
My assistant slowed the car as the familiar black gates of the estate slid open.
The mansion stood quietly beneath the night sky.
Its floor-to-ceiling windows reflected the moonlight, while warm interior lights illuminated the marble entrance.
Everything looked...
Normal.
Too normal.
I stepped out before the driver could open the door.
"Good evening, Mr. Reed."
The guards bowed.
I acknowledged them with a nod and walked inside.
The entrance hall was silent.
The polished marble floors reflected the crystal chandelier overhead.
No voices.
No footsteps.
Just silence.
Good.
He's sleeping.
I loosened my tie as I climbed the staircase.
The second floor remained just as quiet.
I reached our bedroom.
Opened the door.
Darkness.
The curtains swayed gently from the air conditioning.
The bed...
Was empty.
I frowned.
"Noah?"
Silence.
Perhaps he was in the bathroom.
I walked toward it and pushed the door open.
Empty.
The shower was dry.
No towel.
No sign that anyone had been there recently.
A strange feeling settled in my stomach.
I checked the walk-in closet.
Nothing.
The balcony.
Empty.
The guest room.
His study.
The library.
Every room I could think of.
Nothing.
The uneasiness from Country B returned all at once.
No.
Worse.
Much worse.
I descended the staircase much faster than I had climbed it.
"Everyone."
My voice echoed through the mansion.
Within moments, security personnel gathered in the entrance hall.
Nearly twenty men stood before me.
"Where is Noah?"
One of the guards answered immediately.
"In his room, Mr. Reed."
I looked at him.
"He isn't."
Silence.
Several guards exchanged confused glances.
Another spoke.
"We haven't seen him leave, sir."
"Then where is he?"
No one answered.
Then, from the back of the group...
One guard slowly raised his hand.
It was the one assigned to the rear garden.
"Sir..."
I turned toward him.
"He... asked me to check the water supply."
The air became painfully still.
"He said..." the guard continued nervously, "...he was going to take a shower."
My expression hardened.
"And you left your position."
"I... only for a few minutes, sir."
"How many?"
"...Five."
I stared at him.
Five minutes.
More than enough.
"He's not in the bathroom."
The words landed like thunder.
Several guards visibly paled.
"I gave one order before I left."
My voice was calm.
Far too calm.
"Never take your eyes off him."
No one dared speak.
"I warned every single one of you."
Still silence.
"If anything happens to Noah..."
My pheromones burst into the room without warning.
An overwhelming wave of dominant alpha pressure crashed through the entrance hall.
Several guards instinctively lowered their heads.
Others struggled to breathe.
The scent of cedar and cold steel flooded the mansion.
"...every one of you will answer to me."
Nobody moved.
Nobody even breathed too loudly.
I looked at each of them.
Slowly.
Coldly.
"This conversation..."
I said quietly,
"...is not over."
I grabbed my car keys from the entrance table.
"You."
I pointed toward the head of security.
"Lock down every exit within a twenty-kilometer radius."
"Yes, sir!"
"Search every street."
"Yes, sir!"
"I want drones airborne."
"Immediately, sir!"
"Check hospitals."
"Yes, sir!"
"Bus stations."
"Train stations."
"Taxi companies."
"Traffic cameras."
"I don't care how."
"I want Noah found."
"Now."
The entire security team scattered instantly.
Orders echoed throughout the estate.
Vehicles roared to life outside.
Communication radios crackled nonstop.
Within seconds, the quiet mansion transformed into organized chaos.
I didn't wait.
I stormed out the front door and climbed into my car.
The engine roared to life.
My hands tightened around the steering wheel.
Too many thoughts collided at once.
Nothing should happen to Noah.
Did someone take him?
Was he frightened?
Was he hurt?
Or...
Aiden Frost?
The possibility hit harder than I expected.
The car accelerated violently into the night.
For the first time in years...
I wasn't thinking like the CEO of Reed Enterprises.
I wasn't thinking like the strongest alpha in the country.
I was thinking like a man who had just realized...
The person he loved was gone.
And he had absolutely no idea where to find him.