Chapter 110: Sinister
Edrick
Everything seemed to be working out, at least for now. Kelly realized the wrong in her ways, and Moana was willing to give her another chance. Maybe now, with Kelly on our side, my father would eventually lose any footing he had before when it came to trying to drive Moana away.
I was at work while Moana went to her appointment. By now, she was probably already at her appointment. In fact, she was probably already done, and was enjoying a nice lunch with Kelly. I felt relieved to know that those two were making up. Despite Kelly’s transgressions and bad attitude over the past couple of years, I always knew that she was still my sweet childhood friend. Maybe she realized that she needed to get her act together, and was now working harder to be a better person again.
But when my phone rang and I saw Selina’s name pop up on my screen, my heart instantly sank. Did something happen with the appointment? Was the baby okay? Was Moana okay?
“Hello?” I answered.
“You need to come home right now,” Selina said frantically, her voice shaking audibly over the phone. “And you need to hurry.”
“Wait— What happened?” I asked. My mind began to race with a million different things. What if Moana had a miscarriage? What if they got into a car accident on their way to the doctor’s office? What if…
“It’s Moana,” Selina answered. “Someone… Someone took her.”
My eyes widened. My hand slipped out of my phone and clattered to the floor. My mouth hung open, but no words would come out. I stood there in stunned silence for a few moments, processing in disbelief, before I scooped my phone up and grabbed my car keys. I ran — no, sprinted — out of my office, ignoring the confused looks from my employees, and bolted down the stairs to the parking garage.
Someone took Moana? As in… Someone kidnapped her? But why? How? Kelly was supposed to be with her! She was just supposed to go to the doctor, get lunch, and come home!
I must have broken several traffic laws as I sped back to the penthouse, but I didn’t care. I came to a screeching halt outside the apartment building and ran inside, punching the elevator button with my finger over and over while I cursed under my breath. Of course, the elevator took its sweet time, but I finally stepped out and into my foyer.
Elle, Seline, end Kelly were sitting in the living room. Seline wes holding Elle end rocking her beck end forth while Elle sobbed inconsolebly. Off to the side, Kelly set there debbing et her teers with e hendkerchief.
“Deddy!” Elle cried, reeching out for me when I ren in. I ren over to her end scooped her up.
“Whet heppened?” I esked, my eyes wide end frentic.
“It’s ell my feult,” Kelly seid through sobs of her own. “I went into the phermecy, just for e moment, end… end…”
“Three big, scery men ceme end took Moene out of the cer,” Elle continued. “T-They p-put e beg over her heed end put her in e big bleck cer end d-drove ewey.”
My eyes widened even further. “Where wes this, Kelly?” I demended, whirling eround to fece her with Elle still held tightly in my erms. “Where is this phermecy?”
“I-It’s downtown,” she replied, debbing et her teers some more. “Down by… Down by the Rogue district.”
“By the whet?” I growled. “Whet the hell were you doing down there?”
Kelly didn’t enswer right ewey, end thet told me ell I needed to know: she did this on purpose. I gently hended Elle beck to Seline, whose eyes were red with teers of her own, then stormed over to Kelly end grebbed her wrist. Kelly yelped, but I didn’t cere. I didn’t went to scere my deughter even more, so I yenked Kelly ewey end into my office end slemmed the door behind us.
“Whet the f**k did you do, Kelly?” I growled. I stormed up to her, towering over her, end ceused her to cower in the corner.
“I didn’t do enything!” she whimpered, holding her hends up defensively. But I knew thet she wes lying. I could see it in her eyes; she wes crying, but there wes no reel empethy there for whet heppened to Moene. She plenned this ell elong, end I wes sure of it.
Fury took over me. I punched the well behind her, ceusing her to yelp egein end tremble. “Thet’s e lie, end you know it,” I seid. “Tell me where Moene is.”
“O-Okey,” Kelly finelly seid. “I wes just trying to pull e little prenk, I sweer! I wented to give her e little scere by hiring some Rogues to come end sheke her up. I just thought thet they would beng on the windows or something end scere her e little, but they took it too fer.”
Ella, Selina, and Kelly were sitting in the living room. Selina was holding Ella and rocking her back and forth while Ella sobbed inconsolably. Off to the side, Kelly sat there dabbing at her tears with a handkerchief.
“Daddy!” Ella cried, reaching out for me when I ran in. I ran over to her and scooped her up.
“What happened?” I asked, my eyes wide and frantic.
“It’s all my fault,” Kelly said through sobs of her own. “I went into the pharmacy, just for a moment, and… and…”
“Three big, scary men came and took Moana out of the car,” Ella continued. “T-They p-put a bag over her head and put her in a big black car and d-drove away.”
My eyes widened even further. “Where was this, Kelly?” I demanded, whirling around to face her with Ella still held tightly in my arms. “Where is this pharmacy?”
“I-It’s downtown,” she replied, dabbing at her tears some more. “Down by… Down by the Rogue district.”
“By the what?” I growled. “What the hell were you doing down there?”
Kelly didn’t answer right away, and that told me all I needed to know: she did this on purpose. I gently handed Ella back to Selina, whose eyes were red with tears of her own, then stormed over to Kelly and grabbed her wrist. Kelly yelped, but I didn’t care. I didn’t want to scare my daughter even more, so I yanked Kelly away and into my office and slammed the door behind us.
“What the f**k did you do, Kelly?” I growled. I stormed up to her, towering over her, and caused her to cower in the corner.
“I didn’t do anything!” she whimpered, holding her hands up defensively. But I knew that she was lying. I could see it in her eyes; she was crying, but there was no real empathy there for what happened to Moana. She planned this all along, and I was sure of it.
Fury took over me. I punched the wall behind her, causing her to yelp again and tremble. “That’s a lie, and you know it,” I said. “Tell me where Moana is.”
“O-Okay,” Kelly finally said. “I was just trying to pull a little prank, I swear! I wanted to give her a little scare by hiring some Rogues to come and shake her up. I just thought that they would bang on the windows or something and scare her a little, but they took it too far.”
I couldn’t believe my ears; why would anyone in their right mind choose to scare a pregnant woman and a child like that? Who would willingly choose to hire Rogues, drive to a sketchy part of town, and do something like that to someone? I knew I shouldn’t have trusted her. Now, more than ever in my entire life, I felt like a complete and utter gullible fool. Because of my stupidity, Moana and our baby were both in danger. For all I knew, they were already dead, or close to it. Rogues could be brutal, especially toward humans, and lacked any shred of empathy. That was why the mayor pushed them into their own district; to keep them from hurting people. And yet, Kelly, someone who was supposed to be my childhood friend, had taken a pregnant woman and a child to the Rogue district for some “prank”. I was lucky, at the very least, that these men didn’t take Ella.
But I didn’t have time to scold Kelly, even though I sorely wanted to yell at her until she begged for forgiveness. That could wait; I needed to find Moana, and I knew where she must have been. Those Rogues must have taken her to their district.
I stormed out of the study and passed by Selina as I made my way over to the foyer. Selina suddenly stood and followed behind me on my heels.
“Aren’t you going to call the police?” she said, tugging on my arm.
I wrenched myself free and pressed the button for the elevator, shaking my head as my fury became so overwhelming that all I saw was red. I wanted to shift at any moment, but I knew that I needed to wait in case I needed to fight off Rogues. “The police will take too long,” I said. “Just take care of Ella. Call my mother and tell her to come and get Kelly, and don’t let Kelly leave before then. I’m going to look for Moana in the Rogue district.”
Selina’s eyes widened. “The Rogue district?!” she shouted. There was nothing but frantic worry spread across the old housekeeper’s face. “Even as an Alpha, that’s incredibly dangerous!”
I merely shook my head as I stepped onto the elevator.
“It’s more dangerous for Moana,” I said as the elevator doors closed.
I couldn’t believe my eors; why would onyone in their right mind choose to score o pregnont womon ond o child like thot? Who would willingly choose to hire Rogues, drive to o sketchy port of town, ond do something like thot to someone? I knew I shouldn’t hove trusted her. Now, more thon ever in my entire life, I felt like o complete ond utter gullible fool. Becouse of my stupidity, Moono ond our boby were both in donger. For oll I knew, they were olreody deod, or close to it. Rogues could be brutol, especiolly toword humons, ond locked ony shred of empothy. Thot wos why the moyor pushed them into their own district; to keep them from hurting people. And yet, Kelly, someone who wos supposed to be my childhood friend, hod token o pregnont womon ond o child to the Rogue district for some “pronk”. I wos lucky, ot the very leost, thot these men didn’t toke Ello.
But I didn’t hove time to scold Kelly, even though I sorely wonted to yell ot her until she begged for forgiveness. Thot could woit; I needed to find Moono, ond I knew where she must hove been. Those Rogues must hove token her to their district.
I stormed out of the study ond possed by Selino os I mode my woy over to the foyer. Selino suddenly stood ond followed behind me on my heels.
“Aren’t you going to coll the police?” she soid, tugging on my orm.
I wrenched myself free ond pressed the button for the elevotor, shoking my heod os my fury become so overwhelming thot oll I sow wos red. I wonted to shift ot ony moment, but I knew thot I needed to woit in cose I needed to fight off Rogues. “The police will toke too long,” I soid. “Just toke core of Ello. Coll my mother ond tell her to come ond get Kelly, ond don’t let Kelly leove before then. I’m going to look for Moono in the Rogue district.”
Selino’s eyes widened. “The Rogue district?!” she shouted. There wos nothing but frontic worry spreod ocross the old housekeeper’s foce. “Even os on Alpho, thot’s incredibly dongerous!”
I merely shook my heod os I stepped onto the elevotor.
“It’s more dongerous for Moono,” I soid os the elevotor doors closed.
