Lukas POV
Her father called me.
The moment I heard his voice—shaken, breathless—I knew something was wrong.
"She's missing, Lukas... she left after the argument and—she hasn't come back. It's been hours."
My blood turned cold.
She left at 8 PM.It was now freaking 12.
Four goddamn hours.Four hours since she vanished into the night. Four hours of silence. Four hours of me not knowing where the hell she was, or if she was safe.
Why the hell didn't she tell me?Why can't she just tell me when she goes out?
I ran a hand through my hair, tugging harshly as the panic simmered under my skin.
"I'll find her," I said through clenched teeth. "Just stay calm. Don't tell the media. Not yet."
The call ended.I stood there in the middle of my office, chest heaving, rage and fear tearing through me.
I barked orders into my phone, summoning every resource I had.CCTV footage. Traffic reports. Cell tower pings.
Every second she was missing was a knife to my chest.Because I knew—I just knew—this wasn't just her taking a walk to clear her head.
This was something else.Something darker.
I slammed my fist into the desk.
She didn't even have her phone.She was already upset.And I... I should have checked in. I should have felt it sooner.
My enemies—If they touched her—If they even breathed wrong near her—
I will paint the city red.
I'm not just her boyfriend.I'm her shield.And someone just declared war.
I swear to God, when I find her—I'll tie her down myself if I have to.Not out of control.But because I'm losing my mind wondering where she is…If she's safe. If she's breathing.
How can she just leave—without her phone? Without a word?
Does she not understand?
She isn't just some girl anymore.She's mine.And that makes her a target.
The thought of her out there, vulnerable and alone, had my jaw clenching so hard it ached.
When I bring her back—Hell, if she thinks she's ever stepping outside without letting me know again—
I'll tie her down to the bed if I must.So she never runs off without telling me.So I know she's safe.So I don't lose her.
No more leaving me in the dark.No more vanishing without a trace.
She can fight me, scream at me, hate me for it if she wants.But I'd rather have her hate me than bury her.
Because this isn't about control.It's about fear.Real, gut-wrenching, soul-tearing fear.
And the moment I find her...God help anyone who laid a finger on her.
It was my fault too.I should've never left her alone.
I thought—Just seven hours.Seven hours at her father's mansion, where I assumed she'd be safe.
But no.
This lady…She just had to step out.Without telling a soul.Without her phone.Without me.
And now, my mind is spiraling.
What if she had another migraine?They've gotten worse lately—more sudden, more intense.
What if she was out there, somewhere, in pain?What if she collapsed again like last time, but this time…No one was there to catch her?
The image of her—crumbling to the ground, eyes rolled back, struggling to breathe—It's carved into my skull.
I rubbed my face, my fists clenched.Rage burned in my veins, but it was nothing compared to the fear crawling under my skin.
I let my guard down.
I should've known better.She's not just Adeline.She's my Adeline.
And now she's missing…And it's eating me alive.
I barked orders into the phone."Get the CCTV footage. Every goddamn camera from the mansion perimeter to anywhere within a 3-kilometer radius she could walk into. Shops. Traffic lights. Gas stations. I don't care if it's a tea stall—check it."
My men didn't question me. They knew this wasn't just about any girl.This was her.And I was on the edge.
The edge of losing my mind.
I paced the floor like a caged animal, replaying every conversation from the last few days.Was she angry? Upset? Was she in pain?Why didn't I push harder when I saw the flicker in her eyes? That haunting silence?
I should've known she was slipping away, even for a moment.
"Doll…" I whispered, my voice barely a breath.Where the hell are you?
I checked my watch again.12:47 p.m.Almost five hours since she vanished into thin air.
And I swear—The moment I find her,I'll tie her down myself if I have to.Not to control her.But because I can't lose her.Not again.Not when I just found her.
I gripped the edge of the desk, my knuckles turning white as I stared at the empty street footage on the screen. My mind spun with panic, frustration, and the sickening ache of helplessness.
Where are you, Adeline…?
Then it hit me.
The pendant.
The one I had clasped around her neck with a soft lie—"just for protection."She didn't know that inside that delicate silver charm was a tracker.
With trembling fingers, I opened the encrypted program and punched in the access code.Come on. Come on. Come on.
Searching for device...Signal found.
My heart leapt into my throat.
The dot was blinking—alive—but not still. It was moving.Fast.And not just anywhere...
It was heading out of the city, toward the outskirts, to a stretch of land I knew all too well.Factories long shut down. Forests half-burnt. Roads where even streetlights feared to stand.
She wasn't walking. She was being taken.
I slammed the desk and grabbed my gear.
"Everyone move now," I barked into the comms. "Track the signal. She's in the outskirts. We leave in five."
As I holstered my gun and threw my coat over my shoulders, a storm brewed inside me.
She was out there, tied and scared, and I had been sitting here like a fool.But not anymore.
Because whoever had taken her?
They were about to learn what it meant to cross Lukas Volkoff.