Draven’s POV
I stood in my living room, feeling like everything was falling apart.Caroline was gone.She’d taken Liam and disappeared.
"Ryan!" I yelled into the phone."I need you to find Caroline.Check the airport, train station, bus depot, everything. And send soone to Maplewood to see if she went to her parents’ place."
"Already on it, Alpha," Ryan responded."I’ve got our best people tracking her movents. We’ll find her."
I hung up. Alaric was howling inside , a painful sound that matched how desperate I felt. My wolf hadn’t been this upset since we were teenagers.
Nate burst through my front door without knocking.Joseph followed behind him, looking just as concerned.
"Any news?" I asked imdiately.
Nate shook his head. "Elle’s not answering my calls either. I can’t reach her through our mind-link. It’s like she’s blocking ."
"I spoke with HR," Joseph added. "Elle requested extended leave days ago. Effective imdiately."
"This is the first ti Elle’s gone anywhere without telling ," Nate said, dropping onto my couch with a frustrated sigh. "What the hell? Because I’m buddies with you guys now, Eleanor kicked off her ’people I actually tell things to’ list?"
Despite everything going on, I had to give Nate credit for trying to keep things normal. He looked up at with a tired smile.
"You know, I think I’ve done more relationship rescue work for you and Caroline than anyone else in my life. I deserve a dal or sothing."
Joseph placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Don’t panic yet. Maybe they just took a girls’ trip. Caroline’s been through a lot, and Elle probably thought a vacation would help clear her head."
I shook my head, rembering Caroline’s words. "You didn’t hear how she spoke to last ti. She was dead serious.She wasn’t joking about leaving. Her exact words were that she would ’disappear completely’ if I kept pushing past her boundaries." I swallowed hard. "And that’s exactly what I did."
Ryan leaned against the doorfra, crossing his arms. "Look, you’re my Alpha and I respect you, but I’ve got to be honest - Caroline has endured more heartache than anyone should have to. If I were Elle, I might have spirited her away too."
His words stung because they were true.
Joseph squeezed my shoulder. "We’ve already got people looking. Standing here worrying won’t help. Maybe you should focus on cleaning up the ss with Ella and Howard first."
"Joseph’s right," Nate added. "My uncle had told .You were set up."
I nodded, pulling myself together. "You’re right. I need to handle this imdiately. I’ll find Caroline and make things right, but first I need to eliminate these threats."
"That’s my Alpha," Ryan said with a nod. "Let’s take these snakes down, then get your Caroline back."
***
The next morning, Ryan and I arrived at the café near clinic to et the secretary.
When we walked in, she was already seated at a table in the back.
"Good afternoon, Alpha Draven. Beta Ryan. Thank you for eting ," she greeted.
"Wait, you know ?" Ryan asked, looking surprised.
"I work weekends at the Social Club casino.And you both tip very generously. I’m Jacqueline."
"Oh damn, that’s right!" Ryan laughed in recognition. "I even hit on you once... But without the makeup, with your hair tied back and those glasses, you look completely different."
"Yes," Jacqueline agreed with a slight blush. "Thank you for coming, Alpha Draven."
"When you gave your number, I thought you might be interested in personally," I admitted. "But now I’m curious what information you have."
Jacqueline lowered her voice. "I work at the clinic because I need the salary, but honestly, Dr. Vale has no scruples. What they’re doing to you is absurd. Especially since I’ve seen at Social Club how much you can’t stand Ms. Howard. Nobody can, actually."
Ryan burst out laughing at her bluntness.
"And what exactly are they doing, Jacqueline?" I asked.
"Ms. Howard isn’t pregnant. That day at the clinic was all staged. The doctor showed you another woman’s ultrasound video. And he was planning to do this at every appointnt until you were mated and she could fake a miscarriage."
I closed my eyes. "Moon Goddess, it just keeps getting worse."
"And I’ll tell you sothing else," Jacqueline continued. "Your administrative assistant Linda was the one who recomnded Dr. Vale to Ms. Howard. I overheard the three of them talking at the clinic the day before your supposed appointnt. He’s a fraud,I don’t know how he still has his dical license."
"He won’t for much longer," I promised her.
"Alpha Draven,one more thing. You know Rosa, the Moon Shadow casino secretary?" she asked.
"Yes, what about her?"
"She told that Leila, the personnel manager, is very close friends with Linda and tells her everything. Whenever you arrive at the casino, she calls Linda imdiately to let her know you’re there."
"So that’s how they always know..." Ryan muttered.
"And Rosa overheard them talking. Linda was bragging that she has contacts in every place you frequent or where your company has connections. She knows about everything, including very personal matters."
"Goddess, how could I have been so blind?" I groaned.
We talked a while longer, and before leaving, I gave Jacqueline my business card, telling her to contact about a job opportunity at Thorne Enterprises. It was the least I could do since she refused paynt for her information. Plus,I needed trustworthy people around now more than ever.
When we left the café, I was seething with anger toward Ella and Linda. My phone buzzed with a text from Kyle saying she had located the waiter from the party and had set up a plan to question him. Ryan and I headed straight back to the office.
At Thorne Enterprises,Kyle had already prepared everything in the executive conference room. She’d called the catering service, identified the waiter who had been working for them briefly, and ordered coffee service specifically requesting him. When Ryan and I arrived, everything was in place.
The waiter entered, carrying a tray of coffee. His face went pale when he saw us.
"Have a seat, friend. We need to talk," Ryan said, placing a firm hand on the waiter’s shoulder and guiding him into a chair.
"So, Clayton, you worked at a company party here about four months ago. How did you find it?" Kyle started casually.
"It was a great event, ma’am," Clayton replied nervously.
"Not so great for so people," I said. "I rember you. You served whiskey on the balcony, but it was drugged, wasn’t it, Clayton?"
"I... I... I don’t know what you’re talking about," he stamred.
"Oh, I think you do," Ryan pressed. "And even if you didn’t, we have video evidence." Ryan grabbed the remote and played footage from the security caras, showing Clayton handing a drink on the balcony. "Corporate environnt, caras everywhere. And ours are top-of-the-line, perfect clarity," Ryan explained.
"B-b-but... I didn’t... I..." Clayton was visibly sweating now.
"Let be direct," I said, leaning across the table. "I had a toxicology test done. I have video of you giving the drink and then leaving the balcony disoriented. Either you tell us everything, or I call the police and you leave here in handcuffs for drug trafficking. Your choice."
"No police, please! I’ll tell you everything," he broke imdiately, easier than I expected. "I was unemployed with a child to support. Soone I know got the job at this catering service. I really need it," he explained nervously. "I was off that day, but she asked for specifically. My boss called in and paid overti."
"When you went to the balcony, she called and told to bring you that specific glass. I swear, Alpha, I didn’t know it was drugged. She’s soone I know, she helped get a job, she worked for you - I never thought she would do sothing like this."
"You didn’t notice anything strange about the drink?" Kyle asked.
"She said it was just whiskey, and it slled normal, so I served it. But then I saw how you left the balcony, Alpha. You weren’t drunk before,I had served you earlier and you were fine until that drink." Clayton’s eyes welled with tears. "When I saw you stumbling, I tried to help, but she wouldn’t let . She said your girlfriend would take care of you. After the party, I confronted her because I knew sothing was wrong."
"And what did she say?" I pressed.
"She told to keep my mouth shut if I wanted to keep my job." Clayton’s voice cracked. "She threatened ."
"How disgustingly low," I growled.
"Who was this woman, Clayton?" Kyle asked, though I already knew the answer.
"Linda," he admitted. "Your administrative assistant."
"Perfect. She’s a real snake," I snarled.
"Alright, Clayton.Thank you for your honesty," Kyle said. "We’ll recomnd that the catering company keep you on, and we’ll make sure they know Linda no longer has any connection with Thorne Enterprises." She handed him her business card. "Contact if you need anything."
"That’s it? You’re not calling the police?" Clayton asked.
"No, we won’t," Ryan assured him. "You can finish your shift today as normal."
"Thank you, sir," Clayton said gratefully.
Once he was gone, I turned to Ryan and Kyle.
"I want both Howard and Linda dealt with imdiately,"I ordered,my Alpha authority filling the room. "And I need to find Caroline. She’s my priority now."
I knew what I had to do. Clean up this ss and then find Caroline. And when I did find her, I would never let her go again.
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