Walking back to her room, Julie closed the door behind her slowly, the soft click echoing louder than it should in the quiet space.
For a mont, she just stood there.
Then her strength gave in.
Her back slid down against the door until she sank to the floor, her body folding into itself as she sat there, still and silent.
The room felt too quiet.
Her eyes slowly grew glassy, the tears gathering before she could stop them. One slipped free, rolling gently down her cheek.
"Hm..." she sniffed softly, lifting a hand to wipe her face, her lips dry as she pressed them together.
She lowered her gaze, her fingers curling slightly against her dress.
"I’ll stay strong..." she whispered, her voice trembling despite her effort to steady it. "I’ll wait for you... so please... don’t let down, hubby..."
Another tear followed, then another, falling quietly as she sat there alone.
There were no loud sobs.
No breakdown.
Just a quiet ache that filled the room.
---
The night passed faster than she expected.
And when morning ca, it did not bring peace.
It brought movent.
Voices.
Urgency.
The entire mansion shifted into sothing tense and restless, as preparations began... and the search for Roman truly started.
---
Morning did not arrive quietly.
The stillness of the mansion was gone, replaced by the sharp echo of footsteps moving quickly across the marble floors.
Voices overlapped in low, urgent tones, and doors opened and closed in quick succession.
Servants who usually moved calmly now walked faster, their expressions tight, their whispers barely contained as they passed through the hallways.
Outside, the sound of engines broke the silence one after anothe
Black vehicles lined up at the entrance, their polished surfaces reflecting the early morning light as n stepped out, dressed in dark suits, their faces serious, their movents precise.
So n pressed their fingers lightly against the earpieces hidden beneath their hair, their heads tilting slightly as low voices filtered in.
Their expressions remained tight, focused, as they responded in short, clipped whispers.
Others stood a few steps away, eyes locked on their phones, thumbs moving quickly across the screens as ssages ca in one after another.
The faint glow of the devices reflected against their sharp features, highlighting the tension in their jaws.
A few paced restlessly, boots striking against the ground in steady, controlled steps, their gazes constantly shifting watching, waiting, calculating.
At the center of it all stood Denovan.
He was already dressed, his posture straight, his presence steady like a pillar holding everything in place. His sharp eyes moved from one man to another, missing nothing.
"Report," he said.
One of the n stepped forward imdiately. "All units from the main security firm are in position, sir. The eastern sector team has also arrived."
Denovan gave a short nod.
"Underground contacts?" he asked.
"They’ve started feeding information. The dockside network is already checking movent from midnight till now."
"Good."
Not far from him, Azazel stood with a phone pressed to his ear, his jaw tight as he listened.
"No, I don’t want guesses," he said, his voice low but firm. "I want confirmation. Track every route leading out of X City. Every single one."
He ended the call and imdiately dialed another.
His fingers moved fast, but his eyes... his eyes were restless.
Upstairs, the door to Julie’s room slowly opened.
She stepped out quietly.
The hallway was no longer the sa as it had been the night before.
Everything was moving.
Everything felt urgent.
Julie paused for a second, her hand resting lightly on the door as her eyes took everything in.
Then she stepped forward.
As she walked down the stairs, the sounds grew clearer the low voices, the steady commands, the distant rumble of engines outside.
Each step she took felt heavier than the last.
By the ti she reached the bottom, Denovan had already noticed her.
His gaze softened just slightly.
"Good morning, my dear," he said.
Julie nodded, her face calm, but her fingers tightened slightly at her side.
"What’s happening?" she asked.
Denovan didn’t answer imdiately.
Instead, he turned his head slightly.
"Show her."
One of the n stepped forward, holding out a tablet.
Julie hesitated for a second before taking it.
Her eyes moved slowly across the screen, taking everything in.
A detailed map filled the display, stretching across the entire city.
Different locations were marked with small glowing points, scattered at first glance, but when looked at closely... they ford a pattern.
Thin red lines cut across the map, connecting point to point, tracing out possible routes like veins running through the city.
So paths overlapped, so spread outward, covering exits, main roads, and hidden corners alike.
Sections of the map pulsed faintly, highlighting areas already being searched, while others blinked, waiting to be covered.
Movent patterns shifted in real ti.
Julie’s fingers tightened slightly around the device as her gaze followed one of the lines, her mind trying to keep up with the scale of it all.
Her breath caught but only for a second.
Then she steadied herself. "We’re covering everything?" she asked, lifting her gaze.
Denovan looked at her, a hint of approval flickering in his eyes.
"Everything," he replied.
"Look at ," Denovan said, his voice low but carrying across the room.
Every head lifted instantly.
His eyes darkened slightly, his jaw tightening just enough to show the weight behind his next words.
"This is not a search," he continued slowly. "This is a retrieval."
The air in the room seed to grow heavier.
"You are not moving out there to guess or to wander," he went on, his gaze sweeping across them. "You are moving with purpose."
He paused briefly, then his voice turned colder.
"My grandson is out there."
That was all he needed to say.
A ripple passed through the n not fear, but sothing sharper. Loyalty. Readiness.
Denovan took a single step forward.
"Every road leaving this city will be covered. Every port will be watched. Every contact will be questioned."
His tone remained controlled, but each word landed with quiet authority.
"There will be no mistakes, no delays, and no excuses."
Silence filled the room, heavy and unyielding.
Then he gave the final command.
"Move."
It was quiet, but it carried more weight than a shout.
And just like that, the stillness in the room broke with roared of "yes sir," from n and in a swift trained movent they walk back their cars in long strides.
The low rumble of engines blended together, rising and falling like a restless storm waiting to break.
n moved with purpose.
Doors opened and shut in quick succession, boots hitting the ground with firm, asured steps.
So adjusted their jackets as they walked, others spoke into their earpieces, their voices low and controlled, passing orders that were followed without hesitation.
A few climbed into waiting vehicles, their movents swift and practiced, while others spread out, taking positions without needing to be told twice.
Within monts, the once quiet entrance turned into a controlled rush of motion cars pulling out one after another, disappearing through the gates, each carrying a piece of the operation forward.
And as the last engine faded into the distance it beca clear that search had already begun.
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