Chapter 17: Chapter 17 Back to the liar.
When the person they needed was captured, Greta alerted Adrian through his phone, and Adrian—as usual—let out one of his chilling smiles.
It was actually easier than expected.
Meanwhile, Draven was already heading downstairs, running along the rails in a desperate attempt to stop Adrian. But the abnormal man had already scared everyone in the villa with the loud crack of a gunshot.
Blasting several more shots in the air, Adrian gradually waltzed out of the place with Jake, slipping into his car before zooming off.
Charles, who was previously hyperactive, didn’t even bother going back to the gate. He ducked behind a building, shivering in fear and staying hidden. By the time he gathered himself, the intruders were long gone, and their boss didn’t look happy about it.
"Are they gone already?" Draven breathed hard. If the man had vanished, then Daniel was with him—and tracking him down would be a heavy race, one he wasn’t even sure he could win.
Charles, still trembling behind a pillar, could only shake his head. His thoughts were a mess. He had just let a terrorist—an armed, deadly one—inside their home. He sighed, praising God that his young master wasn’t harmed. If he had been, Charles would have been in deep trouble.
"Can we just let them be? Whatever they came for was probably for the best," Charles suggested weakly, not wanting his young boss to dive headfirst into a situation that could lead to his death. But Draven brushed it off instantly.
"And isn’t that exactly why I need to do this? He took Daniel. There’s no way I’m leaving my Dan with those evil-looking nobodies," Draven deadpanned. Then, with a deep seriousness, he ordered:
"Make sure the house is under protection. Employ more guards for surveillance. We, on the other hand, are tracking Daniel—and finding out where he’s being taken."
Charles blinked, rubbing his ears as if maybe he had misheard. But no, he hadn’t. Unfortunately for him, he was the only soul around the vicinity, so Draven had clearly been speaking to him.
But Charles wasn’t a tracker. Oh, his life...
"Boss, I’m just a gateman. This isn’t anywhere near my job," Charles tried to explain, hoping maybe Draven had gotten his role mixed up somewhere. The response he got instead made his heart sink.
"You’re being promoted, Charles. You’re no longer a petty gateman—you’re now my right-hand man. You will follow me as we track down those bastards. So, get your ass down there and bring the car." Draven’s tone left no room for argument.
Charles groaned inwardly but didn’t dare show it. He could only assign his fate to his creator and pray nothing went wrong. Why did it feel like their young master didn’t even have a plan? And how were they supposed to track armed men without one? Was that even logical?
Starting up one of the Lamborghinis, he decided to try his luck.
"Is the man they’re looking for the blond one you were with earlier today?" Charles probed.
Draven only nodded, offering no further explanation. His thoughts were buried in the circumstances that had given that monster control over Daniel—and the torture Daniel was now being forced to endure. Without his suppressant, and in his vulnerable omega state, how was his baby boy supposed to survive?
God, he was too invested in this boy. He couldn’t believe that someone he had only met hours ago had taken such deep root in his heart. Now he couldn’t distance himself—couldn’t let go. Daniel’s lingering scent alone was driving him mad. But he had to persevere.
He wasn’t going back to school until Daniel was found. And he wasn’t Draven Swift for nothing if he couldn’t handle a problem like this.
*****
With threatening speed, Adrian’s car pulled up at the lair. The moment it stopped, Jake stepped out and hurried to open the door for his boss.
Adrian emerged with a smug expression, his eyes scanning the surroundings for any suspicious activity. There was none. Still, he wasn’t in a good mood. All because of that boy, Daniel. And now, he was going to punish him—sentence him to whatever he deemed fit for daring to escape, when that had never been part of the contract.
"Daniel, Daniel... you didn’t know you’re bound to the devil forever. There’s nothing you can do about it. This is your fate," Adrian chuckled darkly.
Jake, as usual, kept his thoughts to himself, trailing behind Adrian as they made their way to the headquarters entrance. By then, the crew members had already gathered.
Everyone had already been filled in on what happened to Isabella. It was all over the television and news—Adrian’s name and picture splashed across the headlines once again. Wanted for murder and violation of peace. But the crew knew it was fraud. Nobody truly had the power to detain Adrian Valez. And even if they tried, their corpses would be the only proof left behind.
Replacements had already been made to cover Isabella’s absence. The Raven Lair was crawling with newbies, desperate to work their asses off and earn a spot in the inner circle. Just now, two people had gotten the opportunity:
A blond named Cecilia Hale.
And a raven-haired, feminine-looking guy who, despite his delicate features, was oozing alpha pheromones.
Adrian smirked when he saw them. By then, Cassian and Greta had stepped out too.
"Good job, boys," Adrian said simply, not bothering to acknowledge that Greta was, in fact, a girl now growing into a full-fledged woman. He didn’t glance her way even once.
His gaze instead shifted to the new recruits. Pulling out his handkerchief, he brushed invisible dirt off his sleeve before asking, cool and precise:
"And your names are...?"
"Alexander McQueen, sir, and Cecilia Hale," they chorused together, knowing better than to make him repeat himself—especially when he was in a bad mood.
Satisfied with their quick response, Adrian gave a short nod. Then, with a single glance, Cassian and Jake moved to the car’s boot and dragged out poor Daniel.
The boy was bleeding badly, especially from his hands and forehead. His condition was so rough that Adrian’s expression briefly twisted in disgust.
"Isn’t he going to die with that blood loss?" Adrian muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
Jake froze. Was their coldhearted boss... caring about this rat?
"Pardon? Are you talking to me?" Jake asked carefully.
The malicious glare Adrian shot him in return was enough of a warning. Jake immediately shut his mouth, standing rigid under the weight of his boss’s fury.
Finally, Adrian whispered, his voice low but firm:
"Bring him into my room. Carefully. Unless you want to face my wrath."
The words made jaws drop all around the lair.
Adrian, however, didn’t glance at anyone. He didn’t care. With his usual dominating aura, he simply turned and walked away to his chambers, leaving behind an arena thick with tension—ready to explode at any moment.
And the moment their boss was out of earshot, the gossip exploded.