Royally Bounded

Chapter 54

Clara

Early next morning, I stepped out of the bathroom after I finished getting ready. After my little argument with Xander, my guilt was starting to take over me. Xander had the rights to know about Hayden. It was his own biological father, and I should have thought about his place. I would be upset too if my parents hid secrets from me.

I returned to my bedroom and sat down on Xander's bedside. My palms rested on the mattress as I tried to find words to speak. "Xander, I know you're angry at Mummy, but can you please let Mummy explain? Mummy will answer any questions about Daddy."

I waited for a response, but fear spiked my veins when I heard nothing. I stared at the covered being before pulling the blanket apart. My blood ran cold when I saw that it was his stuffed animal being covered instead of him.

Dashing downstairs, I scanned my eyes around to search for him in the house. My breaths turned unsteady when I saw no sight of him. The tears sprung in my eyes, running down my cheeks. I could feel the hollowness in my chest.

"Xander," I shouted, my hands shaking uncontrollably.

For the past three years, he was the only hope that I had. He was the reason I chose to survive, and if anything happened to him, I would crumble into pieces. I would never forgive myself for losing him because he was all I had.

Even though the town was small, it was still hard to search for him. He could be anywhere or even at dangerous places. I ran out to the paths and yelled out for his name. My vision was starting to turn blurry as I wiped my tears. My heart pounded violently through my chest.

"Clara?" Zelia called when I went past her on the streets.

"Zelia," my voice was trembling with fear. I grasped her arms tightly, and she instantly noticed my concerned expression. "Xander is missing. When I went to wake him up, his bed was empty. I searched everywhere for him. I-I don't know where he is."

"Oh God," she gasped and tried to calm me down. "Don't worry. We'll search for him. You head down that path, and I will take the bottom of the town. I will call you when I find him. Hopefully, he's only hiding around."

I nodded and followed what she said. Repulsive images invaded my mind. Xander was the person who been through everything with me. The fact that he could be taken away by Arnaldo or Maurice frightened me. They would use him against Hayden or maybe hurt him.

I prayed repetitively in my mind, hoping that someone found him and kept him safe until I arrived. I lost too many people within four years. I had been through all the pain, and I was too broken to experience another.

Hayden

I was looking through the file to finalize the law regarding businesses. My phone vibrated on my desk, and I glanced at the unknown phone number. I ignored it until it appeared the second time.

"Hayden Winston," I answered.

"King Hayden," an unfamiliar voice called. "It's nice to hear your voice."

I furrowed my brows, trying to differentiate who it was, but the voice was distinct, and I couldn't even recognize it. All I could tell was it was clearly a male voice.

"Who the hell are you?" I gritted my teeth.

"My identity is the least of your concern," he chuckled darkly. "You should worry about the safety of your son and wife. You think three years of secret protection is enough to keep them away from danger?"

Even though some people knew Clara was in Tarrin, I used all of my power to protect people from finding her. I stopped any reporters from knowing where she was and made the town people kept quiet. It was enough to not have her location found, but I knew it wouldn't last forever especially when other people had other ways to get to her.