Pull the Trigger | ✓

t w e n t y - t w o

It has been an hour or two since Noah had discreetly taken me out of the office, quickly giving my assistant the day off before continuing guiding me to the car parked outside under his suit jacket. Noah had then dropped me off before rushing off to a photoshoot his company was holding seeing as they couldn't make a decision about the colour schemes and one of the models had bailed on them. I was then met by Javier who was eyeing me cautiously, judging my smeared makeup then shot me a soft look before walking me back to Noah and I's private estate.

"You still look hot," Javier had joked as he opened the door before me. "A hot mess, though."

I had shot him a look. "I'm engaged."

Javier had laughed. "I know and Noah would cut off my hands before I get the chance to steal you away from him."

It was almost six and I had promised Karlo to meet him at my parents' house to discuss Fran's whereabouts and safety. Juliette wasn't home when I had arrived and Javier had mentioned something about her attending tutoring lessons seeing as her mother had pulled her out of school right before they left Paris.

I let out a heavy sigh, mentally preparing myself for a long night once again, yet this time it was an unpleasure one. Adjusting my purse on my waist as I walked out of the estate and towards my car, I frowned when Noah's men seemed awfully uptight, their shoulders tense and their eyes focused around certain areas in their field of vision.

I brushed it off before getting inside my car as Javier walked out of the house with a sandwich in his hand, saluting me with a goofy smile before I drove off.

It didn't feel like a long drive to my parents house and maybe that was because half the time, I was either jamming to the songs on the radio or daydreaming about the life choices I've made and what I could've done differently. As I pulled up to the driveway, I quickly got out of the car and walked through the door that one of my father's men had opened for me before finding my parents and Karlo sitting at the dining table.

"Sorry I'm late," I said as I kissed both my parents' cheeks before giving Karlo a tight hug then settled into the seat beside him.

"So, what's this meeting about?" my mother questioned as she sipped on her wine, staring at me with curiosity dancing in her eyes.

I raised a brow, glancing at Karlo who was looking down at the table. "I thought Karlo filled you in before I got here."

My father nodded. "He did but what do you expect us to do? Ring your brother and he'll come straight to us?"

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Father, Fran could be anywhere right now, even in danger. We need to find him, kidnap him or do whatever it takes so he can be safe."

My father clicked his tongue in disagreement. "You know that's not how it works, Mia. If we do any of that, Fran will know about us."

I clenched my jaw in irritation as I felt myself running out of options to choose from. I licked my lips and sighed heavily, suddenly feeling the mental drain. My mother sat silently as her eyes darted between the three of us before getting up from her chair and poured herself some more wine.

"Mom, if you have something to say," I said aloud, breaking the silence that seemed to envelope us. "Please, say it."

My mother sipped her wine first, calmly and cool but the minute she spoke, the venom in her voice dripped from every word. "My first born child is in danger and my husband won't even sacrifice the secrecy of his empire to save him."

My father's jaw twitched as his expression remained blank, his movements stilled as if he were a statue. "Athena, what do you think will happen if we tell Francisco everything and he goes to the authorities?"