The CEO and the Country Wildflower chapter 53

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The CEO and the Country Wildflower
Chapter 53: Vanishing Act


The moment Lucas’s phone buzzed with Bruno’s frantic call, the triumph of their successful escape from the docks evaporated. Emelly, still catching her breath in the passenger seat of David’s car, watched as Lucas’s expression darkened.


His grip on the phone tightened, the knuckles turning white. “What do you mean she’s gone?” Lucas demanded, his voice low and dangerous. Emelly didn’t need to hear Bruno’s reply to know something was terribly wrong. The way Lucas’s jaw clenched, the way his free hand curled into a fist—Serritary’s disappearance wasn’t just a minor inconvenience. It was a disaster. As soon as Lucas ended the call, Emelly leaned forward. “What happened?” Lucas exhaled sharply. “Serritary vanished from the hotel. No note, no trace. Bruno’s tearing the city apart looking for her.” Emelly’s stomach twisted. “You don’t think… Leo had something to do with this?” Lucas’s silence was answer enough.


Meanwhile, across town, Bruno Halthorn was pacing the length of his penthouse, his usually composed demeanor shattered. The last time he’d seen Serritary, she had been arguing with him—again—about his refusal to let her handle her family’s financial mess alone. She had stormed out, and he’d assumed she’d cool off in one of the hotel lounges. But when he went to find her, she was nowhere. His phone buzzed—another dead end from his contacts. He resisted the urge to throw it across the room. “Stubborn woman,” he muttered, though the words lacked any real bite. If Leo Brown had taken her… Bruno’s blood ran cold. He had underestimated how far his rival would go.


Back in the car, Emelly’s mind raced. “We need to find her before Leo uses her as leverage.” Lucas nodded. “Bruno’s already got people searching. But we need to move fast.” He turned to David. “Take us to the York Group. We need access to security footage.” Emelly bit her lip. “What if she left on her own? You said she’s… unpredictable.” Lucas shot her a look. “Serritary may be reckless, but she wouldn’t just disappear without a reason.” Emelly couldn’t argue with that. --- At the York Group headquarters, Linda Crow intercepted them the moment they stepped off the elevator. Her smirk was infuriating. “Well, well. The CEO and his favorite employee. What’s the emergency?”


Lucas didn’t bother with pleasantries. “Out of my way, Linda.” Emelly, however, couldn’t resist. “Unless you’ve suddenly developed useful skills, maybe stick to filing.” Linda’s eyes flashed, but before she could retort, Lucas cut in. “Emelly, focus.” They breezed past her, heading straight for the security office. --- Hours later, after combing through footage and chasing leads, they hit a breakthrough—a blurry image of Serritary getting into a car near the hotel. The license plate was obscured, but Emelly’s sharp eyes caught a partial number. “That’s a Brown Group vehicle,” Lucas confirmed grimly. Emelly’s stomach dropped. “So Leo did take her.” Lucas’s phone rang again—Bruno. “We found her,” he said without preamble. “Leo’s holding her at one of his warehouses. He’s demanding a trade—Serritary for the flash drive.” Emelly’s breath hitched. “We can’t give it to him. That virus is our only leverage.” Lucas’s gaze hardened. “We won’t. But we’re not leaving her there either.”


As they strategized, Emelly couldn’t shake the feeling that Leo was playing a deeper game. Why take Serritary now? Unless… Her eyes widened. “Lucas, what if this was his plan all along? What if he let us take Tony to lure us into a bigger trap?” Lucas’s expression turned deadly. “Then we walk right into it—on our terms.”