"Camila? Baby? Is that you? Mommy's here" -Jewel 

ZANDER's POV

I looked at her sitting next to me. She was sleeping with a scrunched eye brows. She looked troubled but still so beautiful. I couldn't believe it but all those 6 years that we've been separated, I was so mad at her because I thought she betrayed and abandoned us. 

The anger I was feeling for her became even intense when we met for the first time after 6 years and realized that she was mad at me too for a reason I couldn't comprehend. I thought she chose to be with another man and live a better life away from me and our child but now, I discovered that we were both just a victim of someone else's scheme.

We harbored negative feelings towards each other for all those wasted years for nothing. My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. I felt so furious and I wanted to punch that someone who played us and separated us. 6 years. 6 f*cking long years that I cursed her and hated her to the point of not even showing Camila a picture of her even though I kept a lot of them.

I am a man but I feel tears beginning to brim my eyes.

Now that we've discovered the truth, all I wanted is for our family to be together. Even though I hated her for how many years, the love I felt for her kept hidden at the deepest corner of my heart and stayed there for a long time. I didn't want to admit it before but I knew no one could ever replace her place in my heart.

I looked at her lovingly again. Destiny meddled and made us meet again. I though destiny was playing with me when I saw her again but now I realized that destiny returned her to me for both of us to realize that we are meant to be even after all these years.

I wanted to just stare at her forever but I could already see her house. I stopped the car and stare at her more. She's really beautiful. Her soft pink lips never seized to give me that urge to capture them with my lips. I touched her cheek gently but I wanted to regret touching her when she stirred and woke up.

"Where are we?" She purred sexily while squeezing her eyes.

"In front of your house" She looked at me questioningly.

"How did you know where I live?"

"I just happened to know" I lied. The truth is, I actually followed her home the day we went together to Mr. Richards' office. I was so worried because I knew she was crying and depressed about what happened to Camila and what Mr. Richards told us. I was worried that something might happen to her.

I wanted to persuade her to talk to me that day but when she arrived to her house, I saw a guy waiting for her and talked to her. I was so jealous but I knew I didn't have the right anymore to be jealous. 

I couldn't even sleep that night because of thinking about who that guy was and thinking about Camila too that I thought I was going insane. But then I realized that I need to fight for her. She isn't married yet so I still have a chance. I decided to court her so I went to the school but I was so enraged when I saw a male teacher confessing his feelings towards her.

I was pulled out of my reverie when I realized that she was staring at me like she was wondering if I was telling the truth. I evaded her piercing gaze and swallowed inaudibly.

"Don't give me that lame answer" I am a confident and strong-willed man but I couldn't even look her in the eyes and admit that I followed her.

"If you won't answer me then I'm going" She was about to open the door when I suddenly grab her hand. She looked back at me. I opened my mouth to say what I wanted to say when my phone suddenly rang. I looked at the screen and my eye brows creased when I saw a private number calling. Normally, I don't answer calls from private numbers but something is telling me to answer it.

I gingerly picked my phone up and answer it.

"Hello" I said but nobody was talking back to me.

"Hello?" I repeated. My heart began beating faster when a familiar voice spoke.

"Daddy" I gasped for air and looked at Jewel who was staring at me with a curious look on her face.

"Camila? Is that you sweetheart? Do you know where you are? Tell me so that we can get you there right now" I said with a panicking voice, afraid that she would disappear from the line.

"Yes daddy, it's me. Mommy told me to call you and tell you that I am fine so don't worry about me" I suddenly became confuse. Mommy?

"Is that Camila? Let me talk to her" I heard Jewel said and snatched the phone from me.

"Camila? Baby? Is that you? Mommy's here" She said with a trembling voice. Hope was written all over her face and excitement. But after a couple of seconds, her brightened face became sad again. Tears quickly fell from her eyes. She slowly gave me back my phone. When I tried to listen if our daughter was still on the line, I realized that the call was already ended.

Jewel began sobbing loudly that I scoot over and hugged her. Just by looking at the pain written all over her face, I was hurting too. It hurt a lot.

"That's enough love. At least we know that she's okay" I said, trying to comfort her. I kissed her head while rubbing her back gently, showing my support.

"I-I d-didn't even h-hear her voice" My hands clenched. I didn't know what the hell these kidnappers wanted but they didn't even tell us anything. I wanted to know what they were after. Why Camila? Why our daughter?

She continued crying as I remained silent. I wanted to tell her that everything's going to be alright and all but I couldn't. It felt like a lump was in my throat, preventing me from speaking. My eyes watered but I blinked my tears back. This is not the time to show your weakness!

Then an idea popped up in my head. I dialed on my cellphone.

"Hello Hunter? Are you busy? Can we meet?" I said the moment he answered his phone. He is one of my good friends and he is very knowledgeable about technology. Not just knowledgeable but an expert. He can hack even the top organization's website if he wanted to because he has the means to do it. He's a billionaire and a young genius. I met him when we were in college through another friend of mine. Even though we had different courses.

"Sure. I'm in my penthouse right now. You can come here"

"Okay. I'll be coming there at 9 pm" I answered and ended the call. Jewel was now staring at me curiously and thankfully she stopped crying. Her eyes were red and puffy now. I could tell that she wanted to ask me about the call but she remained quiet.

"I'll go ahead" She murmured and opened the car door. I heaved a sigh and went out of the car too. I went around and approached her. We stood there for a couple of seconds while staring into each other's eyes. She was the first one to broke our eye contact and was about to open the gate to her house when I finally found my voice.

"Love...." I couldn't help but to call her by my endearment for her. She snapped her head to my direction while frowning.

"W-why are you calling me that?" She asked reluctantly. I stepped closer and held her hand.

"Because I want to. I want us to have a second chance" She looked surprise as her eyes widened. I was staring at her intently and I caught the hint of happiness in her eyes but then it disappeared as soon as it appeared. She evaded my gaze and looked down.

"I don't know Zander. A lot has happened and we unintentionally hurt each other, not to mention that Camila is still missing" She said with an almost inaudible voice. Her eyes were clouded with so much emotions.

I kissed the back of her hand.

"It's okay. I am not pressuring you. It's just that I don't want us to waste any more time. We already wasted 6 years because of false accusations to each other. We let someone destroy what we had. Even though I hated you because I though you betrayed and abandoned us, I still loved you so much and I still do until now. I don't want to deny it because it is the truth. Please think about this and give our relationship another chance. I want Camila to have a complete family the moment she comes back" She was just listening to me but then she tilted her head and met my eyes.

"I'll think about it" She answered and opened the gate.

"Do you want a cup of coffee before you leave?" I felt happy of her offer and I really wanted to go inside her house but I really need to go to Hunter's place. I need his help as soon as possible.

"I really want to but I need to go. I'm going to meet a friend of mine" I said in all honesty and kissed her cheek. She looked shocked but didn't say anything.

"Good night, Love"

"Good night...."

****

I drove to Hunter's place directly when I left Jewel's place. I arrived 5 minutes before 9 pm. I pushed the wireless video door bell.

"Come in" I heard his voice on the wireless video door bell and then the gate opened. I drove passed the gate and parked my car. Then I strode my way to the elevator. 

The guard didn't bother getting my ID because he knows me. I used to come here frequently before but when I became busy with my businesses, I just come if I need something from him. When I reached his unit, I pressed the doorbell. When the door opened, I was surprised of the way he looks. He looked like he didn't sleep for days. His beard was longer than usual. He looked like a total mess.

"What the hell dude! What happened to you?" I asked with a laugh but he just ignored me and told me to come in. I looked around his penthouse. It was clean aside from the bottles of beer which were on the coffee table. He'd been drinking.

"Don't look at me like that. C'mon, tell me what you came here for" he said with a serious tone. I shook my head with disbelief. I wanted to ask him why he's here in the USA but I just kept my mouth shut. He looked like he was not in the mood for any question and answer portion.

I took my phone from my pocket and went to my call logs.

"Someone called me a while ago but it was a private number. Do you think you can trace who's the caller?" His eyebrows creased.

"Why are you interested in knowing who it was?" I looked at him with disbelief again. It looked like he wasn't updated what's happening to me these past few days. I bet he wasn't even watching TV now. Now I knew something's wrong.

"Didn't you hear about it? My daughter got kidnapped. She called me using this private number a while ago but the call got cut off short before I could even ask her where she is" He looked shocked upon hearing it.

"I'm sorry Zand. I haven't watched TV these past few days and I wasn't even going out so I never heard about your problem. Why didn't you call me? I could've help you in any way I could" he said apologetically. I didn't ask for his help because I knew how busy he was and he isn't living here in the USA that's why I am curious why he's here and looked like this.

"It's okay. I don't know what you're problem is right now but I hope you have a time to do this" My voice was almost begging. He took my phone and inspect it. After a minute or so, he gave it back to me and then stood up.

"Okay. I'll see what I can do about this but you need to leave your phone to me. I need to bring at the headquarters"

"Okay. I'll leave this to you. When can I get it back? I have many important calls" I said.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure to tell every caller to call you on your home number. Is it okay that way?" He asked and I nodded. After a couple more minutes of conversation, I left his house with a little hope. Hope that he could trace that number to lead us where Camila is.

****

UNKNOWN's POV

"Why did you stop me from talking to daddy? I thought you wanted me to talk to him?" She asked me with a scowl. I knew she didn't like that I cut off her conversation with her father but I couldn't take the risk of her talking to Zander longer than necessary. I just let her talk to him because I know he's with that b*tch right now and I don't like it. I wanted to ruin their moment together.

"I just realized that I didn't have enough credit to make a call. Don't worry. I'll let you call him again. Just be a good girl and do whatever I tell you"

"Okay" She looked really disappointed. I gritted my teeth in anger as I remember that b*tch. I knew it. She likes him. No! Nobody can have him except me and I'll do anything to get rid of whoever wants to take him away from me.

I looked at her. She was already laying on the bed. I approached her and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Camila, what do you think of Ms. Morrison?" She smiled fondly as she heard that name.

"She's beautiful and nice. I like her" I wanted to shout in frustration because of her answer. No! This is not happening! I swear you'll pay for this, you b*tch!

****

Do you have any idea who's the kidnapper now? 

COMMENT

VOTE

SHARE

FOLLOW