Chapter 6 Missing

Night cloaked the room in a serene stillness.

Valerie's hands moved deftly as she applied the ointment to Jonathan's unmoving form. Though her ears turned slightly red, she kept her expression calm and composed, focused on her task.

When she finished, she sighed softly, placing the ointment back on the bedside table. Sinking into the soft bed, she let her gaze linger on Jonathan's picture-perfect features.

Lucy's playful teasing from the day before replayed in her mind, making her cheeks flush despite herself. Valerie pulled the covers around her, letting the gentle warmth lull her to sleep.

A subtle scent-her own delicate fragrance-filled the space. Suddenly, Jonathan stirred. The calm stillness that had held him captive shifted as his brow creased, as though catching hold of that gentle aroma in the air. His closed lids twitched, and then lifted ever so slowly. His eyes glimmered in the dim light, quietly observing Valerie.

......

The night grew heavier, silence thick in the air.

"Mom! No..."

Valerie shot up from her sleep, gasping, her chest rising and falling rapidly as cold sweat clung to her skin.

The remnants of the nightmare lingered-a grotesque image of Craig's sneering face seared into her mind. Her heart clenched with an ache that only strengthened her resolve.

She had to find her mother, and fast!

The determination in her eyes sharpened as she glanced toward Jonathan's side of the bed.

With a deep breath, she rose, her movements steady despite the tremor of emotions beneath her calm exterior.

It was time to adjust Jonathan's position again, ensuring his circulation remained healthy and preventing muscle stiffness.

Her hand extended instinctively toward where he should have been lying, but she froze mid-motion.

The sheets were cold. Her fingers brushed emptiness where his body should have been. Jonathan was gone.

Valerie's breath hitched, disbelief sweeping over her.

The light flooded the room, illuminating the stark truth-an empty bed.

Valerie's fingers moved instinctively, dialing the internal line of the Holt residence.

"Lucy! Something's wrong!" Valerie's voice cut through the night like a blade, the urgency unmistakable.

Moments later, hurried footsteps thundered down the hallway, followed by a deafening crash as the door flew open.

Nikolas entered like a storm unleashed, his faux outrage painted across his face with theatrical intensity. A crowd of Holt family members swarmed in behind him, their sharp gazes scanning the room.

"Where is Jonathan?" Nikolas growled, his voice a venomous accusation.

Without hesitation, he lunged toward Valerie, grabbing her by the collar and dragging her across the room. His grip was rough, his anger barely contained.

For a moment, Valerie's shock rooted her in place, but then she caught the glint of triumph lurking in Nikolas' eyes. That flicker of smugness snapped everything into sharp focus.

This wasn't panic. This wasn't concern. This was a trap.

Surely, the Holt family could afford to have world-class security. The idea that their most prized yet unconscious heir could vanish without a trace was absurd-unless someone had orchestrated it from the inside.

And all signs pointed to Nikolas.

Valerie's eyes darkened, cold and sharp as she shook off Nikolas' grip with a controlled force. Straightening her posture, she stood tall, her presence commanding despite the tension in the room.

"When I woke up, Jonathan was already gone!" she argued. "Despite what some idiots might think, if I really wanted to harm him, would I still be standing here, waiting for the circus to arrive and point fingers at me?"

Valerie lifted her chin ever so slightly, her eyes sweeping over the gathered crowd with an air of cool indifference.

"And you," she added, her tone heavy with disdain. "As I recall, you've long since distanced yourself from the Holt residence. Strange, isn't it? How you seem so intimately aware of its inner workings tonight. Almost as if you knew exactly what would happen."

Nikolas' face darkened, his earlier smugness crumbling under the weight of her accusations.

This woman was deliberately ridiculing him, treating him like a fool in front of everyone!

Nikolas' face twisted into a mask of fury, his eyes burning with indignation. He snapped his gaze toward the bodyguards and barked, "Why are you standing there like statues? Restrain her! Show her what happens when someone crosses the Holt family!"

Valerie raised an eyebrow, her expression calm but tinged with faint amusement, as if watching a child throw a tantrum.

Still, it was no joke.

If Nikolas managed to pin this on her, the fallout would be catastrophic. She'd be cast out, her connection to the Holt family severed, and with it, any hope of rescuing her mother. No, she wouldn't let him win.

A steely light flickered in Valerie's eyes as she made her choice. Without hesitation, she reached for the bedside lamp and hurled it to the floor.

"Even without Jonathan present, you don't have the authority to give orders here. Don't forget who I am now."

Her words landed with precision, silencing the murmurs and making the bodyguards hesitate.

But Nikolas wasn't one to back down. His face flushed with humiliation, and his lips curled into a snarl. He lashed out, kicking a bodyguard's leg. "Move, you idiots!" he shouted, venom dripping from his voice. "Stefan's not here! That makes me the one in charge!"

The bodyguards, spurred by the threat, began closing in on Valerie.

Valerie's gaze hardened as she shifted her stance, her body ready for action.

She could handle them-it wouldn't be difficult-but unleashing chaos here would be a double-edged sword. This was the Holt estate, and every move she made would be scrutinized, twisted, and used against her.

And then there was Craig. That man still held Valerie's mother in his grip, a weapon he'd wield against her the moment Valerie made a misstep. She couldn't afford to let her emotions rule her now.

Valerie's hands unclenched, her fingers loosening as she prepared to take another approach. But before she could act, a low, gravelly voice cut through the tension like a blade slicing through silk.

"I didn't realize you had grown so bold, Nikolas."

Nikolas jerked back at the sound of that voice, his entire body trembling. His face instantly drained of color.