Chapter 7 The Devil Wears a Smile

Kael's gates opened like the jaws of a beast, slow and silent, as if inviting me into the belly of something ancient and evil like a trapped house for rodent.

I could feel it the moment I stepped onto his property - the shift in air, the heaviness, like secrets were stitched into the walls. The guards watched me but didn't move. They knew who I was. More importantly, they knew why I was here.

I wasn't here to talk about business.

I was here to send a message.

I was here to tell him that I'm not afraid of his game.

Kael sat on the back patio, a glass of red wine in his hand, legs crossed like he didn't have a care in the world. The man was older now - streaks of gray in his hair, lines on his face - but the devil behind those eyes hadn't aged a day.

"Micheal Knight," he said, raising his glass in mock greeting. "The prodigal bastard returns."

I didn't sit.

"Why is my son sick?"

I asked him with a furious face.

He chuckled, swirling the wine. "Straight to the point. I always admired that about you. No pleasantries. No posturing. Just raw suspicion. Like your father."

"Don't mention him."

I said to him in an anxious manner.

Kael stood, moving like a serpent - slow, graceful, calculated.

"I've done nothing to your child," he said, smile still painted on. "But maybe you should ask yourself why a boy barely five years old already has enemies."

I stepped closer. "If you touched him-"

"You'll what?" he interrupted smoothly. "Kill me? Ruin me? Please. Save the empty threats, Micheal. You're playing a dangerous game with someone who invented the rules."

I glared at him. "You've been watching Isabella since before I knew she existed. Why?"

"Because she matters to you," he replied without hesitation. "And anything that matters to you... eventually becomes leverage."

There it was. No sugarcoating. No veil.

The man wasn't hiding it anymore.

"You poisoned my son?"

"No," he said, voice turning colder. "But if I had, he wouldn't still be breathing."

That line struck like ice through my spine.

I wanted to hit him. Tear him apart. But that's what he wanted - for me to lose control, to act on emotion. And if I did that now, I'd give him everything he needed to bury me.

So instead, I stepped back.

"You come near them again," I said slowly, "and I'll make sure you never breathe easy again."

Kael tilted his head, a smile creeping across his lips like a scar.

"They're already too deep in your world," he said. "You think love can protect them? Power maybe? Let me tell you something, Micheal - the ones closest to you? They always pay the highest price."

He raised his glass once more.

"Cheers... father."

I turned and walked away, my heart pounding like a war drum in my chest.

Because I knew.

He didn't just know about Liam.

He knew Liam was mine.

When I got back to the penthouse, the place was quiet. Too quiet.

"Where's Isabella?" I asked Jules, who was reviewing some documents on the couch.

She blinked. "I thought she was with you."

I froze.

My feet moved before my brain caught up, carrying me to Liam's room.

Empty.

The sheets were still rumpled. His toy bunny was gone. The drawer with his meds was half open.

A note sat on the dresser.

I snatched it up, hands shaking.

Micheal, I'm sorry. I know you mean well, but I can't do this. I can't raise Liam in fear, or let him become a pawn in someone else's war. He's already suffering. I have to do what's best for him.

Please don't try to find us. I won't let him get caught in this again.

No.

No. No. No!

I stormed out, phone already to my ear.

"Track her," I ordered Marcus. "She took Liam. She's running."

"What?" His voice was shocked. "Micheal-where would she even go?"

"She's scared. She thinks she's protecting him. But she's putting him in more danger. Kael won't stop."

I slammed my fist against the wall. "Find her!"

Jules stepped into the hallway, her expression twisted in concern. "She just left without saying goodbye?"

I handed her the note, and for the first time since this nightmare began, I felt truly powerless.

Not because of Kael. Not because of enemies or rivals or secrets.

But because the woman I loved didn't trust me enough to stay.

Ten hours later, Marcus called.

"We have a hit."

"Where?"

"Bus station. She bought two tickets to a small town three hours out - no security cams, minimal law enforcement. Quiet. Isolated. Perfect for someone trying to disappear."

I was already grabbing my keys.

"You're going there?"

"I have to."

"But what if she doesn't want to see you?"

"I don't care," I said coldly. "My son needs help. And I won't let him vanish into the dark because she's scared."

Jules met me at the elevator, holding out my coat. "Bring them home."

I nodded.

But as the doors closed and the elevator descended, something nagged at me.

Isabella was smart.

Too smart to run without backup. Too smart to leave in broad daylight unless she wanted to be tracked.

Which meant...

What if she wanted me to find her?

And if so - why?

The bus station was nearly deserted when I arrived, the air thick with late-night fog and distant city lights. I stepped out, scanning the benches, the shadows, the waiting areas.

Then I saw her.

Isabella. Hood up, backpack over her shoulder, clutching Liam close in her arms.

Her eyes met mine across the distance.

She didn't look surprised.

She looked... afraid.

"Isabella," I called out, stepping forward.

But then-

Behind her, a black van screeched to a halt.

Two men in masks jumped out.

She screamed.

I ran.

Liam was ripped from her hands.

And before I could reach them-

The van sped off.

Taking my son with it.