Ethan and Alexandria exited the private office and walked back through the administrative building. The young men were still clearing out the Dean's wing, confirming that Alexandria's career at the University was effectively over.

"Do you have a car?" Ethan asked as they reached the main entrance. "I lost mine in a rather spectacular accident some time ago, just before I was arrested."

"I do," Alexandria said, managing a brief, weary smile.

They walked over to a pristine, latest-generation silver Mercedes sedan. Ethan admired the sleek lines as they approached.

"Quite nice," Ethan commented. "You drive."

"You are far too accustomed to being a magnate, aren't you?" Alexandria said, but she took the driver's seat immediately. "But fine. Let's head to my apartment to wait for news."

She started the powerful engine and pulled smoothly away from the curb. As she drove, her calm facade began to crumble. She pulled out her cell phone and quickly began dialing a number.

It rang several times. No answer.

She hung up and immediately dialed the number again, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the steering wheel. Still, no answer. Panic began to set in, replacing her previous resignation.

"What's happened?" Ethan asked, placing a reassuring hand on her back. "Who are you calling?"

"It's my sister," Alexandria said, her voice shaking violently. "She's watching my daughter, Emily. I've been calling them all day, and they were fine, but now—nobody is answering! I can't understand why!"

Ethan squeezed her shoulder gently. "Calm down. It might just be an error. Maybe they're asleep, or their phone died."

His attempts to comfort her failed. Alexandria didn't calm down; instead, she accelerated, pushing the Mercedes far past the speed limit.

They soon arrived at a highly exclusive, upscale gated community. Alexandria didn't wait for the security guard to check them in; she simply sped past the gate, screeching to a halt in front of a sprawling, luxurious house.

Alexandria threw the car door open and ran toward the front door without waiting for Ethan.

She burst inside.

The interior of the luxury home was in utter disarray. It wasn't the mess of a robbery, but the chaos of an urgent and aggressive search. Drawers were overturned, clothes were strewn everywhere as if someone had been desperately looking for something, and personal items had been haphazardly pulled from shelves.

Alexandria instantly transitioned into a state of blind, frantic terror. She screamed, running through the downstairs rooms, shouting and cursing as she desperately called out her daughter's and her sister's names. She raced upstairs, Ethan following close behind. They searched the entire house, but there was no sign of life.

"Emily! Samantha! Where are you?" Alexandria shrieked, collapsing onto the floor of the master bedroom, surrounded by overturned furniture.

Ethan, maintaining his composure, began to quickly assess the scene. He noticed that while there was clear evidence of a search and things being tossed aside, nothing appeared to be actually broken. No smashed windows, no forced doors, and notably, the largest pieces of expensive furniture and artwork were missing.

It looks more like an aggressive moving job than an attack, Ethan thought.

He walked back to Alexandria, who was weeping uncontrollably.

"Alexandria," Ethan said firmly. "Listen to me. They aren't here, but nothing is broken. It looks more like they left, or were moved. Did you warn them? Did you tell them that someone was looking for you and that they should escape, or give them some kind of code word to indicate they needed to flee?"

Alexandria looked up, her face wet with tears and despair.

"No," Alexandria wept. "No, I didn't tell them anything. I didn't want to scare them."

Ethan knew the time for comfort was over. He walked quickly to the large window overlooking the manicured lawn. From this vantage point, he could see clear tire tracks pressed into the grass near the edge of the property. The tracks were wide, heavy, and spoke of a large vehicle that had parked hastily. Yet, the scene was oddly calm; the tracks didn't suggest a struggle or a violent departure.

Strange. No obvious sign of abduction, just relocation, Ethan thought.

Just as Ethan turned back into the room, Alexandria's cell phone rang—a shrill, jarring sound that cut through the silence. She looked at the screen, her eyes wide with fresh horror, and frantically snatched it up.

"Hello? Hello!" Alexandria cried out.

The voice on the other end was muffled, but loud enough for Ethan to hear the venomous hostility. Alexandria's end of the conversation was pure desperation.

"Please! Please bring my daughter back! Don't hurt her! I'll do whatever you say!" Alexandria pleaded, tears streaming down her face as she backed against the wall.

"Listen to me, you worthless whore!" a rough, male voice snarled through the receiver. "You fucked up. You thought you could resist us? Now your little brat and your sister pay the price! You have two hours to get your goddamn ass to the abandoned warehouse on Pier 17. And you better bring one million dollars in untraceable cash or we will gut the little bitch and send you the pieces, you understand?"

"One million dollars? I don't have that kind of money! You have to believe me! I just resigned! Please, I'll do anything! Just tell me what you need!" Alexandria sobbed, collapsing to her knees, completely broken.

"Silence! You figure it out, you slut! Two hours! Pier 17! And if you call the cops, we kill them both and then find you and watch you die slowly! Don't be late!"

The line clicked dead, leaving a high-pitched dial tone ringing in the quiet room.

Alexandria screamed, throwing the phone against the wall, where it shattered into pieces. She dissolved into a heap on the floor, rocking back and forth, sobbing uncontrollably.

Ethan moved instantly. He knelt beside her, his expression now utterly devoid of humor or pity, replaced by a cold, murderous focus. He grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to look at him.

"Stop screaming," Ethan commanded, his voice sharp and penetrating. "Where is Pier 17? We need to move now."

Alexandria could only stare at him, paralyzed by shock and fear.

"We need the money! A million dollars! We can't—"

"I heard the instructions," Ethan said, cutting her off, his eyes blazing with intent. "We are going. I'll get the money. Just tell me where that warehouse is."

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