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Samuel

We’re getting closer, I knew it in my fucking bones.

I can smell the vanilla scent of her skin, as if I could reach out and glide my fingertips across it.

“What does the IP say?” I hiss at Joshua between clenched teeth.

She’s gone. The last piece of your sanity is…gone.

Shut up.

“We tracked it, but it doesn’t make sense.

” Joshua waits for me to ask why, but I don’t.

He needs to just spit it out. I don’t have time to play these games, not when Eden’s life is at stake.

“It shows Florida but that’s the other side of the country.

I don’t believe someone would take her that far.

” He turns his chair, facing me, “I think it’s a cover-up.

We’ll have to comb through this to try and detect any slip-ups or irregularities in this IP connection. ”

“And how long will that take?”

“Depends, sir. I don’t know who their guy is but his coding looks flawless. I can’t give you a time frame on how long it will take. He got into our system…and I don’t know how or where he slipped in. We need to follow any trail they might have left.”

“Are you telling me you can’t do this?”

“I’m telling you I need time to do it, sir.”

“Get it done, Joshua.” He nods, turning his chair to stare at the multiple computer screens in the room I’ve now turned into his office.

I had Joshua relocated here so that if anything happened, I would be close enough to see it. I didn’t want to risk him having to waste seconds to call me.

I make my way to the dining room. Abigail stands by the kitchen entrance and my mother sits with her dinner plate.

“Still no luck finding that girl?”

“My wife you mean, mother?” My eyes still locked onto Abigail’s face.

She won’t look at me, not after I had my men punish her.

She just stands there with her head dipped to her feet, fear in her eyes.

I don’t expect her to say anything. It’s not like she could with her tongue cut out.

I had our doctors stitch it up to aid the healing process.

She can’t lie or tell a sin again, I promised her she wouldn’t be able to.

Once I knew I couldn’t get anything else out of her, I gave the signal to execute her punishment.

No one wast even bothered by it. Mother, on the other hand, was pissed off because now one of our main housemaids didn’t have a voice.

That was until she realized that now she could just bark at her all day without any complaint.

Abigail became her main housemaid, having to follow her around like a puppy dog.

“Have you thought about the fact that maybe she left of her own free will? Maybe she didn’t want to stay here? Maybe she doesn’t want to be found?”

“Not possible, she loves me.” I snapped at her.

“Does she now?”

“Mother.” I give her a warning tone.

“Your father loved her too…seems like all the Donovan men have been infatuated with her ever since she stepped foot in Everton.”

“She was never going to be Father’s.”

“You made sure of that, didn't you?” Her eyes lock with mine as she bites a piece of roasted carrot from her plate. My jaw tenses as she chews with a smirk on her lips. “You think because I’m a woman, I am stupid. When in reality, I see everything, Samuel. I’ve seen that possessive demon in you since I gave birth to you. ”

“Father–”

“I know you’ll take good care of me, Samuel.

I am your mother after all, a widowed woman in the town of Everton.

” She pats her lips and stands, walking around the table and stopping at my side.

“And I’ll take care of you because you are my son.

A mother would never turn on her son.” She kisses the top of my head before leaving the dining room. Abigail trailing right behind her.

Fuck.