After Daniel left the office, the cool night air did little to temper the inferno raging inside him. He marched back to his Rolls-Royce, his steps echoing with the anger that he struggled to keep under control. Sliding into the driver's seat, he gripped the steering wheel with white-knuckled intensity. His mind was a maelstrom of worry and frustration, and he knew he needed to act fast. Lina's safety was paramount, and every second that ticked by without her presence amplified his anxiety.
With a deep breath, Daniel pulled out his phone and dialed Bella's number. Each ring felt like an affront to his authority, a direct challenge to his patience. He had always been a man who commanded immediate action and respect; no one dared to make him wait. But for Lina's sake, he was willing to endure this insolence, even if it made his blood boil. After all, his feelings for Lina were a powerful force, compelling him to act with restraint where he otherwise might not.
The phone rang four times, and with each unanswered chime, Daniel's anger flared hotter. By the sixth ring, he was practically seething. Finally, Bella picked up, her voice a harsh crackle of fury. "You son of a bitch, what do you want?"
Daniel's response was immediate and cold. He had no time for pleasantries. "Is Lina at home?" he demanded, his tone sharp and unyielding.
Bella's reaction was explosive. "What the hell have you done to her, you bastard?" she screamed, her voice brimming with hostility. "Why the hell are you asking me?"
Daniel's grip on the phone tightened, the plastic creaking under the pressure. He took a steadying breath, forcing himself to maintain control. "I don't have time for your accusations, Bella," he snapped. "Just tell me if Lina is at home."
There was a tense silence on the other end, punctuated only by Bella's ragged breathing. Daniel could almost hear her trying to calm herself down, to think through her anger. "No," she finally spat, her voice dripping with venom. "She's not here. I haven't seen her since you took her away this morning. Why are you looking for her? What have you done?"
Daniel's heart sank. The confirmation that Lina wasn't at home only heightened his worry. Without another word, he hung up, the finality of the click echoing in the silent car. Bella's curses faded into the background noise of his mind, replaced by the urgent need to find Lina.
He sat there for a moment, his mind racing through possibilities. Every scenario that came to mind seemed worse than the last. He knew he had to act quickly; Lina's safety depended on it.
After hanging up on Bella, Daniel's frustration morphed into a laser-focused determination. He needed to find Lina, and he knew exactly who to call next. He dialed the number of his employee stationed in the CCTV control room, the man responsible for monitoring the vast network of security cameras around Blackwood Enterprises and the surrounding areas. The phone rang only once before it was answered, the employee's voice tentative on the other end.
"Check the footage and tell me where Lina went after she left the building," Daniel ordered, his voice clipped and icy. He didn't wait for a response before ending the call, the silence in the car amplifying his growing sense of urgency.
Minutes felt like hours as he sat there, his fingers drumming impatiently on the steering wheel. Finally, the phone rang, and he answered it immediately. The employee's voice came through, hesitant and nervous. "Sir, it looks like she tried to hail a taxi, but she ended up walking down the street."
Daniel's jaw tightened, his patience wearing thin. "And?" he demanded, his tone frosty.
There was a pause on the other end, as if the employee was gathering his courage. "She walked down the street and... and someone was following her. I couldn't get a clear look at their face. Lina seemed to notice and turned into a corner that has no CCTV coverage."
Daniel's temper flared. "Do you want me to also walk down the street? With no destination in mind" he roared, his voice echoing with a menacing edge. "Is that your brilliant solution?" He cursed at the employee, his frustration boiling over.
The employee stammered, his fear palpable. "I-I'm sorry, sir. That's all the footage shows. The person following her... it was hard to make out any details. I tried to enhance the footage, but it's too grainy."
Immediately after the employee informed Daniel about the situation, Daniel's mind went into overdrive. He needed to see the footage for himself. "Send me the footage on my mobile phone, now," he ordered, his voice sharp and commanding. The employee, sensing the urgency in Daniel's tone, quickly complied.
Within moments, Daniel's phone buzzed, and he opened the video file. He watched intently as Lina appeared on the screen, trying to hail a taxi. His heart ached at the sight of her looking vulnerable on the empty street. He observed her glancing over her shoulder, noticing the person following her. With a sinking feeling, he saw her turn into the corner that led out of the camera's view.
He took a deep breath, trying to steady his thoughts. Lina was resourceful and strong, but the idea of her being followed, possibly threatened, sent a cold shiver down his spine. He needed to find her, and fast. He couldn't afford to waste any more time.
He dialed another number, this time reaching out to his private security team. They were the best in the business, and he trusted them implicitly. "I need a full search," he barked into the phone. "Lina's been followed, and she's turned into an area with no CCTV coverage. I want every available resource on this. Now."
The response was immediate and professional. "Understood, sir. We'll start tracking her last known location and deploy teams to search the surrounding areas."
Daniel ended the call and leaned back in his seat, his mind still racing. He hated feeling this helpless, this out of control. His thoughts kept returning to Lina, and the look she must have had when she realized she was being followed. It fueled his anger.
Without wasting another second, Daniel ignited his car and drove down the street at breakneck speed. His mind raced with thoughts of Lina, the danger she might be in, and the urgency of finding her before it was too late. The city lights blurred past him as he navigated the familiar streets with precision, each turn bringing him closer to the narrow corner she had entered.
He arrived at the corner, a narrow alleyway that his Rolls-Royce couldn't navigate. Daniel cursed under his breath, knowing he had no choice but to continue on foot. He jumped out of the car, not bothering to lock it, and began to walk briskly down the dimly lit alley. The walls on either side felt like they were closing in on him, heightening his sense of urgency.
As he moved deeper into the alley, his footsteps echoing in the stillness, he scanned every shadow, every nook and cranny. His senses were on high alert, his mind a whirlwind of scenarios, each more troubling than the last. He couldn't shake the image of Lina's frightened face as she realized she was being followed.