Chapter 11
Pain engulfed Claire. Her body became numb as she expressionlessly stared at nowhere in the air.
She didnât know what day it was or how long she had been asleep in a hospital bed, but she knew that not eating proper food for ten days caused huge damage to her body.
She could feel her bones trembling. Her body felt paper light while her lashes weighed down with exhaustion.
All of this she did was for what? Her husband didnât even care to spare her a glance when he saw her.
It was after ten days they met. But still, he left hurriedly as if she was not in a hospital bed with a bandage on
The screeching sound of parting door made her lift her eyes. Claire noticed Cole standing on the doorstep with a frown. âWhatâs up with your husband? He left like a hurricane. He came inside
the bod
hrad.
âSomething to do with Zara Claire spoke in a voice lacking emotions.
It still oozed with pain.
Coleâs back stiffened. He gritted his teeth as he shook his head.
âZara!â He huffed while turning around to leave the ward.
He met Claireâs best friend outside, Penelope Baker. A brunette beauty with lushâhued gaze, little nose and pouty lips. She was out of the country when Claireâs anniversary was there. As a fashion designer by profession, she often left Bloomcrest to conduct fashion weeks that featured her designs.
It was only in the afternoon that she returned⦠Only to get the news of Claire bring admitted to hospital last night. âCan I meet her?â Penelope asked. But seeing Coleâs facial features she furrowed her brows, âIs Claire alright?â
âPenelope, c can you stay here please? I have an errand to run and itâs important Cole held her hands expectantly,
Penelope nodded and before she said anything. Cole murmured a thank you and caught the elevator.
He came down in the lobby, Luckily, Hunter was still there. He was waiting for his car to come. However, he appeared very pale and concerned. âHunter, what you did upstairs is pathetic! You left your sick wife. Why?
Cole yelled, not caring about the onlookers. He cared for his best friendâs future. And clearly, Hunter was destroying his future for a woman who shouldnât be his priority
âHunter, Iâm talking to youâ Cole grabbed his wrist,
Nevertheless, Hunter jerked his hand away and eyed him so intensely that Cole numbed in his spot
âDo you even know whatâs going on with Zarat Sheâs fucking kidnapped, Cole. Someone kidnapped her right from the front of my hotel Hunterâs words made Coleâs jaw drop.
âKidnappedâ Zara! Fuckâ¦â He blinked his eyes shockingly
He cared for Claire as a friend. But he used to be close with Zara too when she was dating Hunter.
He might be supporting Claire during these complicated circumstances, he couldnât ignore what Hunter just mentioned.
Without further delay, both of them got inside Hunterâs car. While they were on their way to his hotel, Hunter disclosed what he has been keeping to himself about Zara.
âShe didnât deserve the life she lived in the last two years, Cole. Zara was tormented by her Inâlaws and husband for something she didnât do.â
Hunter passed his phone to Cole with the gallery of his phone open. He presented some gruesome images of a womanâs back laden with dark and dirty scars.
Coleâs mouth twisted as he saw them.
âCliffordâs business began to fall with time after his marriage. He and his parents blamed Zara for being a jinx in their lives. She would be beaten up
La
Chapter II
daily. She suffered in that hell with those monsters for two years. Cole. And even after Clifford died with a heart attack, her inâlaws blamed herâ
âZara would have been dead that night on my marriage anniversary had I not dragged her into my car with me. Her Inâlaws hate her.â He said with panic and anger lacing his voice.
âWhy didnât she report it to the cops or tell her parents anything about this?â Cole asked, feeling pitiful for Zara.
âWith Cliffordâs family being powerful since his uncle was a politician, she couldnât turn to anyone. She quietly endured their torture.â
âHer parents died a while ago. Zara had nowhere to go. If she opened her mouth to tell the cops, she may have to go through worse. Henceforth, she did any helpless woman in her position wouldâstay quiet and bare everything Hunter informed
Although Coleâs heart bled for Zara, he kept quiet. As someone who was in support of Claire against this woman Hunter and him was going to search for, it would look weird if he said anything.
They came to the hotel and straight to his penthouse. They met a brawny guard inside, who had worried lines on his forehead.
Hunter asked him what happened, âMiss Levine left after you to catch some fresh air, sir. When she didnât return even though itâs been more than thirty minutes, I went to check after her. She wasnât there anywhere. Then I checked the CCTV footage and found out a pair of masked men forcing her inside a black van.â
He showed them some footage. Cole was at a loss for words. He didnât know what to comment. He just stared at Hunter and was annused by his tranquil features.
âHow could he be so calm?! He asked himself.
While Hunterâs legally wedded wife was in the hospital with a head injury, his old lover was kidnapped. In either case, a man in his place would feel
clueless and sweat.
As for Hunter, his eyes were Hawkâlike sharp as he perused the footage. His fingers danced expertly on the keyboard as he zoomed in and out of the footage to collect clues. There was no line of apprehension on his face at all.
But still, at this moment he looked less concerned than yesterday when he came to the hospital to meet Claire. Yesterday, he appeared worried and jittery. His face was pale and some sweat beads had covered his forehead.
âFound them! Theyâre in a warehouse behind the White Lake.
Cole flickered his lashes. When he composed himself and glanced at the laptop, he saw a red dot on a map. While he was busy studying Hunter, he dug out her location effortlessly.
âDid you breach into the CCTV f
footage around the city? Cole asked, curious to know how he could do it so quickly
Getting up, Hunter loaded his licensed gun and said, âI presumed her Inâlaws will try to get back at her any time. So I gifted her a ring with a tracker installed in it
Coleâs eyes flew open.
âHe gave her a ring! Claire will be so hurt if she hears that.
He thought because in their elite society, a man only gave a woman a ring to promise her a marriage.
If his motive was to protect her, he could give her a necklace, or an anklet, or a bracelet, or something else with the tracker hidden in it. Why a ring!
Cole wished to knock some senses in his best friendâs head. But just then, âWant to come with me? Hunter asked, causing his mouth to drop. They were best friends. They vowed to stand by each otherâs side and take each otherâs back during times of difficulties.
However, with what was going on currently in one of their lives, they have come to a point where a friend had to literally ask another friend whether he was willing to join him on a mission that meant a lot to him.
âHave I ever left you alone in such a situation before?â Cole said with a small smile.
It brought a smile of gratitude on Hunterâs lips too before they patted each otherâs back and entered the elevator.
The warehouse wasnât far away from Hunterâs hotel. They got there in ten minutes. The outside of the warehouse was clear so they tiptoed inside without meeting any problem.
However, when they came a little deeper inside, they could hear a woman cry for help, âPlease, no, donât hurt me! Iâm a widow, Please have mercyâ
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Chapter II
Toc
This is shocking, isnât this? What do you think it is⦠Zaraâs game or real kidnapping!
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