âWhat do you mean? Why would the kids be missing?â Holden was furious when he received the news.
âWerenât they supposed to be monitored by the group of people at the farm? How could they disappear?â
Overwhelmed by the recent troubles with Ariana, and now the disappearance of the children, Holden felt he was on the verge of breaking down.
Adrian replied, âCalm down for a moment, okay? Some shady character infiltrated the staff and abducted the two kids from the bathroom.
Sonia and I are chasing them now.
How are things on your end? Was Sadie the one who tampered with the brakes?â
Holden could hear the hustle of traffic in the background of Adrianâs loud voice.
As Holdenâs hand holding the phone trembled, he struggled to remain composed, knowing Adrian and Sonia were in pursuit of the children.
After taking several deep breaths, he said, âWe discovered her car and the clothes she wore that night on the mountain.
It was definitely her.
â
âThat crazy bitch!â Adrian cursed.
âIf she messed with the car, itâs likely she took the kids as well.
â
Holden paused, processing the situation and realizing something.
He said, âNot necessarily.
If it were her, she wouldnât have left the children at the scene that night.
This must have been planned in advance.
â
With that thought, Holden felt a bit calmer.
It was clear they were targeting him.
If their goal was to truly shatter him, why not leave Arianaâs body right in front of him?
They hadnât done that, and it likely indicated that Ariana was still alive, perhaps held captive or hidden away.
They probably intended to use her and the children as leverage against him.
Regaining his composure, Holden told Adrian, âSend me the real-time location.
Iâm on my way to help look for the kids.
â
âOkay.
Sonia and I are handling it now.
Drive safely, and donât rush,â
Adrian advised before hanging up and forwarding the location.
Meanwhile, Sonia was driving at full speed.
She had been the first to realize that the kids hadnât come back from the restroom.
Discovering no sign of the kids and a servant unconscious, the window left wide open, she instantly knew something was wrong and sprang into action.
She and Adrian had just spotted the kidnappers starting their vehicle when they rushed out.
She then hurried Adrian into her car and set off in pursuit.
As Sonia pushed her car to its limits on the serpentine mountain road, her heart raced.
She silently prayed for the childrenâs safety.
The car ahead, evidently modified for speed, was gaining distance.
Irritated by her carâs sluggishness, Sonia pressed down hard on the accelerator, despite the relentless twists of the mountain road.
Adrian, seated next to her, appeared extremely anxious, clenching the armrest tightly and sweating as he observed Sonia accelerating.
His gaze was locked on the path ahead, especially as they passed a sharp turn, revealing a rock.
The car was about to hit the rock.
âWatch out!â Adrian shouted, his voice dripping with fear.
He clenched his eyes shut as Sonia shifted gears and whipped the wheel, pulling off a slick drift that barely missed the massive boulder.
She continued the chase with impressive speed.
Sonia glanced at Adrian, who looked like he might pass out at any second.
âAre you okay? Calm down; you can trust my driving,â she said with a c@@ky grin.
âIâm a paparazzo.
No road can beat me.
â
Adrian, feeling queasy, leaned back and tried to smile.
He gave a shaky thumbs up, too shaken to speak.