And Adrian, his best friend, as precious to him as Ariana and his children, had sacrificed everything to come here, only to disappear.
He didnât know if Adrian was still alive or not.
Clenching his fists, Holden pushed the thought from his mind.
Since waking up, he had been frantically searching for Adrian, but all his efforts were in vain.
In the dense woods, a missing person often meant only one grim outcome: death at the hands of the wilderness.
Bennett was responsible for this.
Holdenâs fury was reaching a boiling point.
He released one hand that had been holding Bennett down and reached for Bennettâs throat, squeezing tightly.
Bennettâs face turned crimson, his breathing became strained, and his brain was deprived of oxygen
.
âHoldenâ¦â Fear of death filled Bennettâs eyes.
After a desperate struggle, he grasped Holdenâs hand with all his remaining strength, gasping, âIf you kill me, youâll never find Ariana.
Iâm the only one who knows where she is.
â
When Bennett brought up Arianaâs name, Holden involuntarily loosened his grip.
He furrowed his brow and shot Bennett a piercing glare.
âIâve already sent Ariana away.
You canât deceive me.
â
Bennett, having narrowly escaped a grim fate, took several deep breaths before answering with a touch of sarcasm, âYou really have no clue about your girlfriend, or about me, do you?â
He wore a smirk.
âDo you believe sheâs safe now?â
A wave of dread washed over Holden.
Was it possible that Bennett had lured Ariana back into danger?
Fury built up inside him, and he could no longer restrain himself.
He seized Bennett by the collar and asked, âWhere is Ariana? What have you done to her?â
âWhat do you think?â Bennett taunted with a sneer.
âThe poor woman was too trusting.
She came back searching for you, still foolishly thinking you were unbeatable.
She climbed off a cliff in her search and was kidnapped againâ¦â
He paused, his smile broadening.
âBut donât blame this on me.
I was just about to ensure her safety when she decided to distract the wolves to rescue me and ended up captured.
â
Bennett stressed âto rescue meâ deliberately, eager to gauge Holdenâs response, possibly looking for a spark of jealousy.