With Grahamâs agreement to assist, Lucindaâs demeanor softened, yet her warning was laced with caution.
âYouâve committed to this task.
Should Nala and Danilo elude us, for any reason, Iâll take it as your decision to align with her, opting to stand by idly,â she stated firmly.
Lucinda was well aware of Grahamâs influence.
Despite his temporary step back from the business scene, his network remained intact.
If he chose to act, success was almost certain.
In essence, Lucinda would tolerate no excuses for failure.
The responsibility, she implied, would squarely fall on Grahamâs shoulders should they not manage to detain Nala and Danilo.
Graham received her message loud and clear, responding with a nod, âUnderstood.
Iâm on it immediately.
â
With Nala and Daniloâs flight scheduled for 11 PM, they had only a few hours remaining.
Lucindaâs role now was to await Grahamâs execution of their plan.
She extended her hand for the paternity test report, which Graham returned to her before attending to the task at hand with his phone.
Giving Graham the privacy he needed to work, Lucinda excused herself and descended the stairs to discuss the situation concerning Nala with Violeta and Jennifer.
After ensuring Lucindaâs safe return, Nathan made his way back to the Paynesâ house.
As the evening deepened, with Norton yet to awaken from his induced rest, the Payne family remained gathered, hesitant to leave his side.
Nathan, choosing not to join the anxious assembly inside, paused in the garden, his gaze fixed through the window at the tableau within the brightly lit villa.
Kern and Sonny, standing a step behind, awaited his direction.
Nathan broke the silence with a query about Ronan.
âRonan was the last to see Grandpa and I heard he wept at Grandpaâs bedside while Grandpa was in a coma.
Whereâs he now?â he pondered aloud.
Kern, puzzled, replied, âMr.
Ronan Payne was in the living room after he was asked to leave the old masterâs room.
Weâve had eyes on him the whole time-he may have gone to the toilet.
Iâll have it checked.
â
Nathan acknowledged this with a nod.
Ronanâs absence at such a crucial juncture painted him a suspect in Nathanâs mind, a notion he found disheartening given Ronanâs familial ties.
Shortly, Kern returned with unsettling news.
âMr.
Ronan Payne has vanished.
Despite being watched, heâs somehow slipped away.
â
With Ronan missing, Nathan knew immediate action was necessary.
He instructed Sonny, âReview the surveillance footage from our garage.
If Ronanâs left in a vehicle, find him without delay.
â
âUnderstood.
â Sonny promptly left for the task.
Nathan was still in his military uniform, his expression unwavering as he made his way into the living room.
His entrance halted the scattered conversations among those gathered in the hall.
They rose to their feet, a murmur of âMr.
Payneâ greeting him.
Nathan acknowledged the greeting with a minimal nod, his focus undeterred.
Choosing not to settle into the comfort of the main sofa, he positioned himself in the open area across from the tea table, facing his relatives squarely.
Addressing them, he conveyed, âHilliard and our medical team are tending to Grandpa upstairs.
Theyâre well-equipped to ensure his recovery.
Considering the hour, thereâs no further need for you all to remain.
Please, feel free to head home.
â