Rowan POV
In the end, I realized what Marcus said made sense.
I can not claim Hanna fully until Linda’s case is closed.
I can’t have her doubt my words when I finally claim her for myself.
With that thought, I grabbed my phone.
“Aren’t you doing anything except to harass me?” I rudely asked Marcus when he laid his back on my bed, looking like he had no intention of leaving my room.
“Go on. Just call whoever you wish to call. I am not going to bother you. I will just lie here.” He told me, acting nonchalant.
Rowan POV“What do you mean she is gone? Where could she have been? I thought you were watching her day in and day out!” I barked on the phone, frustratedly brushing an errant strand of hair that fell to my face.My glasses had gone askew, but I had forgotten about them.My mind was too focused on what Rico, my head bodyguard, was telling me.I righted the glasses, but they almost broke at the force of my hold.“I don’t know what happened, sir. She called in sick yesterday, and now, I received word from her office that she resigned at Hunters.”
Rowan POVIt had been two months, one week, and three days since Hanna resigned from Hunter Hotel Vegas. Since then, even if I turned Vegas and all the neighboring states over, I can’t find any trace of her. It was like Hanna had disappeared on the face of the earth. The airport and docks manifesto revealed nothing about her, so my conclusion was she fled Vegas by car. “You are all useless!” I cried to Rico after he reported that their efforts to find Hanna had all been fruitless.Then, I threw the empty bottle of whisky to him. Unfortunately, since I already saw double, it did not hit him.Rico, for his part, did not dodge the bottle. I watched in frustration as the bottle landed on the floor with a loud crack and glass shards splashed out in different directions. I grabbed another bottle to hurl it on the floor, but Briana’s voice stopped me. “Rowan, what are you doing?” In my blurry vision, I could see her looking horrified, standing just outside the door to my house. I gri
Rowan POV“You deserve it.” Briana scoffed when she saw me looking problematic.We already combined our resources, calling our friends in the business world to get enough leads on Hanna Walker, but all our efforts were futile.There was no Hanna Walker in their employ.“You cannot find a person who does not want to be found,” Marcus said sagely.I snorted at him. “I was still angry at you. All this time, you came to my house to badger me. You were getting information about Hanna and passing it on to our sister.”Marcus grinned and flashed me a peace sign with his fingers.“It’s your fault. Don’t pass the blame on us. If you came out clean and did not make Hanna overthink, do you think she would leave?” Marcus shot back.“I was on a mission. You know I cannot talk about it. My hands and mouth are tied.” I
Rowan POV“It was not her,” Marcus informed me. He held a copy of the forensic autopsy conducted on the charred body found in Hanna’s car. He read it out loud for my benefit. “The DNA did not match hers.” He added.I nodded and gulped the whiskey from my shot glass. “It only proves that she was alive, but it didn’t say where she was,” I responded dully after swallowing the amber liquid. Marcus sat on the chair next to me. I was in my home’s dry bar, sitting on a high stool. In front of me sat a bottle of whiskey and an ice bucket. “I am going crazy, brother. I can’t help worrying.” I told Marcus honestly. He took a fresh glass for himself and joined me. He poured whiskey into his shot glass and gulped down its contents. “What if the Bennetts got her? I don’t think I will ever forgive myself if something happens to Hanna.” My jaw clenched at the thought. I can’t imagine Hanna in the hands of the Bennetts. “Do you think the Bennetts have something to do with her disappearan
Rowan POVIt was over. The Bennetts had been accounted for.The authorities intervened and froze all their assets.Luke and his father were taken into police custody. They were awaiting trial at the Redwood Penitentiary.We were at the district office when Storm approached me.We shook hands.“Our men ripped the warehouse apart. They turned everything over. Unfortunately, they did not find any trace of your girl.” Storm informed me sadly.I nodded.
Hanna POV“Hanna, the customer on table 14 wants to talk to you.” Eden, one of my coworkers, informed me.I ditched going to the bathroom to attend to my customer first.I pressed my palms to my aching hips while I waddled the narrow hallway, meeting another coworker on the way.“You look like your stomach is ready to pop, Hanna.”I smiled, seeing the genuine concern on her face.“I am okay. Don’t worry about me.”I walked to the table indicated by my
Linda POVDisbelief registered on her face. It was as if she could not believe that Rowan and I were just friends. I wanted to chastise Rowan in my head. "Awww!" Hanna cried as another contraction hit her.I almost panicked in alarm when she doubled over in pain.I was torn. My emotions conflicted as I watched her struggle in ache. I don’t know what to do to ease her pain. Beads of sweat dotted her forehead. She was panting, too.My heart went out to her. She was in agony.Looking at her, a part of me wanted to disregard her request and call Rowan immediately. If there was someone she needed to be here, it was him. I don’t understand why she was withholding. Rowan loves her.Or maybe she didn’t know? Her outbursts earlier came to mind, and I realized how much she endured due to a misplaced sense of guilt. Another pain hit her. As if by reflex, she clutched at my hand desperately trying to hold on to me, and my heart went out to her. She should not be braving this ordeal a
Rowan POVI debated over myself on whether to answer Linda’s call. After I brought her father to the hospital and they talked, I already closed every channel of communication with her. I don’t think we have anything left to talk about. She also knew about my job and how our organization handled her case. Storm talked to her. They debriefed her about everything, and that was the end of that. I did not hear anything from her again or her father. I was under the belief that Linda went back to her country after the hospital gave her the clear go.Now, I don’t know what to do when, out of the blue, she called me seven months later. I was reluctant to establish contact with her. My last conversation with her father was still fresh in my mind. What if they will try to force me to marry her? I shook my head. I am my own person, and no one can force me to do something against my will. In the end, I decided to answer her call. It was a good thing, too. I have half a mind to reject