Chapter 37

Damien

The hours felt like they dragged on as I sat at the bar. I hadn't seen Alison for a while, and I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was wrong.

I tried to convince myself that maybe I was just overthinking things, but I couldn’t get rid of that restless feeling within me.

Where was she? And why was she taking too long?

I stood up abruptly, tossing a few bills on the counter, not bothering to finish my drink. I needed to find her.

I pushed through the crowd and made my way toward the restroom area, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, but there was no sign of her anywhere.

I approached a lady coming out of the bathroom stall.

“Excuse me,” I said, trying to remain calm, “Have you seen a woman about this tall? Long hair, wearing a dark dress?” I gave her the most detailed description I could muster.

She looked at me, furrowing her brow, and shook her head. “Sorry, no one like that.”

I raised up my brow, not convinced by her words. “Are you sure? She was with me earlier, and she said she was heading to the restroom.”

The lady gave me a confused glance and shrugged. I sighed, walking further down the hallway.

Another woman passed by, and I repeated my question, but the response was the same. “No, I haven’t seen anyone like that.”

I could feel my frustration building, the realization creeping in that something wasn’t right. My mind raced, trying to piece everything together. Just as I was about to give up, a voice from behind me made me stop in my tracks.

“I think I saw her,” the voice said, and I turned to see a woman standing by the door. She looked at me with a cautious expression. “She went out the back exit with some guy.”

My heart skipped a beat. “A guy? What guy?”

She just shook her head, looking unsure. “I don’t know, but she was with him.”

The words echoed in my mind. A guy.

I immediately thought back to what Gemma had said, her words replaying in my mind: I have a feeling she’s a spy.

Could the mystery guy be the one Alison was working for?

I shook my head, trying to brush off the thought. I couldn’t afford to get sidetracked now. I needed to find Alison.

I rushed toward the back exit, only to find that the area was empty. There was no sign of anyone.

Where did they go to? I kept walking hoping I would be able to come across anything. But the only thing I saw was a black car which happened to be pulling up beside the curb.

I watched an old man come out of it, and immediately our eyes met I pulled it away.

How was I going to find out where Alison went and who she was with?

Then, I noticed the CCTV cameras overhead.

An idea hit me like a ton of bricks. I turned on my heel and stormed back into the bar. I approached the bartender. “I need to speak to your manager,” I said firmly.

The bartender hesitated but eventually nodded. “Our manager doesn’t really see people... not without an appointment.”

I didn’t have time for this. I reached inside my jacket, pulling out my gun. The cold steel was enough to silence any objections. “I don’t have time for your manager’s rules. Take me to him, now.”

The bartender’s face paled, and he motioned for a second man to lead me to the back office.

When we arrived, the manager, a tall man with a slicked-back hairstyle, looked up from behind his desk.

His eyes narrowed when he saw the gun in my hand. “What’s going on here?” he demanded.

I didn’t bother with pleasantries. I pulled the gun out further, pointing it at his desk. “I came here with someone tonight. A woman. She went missing, and the last person to see her said she left through the back exit. I need to see the footage from your CCTV.”

The manager scoffed. “Maybe she went home with another man. What’s your problem?”

I leaned in closer, my voice icy. “Show me the footage, or I’ll kill you where you stand.”

His face went pale, and he quickly motioned for his assistant to open a small door behind him. The man led me into a small back room, where the CCTV footage was stored.

As the manager pulled up the footage, I watched the screen closely, my eyes narrowing as I scanned the images.

A few minutes passed before something caught my attention. I saw a car pulling out from the back exit. My eyes fixed on the screen, and I felt my pulse quicken.

I ordered the manager to pause the video. The car was parked, and as the footage zoomed in, I saw a familiar figure stepping out of the car. My heart sank.

“Hugh,” I muttered to myself, my jaw tightening.

“Do you know the guy?” The manager asked.

I ignored him as I made my way back to the bar. The manager followed behind me, but I barely noticed him. I was already several steps ahead.

As I reached the exit, I pulled out my phone and dialed Hugh’s number, but the call went straight to voicemail. I tried again, but he kept ignoring my calls.

My anger grew, but I forced myself to remain calm. I needed to think.

I stormed back to the mansion, my thoughts consumed by what I had just learned. If Hugh was involved in Alison’s disappearance, then everything had changed. I had to get to the bottom of this, no matter what.

As I entered the mansion, I immediately saw Gemma hanging around the entrance.

“Von!” She shot me a flirty look.

I walked past her without a word, heading straight for one of my men.

“Where’s Hugh?” I asked.

They looked at each other, exchanging uncertain glances. “We’re not sure, sir. He hasn’t been around.”

But then, one of the men who was passing by and happened to have heard me spoke up. “He took John and Jax to the warehouse some minutes .”

I made my way to my car, sparing no time.