Chapter 181 - One Hundred And Eighty-one: We Cant Find The Kids (2/2)

Expecting my arrival, the door to her apartment was left open and I let myself in.

My vision fell on the women in the living room: Maya was pacing up and down the room while chewing on her nails out of worry; Cecil was no better than Maya, just that she kept tapping her feet repeatedly while staring at her phone as if waiting for a call from her son; Emily was on her feet and kept tugging on her hair out of frustration.

”What is going on here?” I asked, drawing the attention of the panic-stricken women.

”Oh my God,” Emily placed a hand on her chest, startled by my appearance. They must have been lost in thoughts not to have noticed me come in.

”Thank God, you're here. We have a bit of a situation ” Emily scurried over to me.

”We can't find the kids,” Maya announced.

I stared at her longer than usual, her voice was a bit hoarse and her eyes swollen and red as if she had been crying. I felt the urge to take her into my arms, hold her tight, and stroke her hair while assuring her we'd find my kids - wait a minute, kids?

”Did you say, kids?” I questioned, my ear must have heard wrong.

”The trio- Isabella, Anabelle, and Pedro- we can't find them anywhere”

My brows furrowed. But then, I loosened up a bit. If those three partners in crime were together, then it wasn't a kidnapping but a prank.

”They could be playing hide and seek, have you searched the whole house?”

”I did but then, the door to my apartment was left open which means they must have snuck out while we were engrossed with our discussion- you do know how mischievous the kids are”

Maya was right, Anabelle was a good kid but when around my daughter Isabella, I wouldn't exactly vouch for her conduct.

Something clicked in my head,” Did you call Eden?”

Maya swallowed - a gesture I noticed quite well, which made me slightly uncomfortable. Maybe, she's just scared of relaying this bad news to him and not what I'm thinking.

She shook her head, ”No, I haven't. I didn't want to give him such bad news. I was hoping you would find the kids with your influence”

Just as I thought, phew!

Somehow, it warmed my heart that I was the first person she thought to call and not my cousin. It gave me hope that I still had a place in her heart.

I turned to Lucas who had been scrutinizing the arena since we arrived, ” If the kids really snuck out of here, they would be captured by the building's surveillance cam - ”

”This is an old cheap building, Niklaus, not your mansion” Maya interrupted me with a hint of sarcasm in her tone ”It doesn't come with a camera”

Somehow, this news didn't sit well with me. How could she live in a place that doesn't have an ounce of security? I wanted to just grab her hand and drag her out of this pithouse forever - that is after I rescue my kid.

But knowing her personality, she would probably kick me in the crotch for deciding for her without consenting her opinion.

”Though there's a convenience store just opposite the building with surveillance cameras. I'm sure one of them would capture anyone who leaves here” She directed me.

I gestured to Lucas to go and check it out leaving me with the women.

I didn't sit, just leaned against the wall with my arms wrapped across the chest while studying everyone.

Cecil was a bit comforted by my presence - this made me feel like I was superman or something. She had stopped tapping her legs but you could see the restlessness in her eyes.

Emily was still not looking at me in the eyes and I knew why. She was nervous I would begin to criticize her new careless lifestyle but that's none of my mistakes.

If my own experience had not taught her anything, then she's the greatest fool. Moreover, she's old enough to take responsibility for her actions.

Maya was still pacing up and down the room but that moment she looked up, our eyes met and held. My breath hung in my throat while my heart slammed against my chest, she looked as beautiful as ever.

With the way she looked at me, it was obvious the attraction between us still existed. Shivers ran down my back as my mind turned dirty; what I would do to her if she were in my arms right now.

Maya looked away, cheeks burning but I was grateful for that. I had literally stripped her with my eyes; the huge bulge on my trouser evidence of what I had in my mind. This was so unbelievable, Maya still had this much power over me.

Almost immediately, Lucas returned with her finding.

”None of them left the building”

”What?!”

Everyone was shocked.

”If they didn't leave that means - ”

”They're here and neatly hidden”

”But where could they ….”

Cecil was still asking when the so thought missing Anabelle staggered into the room, walked past me, and lied down on the empty couch.

What in the world...