Chapter 5
The three of them exchanged a quick look–like they’d just made up their minds about something.
A knot of dread twisted in my stomach. I turned, ready to grab my daughter and run.
But Julian moved first. He stepped forward and drove a brutal kick straight into my stomach.
“You bitch,” he snarled. “You think you can scare me?”
“You really thought we came here unprepared?”
The pain knocked the air out of my lungs. I doubled over, gasping.
That’s when Matthew stepped in–pulling out a white cloth.
He pressed it hard over my nose and mouth.
Consciousness slipped through my fingers like water.
The last sound I heard was Julian’s disgusted voice, followed by the wet splatter of spit hitting the floor.
“Perfect. Since we’re already at the hospital, drag her down the hall and get that damn kidney consent form signed.”
“No–don’t touch my Shirley!”
Hearing me murmur in my sleep, my assistant rushed into the room.
“Ms. Voss, you’re awake!”
I shot upright, heart pounding, breath shallow.
The sharp smell of antiseptic filled my lungs, yanking me back to reality.
When I saw my assistant–my most trusted shadow–I grabbed her sleeve and demanded,
“Where’s my daughter? Milo, where is she?!”
Milo immediately hit the call button to alert the doctor.
“Ms. Voss, please try to stay calm. We’ve already sent out a search team for Shirley, and we’ve notified the police. Just hang in there.”
A doctor came in and, seeing my rising panic, gave me a sedative.
I forced myself to breathe, to stay in control.
Once my head cleared a little, I asked,
“How long was I unconscious?”
“Two days, Ms. Voss,” she answered gently.
“A nurse noticed something was wrong and came in–by then, you were the only one left in the room. Shirley and the two young men
were gone.”
“When I arrived, the doctors had already examined you. Physically, there was no serious injury.”
Milo hesitated, watching my face carefully.
“There’s…something else,” she added.
I gave her a nod to continue.
She pulled a document from her bag and handed it to me.
“While you were unconscious, Mr. Ryder and the others took over company operations. The CEO position you had earmarked for
Chapter 5
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Shirley…is now held by Sofia.”
“On her very first day, Sofia transferred twenty million dollars out of the company account–claimed it was for equipment. Did…did you authorize that?”
I flipped through the company’s financial statements.
In the three months I’d been overseas, Matthew and Jax had siphoned off nearly three hundred million dollars under the company’s name—funneling it to Sofia and Julian.
Unbelievable. Brazen beyond words.
I gripped the report so tightly, the pages crinkled.
“Get me discharged. Now.”
Milo didn’t ask questions. She moved quickly and handled everything.
I headed straight for the company.
Only Matthew would know where my daughter was.
“Milo,” I ordered, “Go find John Black at this address. Tell him Amara sent you and bring him to headquarters.”
Milo looked at me, visibly uneasy.
“Ms. Voss, it might not be safe for you to go to the office alone. I’m worried…”
I cut her off.
“Just get them there. That’s all I need from you–fast.”
Seeing the look in my eyes, she didn’t argue.
I got in the car and drove straight to the office.
Chapter 5
