Fated to the Ruthless CEO

After Dalton and Raven left, Devlin received a call from Agent Smith.

“Hello, Agent Smith. How’s everything going? How far along are you with the investigation?” Devlin inquired immediately.

“I think it’s better for you to come here Mr. Wesley. I have both good news and bad news for you,” Agent Smith’s voice sounded grim.

“Oh, alright. I was actually planning to come earlier as soon as we arrived here with my wife. However, we had unexpected guests to take care of,” He didn’t waste time explaining further. He wanted to know exactly what was happening with the investigation.

“Is everything alright? You looked so serious,” Amber asked Devlin, who was unusually quiet.

“We need to head over to Agent Smith. He has some news about the investigation,” Devlin replied, his expression grave.

Amber didn’t waste time on further questions. “Of course. Let’s go find out what’s going on.”

They quickly made their way to where Agent Smith and his team were staying. As they entered the room, they could feel the tension in the air. Agent Smith greeted them with a stern face, gesturing for them to take a seat as he began to explain the situation. Abby sat with them, her expression equally serious.

Amber felt nervous just looking at both Agent Smith and Abby. However, no matter what lay ahead, they knew they had to prepare for the unexpected.

Agent Smith began, “There’s been a significant development in the case. As I have mentioned to you earlier. We both have good news and bad news.” He paused for a while looking at both Devlin and Amber.

“Come on, Agent Smith. Spill it out.” Devlin’s impatience was evident in his voice.

“The good news is that the police are on their way to apprehend the accomplices who aided our mastermind,” Agent Smith began.

“That’s excellent news, Agent Smith! But you mentioned there’s bad news too. What’s the cause for concern?” Devlin asked, trying to remain composed.

Agent Smith’s expression turned graver. “The bad news is that our mastermind is nowhere to be found. He is not in his office, and none of his known residences have provided any leads.

Devlin paced back and forth, his frustration started to surface. “How can he just vanish like that? It doesn’t make any sense, Agent Smith. He never married and has no children of his own although he has an adopted daughter of my age. However, she is in South America right now with her husband.” Devlin said and suddenly the thought occurred to him that he might have been in South America by now.

Agent Smith, now in deep thought, pushed himself off the table he had been leaning against. “He never flew out of the country nor did he travel outside Seattle. We’ve had the local police put him under surveillance, and we’ve combed through all his known connections and contacts. It’s as if he’s disappeared into thin air.”

Amber’s anxiety was visible as she spoke up, “So, we’ve hit a dead end?”

Abby, always calm under pressure, reassured them, “I am coordinating with the police on his possible whereabouts. We’re not giving up at all until we apprehend him.”

It was Devlin who suddenly had a thought. “Have you checked his financials, bank accounts, and recent transactions?”

Agent Smith frowned, revealing that he hadn’t overlooked any leads. “We’ve reviewed all of that. He closed one bank account and withdrew all his savings a week ago. And there’s no trace to any digital transaction.” Everyone was quiet after hearing what Agent Smith said.

Amber’s voice broke the tense silence again, “What about his personal life? Any recent changes or unusual behavior? People usually leave some clues behind.”

Suddenly, Devlin recalled something from a month ago, “Wait, about a month ago, I remember him mentioning that he was planning a vacation, but he never specified where.”

Abby added another piece to the puzzle. “Just for your information, I contacted his adopted daughter in South America, but she hasn’t heard from him for months now. She even sounded worried and wanted to know any news about her father.”

“And, do you believe her words? Who knows she might be protecting her father?” Devlin sighed in frustration.

“I had it confirmed. She’s telling the truth.” Abby said with conviction.

Devlin, now more determined than ever to bring their target to justice, pressed on, “So, what’s next? What’s the plan? The longer he stays outside, the more of a threat he could be to us.

“I plan to pay a visit to his office and residences. I may find some clues there that would lead to his whereabouts.” Abby said, her determination shining through. She rose from her seat, a sense of purpose urging her toward her planned destinations.

“And please, for the meantime, refrain from going out. It’s crucial that you stay within the safety of your home or the office with your bodyguards,” Abby advised, her tone carrying a note of concern. With that, she closed the door behind her, leaving Devlin and Amber with a palpable sense of worry in the air.

“Abby is right. We need to be extra careful. We don’t know how his mind works. If only we could find some clues that would tell us anything about him. The guy is like a phantom. There was no significant thing from his past.” Agent Smith said.

Amber furrowed her brows, concern etched across her face as she addressed Devlin. “Maybe you knew something about what he usually does? After all, he was treated as part of your family,” she inquired from her husband, who was still lost in deep thought.

Devlin leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table as he recalled what little he knew about the elusive figure they were after. “One thing I know about him is that he is fond of visiting the orphanage. I knew that he supported them. But I don’t see that it has anything to do with our case with him.”

“It might not be directly related, but perhaps we should look into his connections there. There could be people who know him well, who could provide us with insights into his character or any unusual behavior.” Agent Smith said.

Amber nodded in agreement. “It’s worth a shot. Sometimes, the most unexpected leads can break a case wide open.” She said meaningfully. Devlin stared at her for a long moment.

Agent Smith was a flurry of action. He instructed one of his team members to investigate the orphanages linked with their mastermind. In just a few minutes, they found what they were looking for.

“I should send someone right now to visit the orphanages he frequently attends. Maybe we’ll stumble upon something that can help us understand this ‘phantom’ a little better.” Agent Smith declared.

After Agent Smith sent one of his trusted team members to check on some orphanages in the city, Devlin and Amber decided to call it a day; a break was long overdue. The drive to their mansion was again enveloped in silence. Both of them were lost in deep thoughts.

As they pulled up in front of their sprawling mansion, Amber finally broke the silence. “Devlin, there’s something bothering me about this case. Something I can’t quite put my finger on.”

Devlin turned to her, his eyes tired but attentive. “What is it? You’ve been unusually quiet today.”Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

She frowned, her brow furrowing in thought. “It’s just… we’re missing a piece of the puzzle, Dev. I can feel it. I hadn’t met him until five years ago, but his presence seemed strangely familiar to me. It’s as if I’ve heard about him before, but I can’t quite place where or when.”

“I wish we could find out soon. I am so exhausted by all of this. And now, he is on the loose.” Devlin said anxiously. “Anyway, we’ll catch him soon. And when we do, we’ll get the answers from him.”

“Enough of that talk, please. For now, let’s just take a break from this darkness. Are you feeling hungry?” Amber asked out of nowhere.

“Not really. I don’t have much of an appetite for any big meal right now.” Devlin said resignedly.

“Alright, why don’t you go take a shower? I’ll prepare a light dinner. Then, we can watch something mindless on TV and try to forget about our problems for a while.” Amber suggested with a smile.

Devlin returned her smile, his eyes softening. “That sounds like a plan, wife. Let’s set our problems aside for the night and focus on us.”

By the time Devlin finished his shower, Amber had already prepared their light dinner with the help of their ever-efficient head cook. She had made some mushroom soup, popcorn shrimps for appetizers and a smoked salmon salad. Then, she brought out a nice white wine to complement their light dinner.

“Hmmm…now I’m feeling hungry. Everything looks delicious.” Devlin commented while hugging Amber from behind.

“Do you want anything else to eat? They can prepare something else in the kitchen,” Amber offered but her husband only shook his head.

“Alright babe, let me take a quick shower, and then I’ll join you for dinner,” Amber said before making her way to their bedroom.

She only took a quick shower, not wanting Devlin to wait for her. Besides, dinner was ready. She decided to wear a casual floral dress that fell just above the knee. She quickly checked herself in the mirror, but something caught her attention before turning the doorknob. It was the photo album that had been mysteriously delivered to her at Devlin’s house in New York.

Suddenly, a wild thought raced through her mind. Those pictures of children, they seemed to be taken in various orphanages then, not in the school premises. And their mastermind had connections to some orphanages in the city. What truly baffled her was the reason behind sending those pictures to her. Was it some sort of clue, a cryptic message pointing toward those orphanages? And why would he send it to her instead of Devlin? It doesn’t make any sense to her right now. With a resigned expression, she proceeded to the dining room, where Devlin was waiting for her.