Chapter 559 - 155 Lila Vanishes

Chapter 559: Chapter 155 Lila Vanishes

Daniel’s POV

The antique clock in my penthouse office showed I still had time before collecting Lila from her evening law classes, but every instinct honed through decades in both police work and family business screamed that I should leave immediately. The recent threats from rival families had made me increasingly uneasy about her attending night sessions at the university. Too many dark corners on campus, too many potential ambush points, even with our people maintaining surveillance at every entrance.

I sat behind my mahogany desk, face buried in my hands, wrestling with mounting anxiety when Sybilla appeared in the doorway of my study.

"What’s got you wound tighter than a Swiss watch, big brother?" she asked, crossing her arms and giving me that penetrating stare she’d perfected since childhood.

I raised my head to meet her concerned gaze. "Nothing worth mentioning. Why do you ask?"

"Because you’re sighing like a man facing execution and your jaw’s clenched so tight I’m surprised your teeth haven’t cracked."

Sybilla moved into the room, settling into the leather chair across from my desk, her sharp eyes never leaving mine.

"It’s this entire situation with Lila," I admitted, running a hand through my hair. "Her insistence on continuing these night classes, the ongoing tensions with Connor’s people, the fact that Claire still has connections we haven’t fully mapped. Every fiber of my being tells me something’s wrong."

"We’re all concerned," Sybilla said quietly. "But she’s got MP shadowing her every move, plus our patrol units stationed throughout the campus. You seem particularly agitated today though."

I nodded, acknowledging her perceptive observation. "You’re absolutely right. This feeling won’t leave me alone." Rising abruptly from my chair, I reached for my suit jacket. "I’m collecting her early."

That’s precisely when my secure phone buzzed against the desk. The moment I recognized the caller identification, my blood turned to ice water.

"Inspector Martinez speaking."

"Daniel, it’s Max Philip, Lila’s friend." His voice carried an unmistakable tremor of panic.

My heart dropped into my stomach like a stone. "Where is Lila?" I demanded, my professional training warring with personal terror.

"I left her in the lecture hall to grab refreshments from the vending machines because she insisted on staying to review her notes," MP explained, words spilling out in a frantic rush. "When I returned to the classroom, she had vanished completely. All her belongings were still arranged on her desk, but Lila was nowhere to be found. I’ve conducted a thorough search of the entire building, even convinced the maintenance staff to check the women’s facilities. Nobody witnessed anything unusual. The administration refuses to grant me access to security recordings. I don’t know what other options I have."

"How long has she been missing?" I fought to maintain my professional demeanor while my imagination conjured increasingly horrifying scenarios.

Sybilla materialized beside me, already holding my wallet and car keys, silently urging me toward the door with urgent gestures.

"For a while now," MP confessed reluctantly.

"A while?" I exploded, my carefully maintained control shattering. "You waited this long before contacting me?"

Sybilla smoothly extracted the phone from my white-knuckled grip. "MP, this is Sybilla speaking. Tell me exactly what happened step by step." She listened intently while physically guiding me toward the private elevator. "Remain at the main entrance. We’re en route." She returned my phone, shooting me a reproachful look. "You just reduced that poor kid to tears."

"He lost Lila!" I snapped, my voice echoing off the elevator walls.

"And we will locate her," Sybilla countered with steel in her voice. "But first you need to regain control of yourself."

As we descended toward the parking garage, my chest began constricting painfully. The elevator walls seemed to close in around me, and I stumbled sideways, struggling for breath.

"Daniel, focus on your breathing!" Sybilla seized my shoulders firmly. "Look directly at me. Draw air in through your nose, release it through your mouth. Slowly and steadily."

She was completely right. Surrendering to panic would serve no purpose in helping Lila. By the time we reached the underground garage, I had wrestled my emotions back under some semblance of control.

"Hand over the keys," I demanded, extending my palm toward her.

Sybilla startled slightly at my commanding tone but complied without argument.

While speeding through the city streets toward the university, I activated the Bluetooth system to contact our surveillance team.

"I need immediate confirmation of whether Lila departed the campus premises," I barked before the officer could complete his standard greeting.

"Inspector Martinez, the young lady has not exited the grounds," he responded promptly.

"She has disappeared from inside the building. Are you absolutely certain you maintained proper observation?" I pressed, detecting subtle uncertainty in his tone.

"Yes, Inspector. We maintained visual contact with all exits."

His careful phrasing raised immediate red flags in my mind. "Did anything out of the ordinary occur? Any suspicious individuals entering or leaving?"

"Well..." the officer hesitated noticeably. "There was someone who seemed somehow out of place..."

"And you failed to intercept him because?" I slammed my palm against the steering wheel in frustration.

"He entered the building and emerged rather quickly with someone accompanying him. But it definitely was not the young lady. I am completely certain of that fact!"

His forced confidence failed to convince me entirely. "I am currently en route. You had better be absolutely positive about that assessment."

I terminated the call and glanced sideways at Sybilla.

"He’s not entirely certain, is he?" she asked perceptively.

I shook my head grimly, pressing harder on the accelerator.

At the university, I displayed my badge to campus security and immediately spotted MP engaged in heated discussion with an older gentleman I recognized as the dean from my previous guest lecture.

"Max Philip!" I called out authoritatively.

Relief flooded his youthful features. "Daniel, thank God you’re here. They refuse to take my concerns seriously."

I approached the dean with deliberate, measured steps. "They will take my concerns seriously, won’t they?"

"Inspector Martinez," he smiled nervously, clearly recognizing my authority. "How may I assist you today?"

"I want immediate access to your security footage. Right now." My quiet tone carried unmistakable menace.

"Of course. Please follow me immediately."

In the cramped security office, we reviewed digital recordings from the corridor outside Lila’s classroom. A large, professionally dressed man emerged from behind a structural pillar after MP’s departure, engaged in brief conversation with a female student, handed her what appeared to be an envelope, then positioned himself strategically out of sight. The girl entered Lila’s classroom as instructed. Moments later, Lila exited alongside the suspicious individual, who placed his arm around her shoulders in what appeared to be a friendly gesture while guiding her toward the stairwell.

Additional camera angles tracked their movement throughout the building. In the main lobby, the man helped Lila into a black hooded sweatshirt before approaching the exit. The security guard stationed mere steps away deliberately turned his attention in the opposite direction as they passed. Outside, Lila was efficiently guided into a silver sedan with heavily tinted windows and obscured license plates, which immediately departed the scene.

I brought my fist down hard on the security desk, rage and terror battling for dominance in my chest. This was clearly professional work. Organized, premeditated, executed with precision. The burning question consuming my thoughts was simple: why target Lila specifically?

This was not the moment for emotional collapse. I needed to transform into the detective, setting aside the terrified boyfriend. I would find her, no matter what resources it required, no matter what laws I had to bend. I would bring Lila home safely.