Chapter 565 - 161 Thread of Hope

Chapter 565: Chapter 161 Thread of Hope

Beckett’s POV

The night had been pure torment in the Sullivan family mansion. Dad sat hunched in his leather armchair, his weathered face etched with the kind of worry that comes from decades of navigating the treacherous waters of our world. Katarina paced across the marble floors, her manicured nails bitten down to nothing. And Daniel—Cristo, Daniel looked ready to paint the streets red with blood. Here we were at midday, and still no word about my sister Lila. The Martinez family soldiers had swept the city at dawn, checking every one of Connor’s legitimate fronts and underground operations I’d provided intel on, but Daniel’s phone remained ominously silent.

Running the Sullivan family’s legitimate operations seemed meaningless now. I’d ordered my assistant to cancel every board meeting and contract review—the family’s white-collar empire would have to survive without me while we hunted for Lila. The sharp ring of my encrypted phone shattered the suffocating silence. Claire’s name flashed on the screen like a curse. I activated the speaker so Dad and Katarina could listen, but gestured for them to remain quiet.

"What do you want, Claire?" I answered, not bothering to hide the venom in my voice.

"To negotiate, obviously." Her tone carried that familiar mixture of arrogance and calculated sweetness. "Isn’t that what civilized families do?"

"I don’t have time for your games, Claire. And even if I did, you’d be the last snake I’d waste breath on." I let the words hang, testing her composure.

"If I were you, I’d find the time." Her voice turned ice-cold, revealing the predator beneath the polished facade. "I’m waiting at my estate. Don’t keep me waiting long." The line died with a decisive click.

"You’re not walking into that viper’s nest alone!" Dad shot up from his chair before I could speak.

With a heavy sigh, I contacted Daniel through our secure channel. He insisted on accompanying me, and before long, he, Gideon, and I were standing in Claire’s opulent living room. The familiar scent of her expensive perfume mixed with the underlying odor of corruption made my stomach churn.

"I despise everything about this place," I muttered under my breath.

"Well, you managed to clear your busy schedule after all." Claire glided into the room like a queen holding court, her smile as sharp as a blade. "And you brought your associates. How is my precious daughter faring, Inspector?" The honeyed venom in her voice when she addressed Daniel was nauseating. His stare could have frozen the blood in her veins.

"Cut to the chase, Claire." My patience had worn thinner than paper.

"I want to discuss Lila’s inheritance arrangements." Of course that’s what this was about—it always came down to money and power with her.

"I’ve made sure it’s beyond your reach," I replied with cold satisfaction. "Even if you force my sister to sign documents under duress, you won’t see a single dollar. The trust has been restructured through offshore accounts in my name. Lila possesses nothing you can sink your claws into."

"You bastard!" Claire’s mask slipped before she twisted her features into a cruel smile. "Such a pity you couldn’t protect the little mouse as effectively as you protected those funds."

That crossed the line for Daniel. He moved like lightning, his powerful hands wrapping around Claire’s throat with practiced precision.

"Listen very carefully," he growled, applying just enough pressure to make his point clear. "You have no conception of the forces you’re provoking. Tell us where Lila is. Now."

"Daniel, release her," Gideon intervened calmly, his voice carrying the weight of experience. "She’s not worth destroying your position over."

Reluctantly, Daniel loosened his grip. Claire collapsed against her expensive sofa, gasping and rubbing her throat with trembling fingers.

"You’ll never see her again," she wheezed, her eyes blazing with malice. "Get out! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

I moved closer, looming over her diminished form. "Name your price, Claire. How much to free my sister and disappear from our lives forever?"

Her expression transformed into something demonic. "You’re actually prepared to pay? I want it all—every penny of her inheritance, every asset, every connection. That’s my price. Pay up, or precious Lila vanishes permanently."

My secure phone buzzed insistently—Katarina calling. I wanted to ignore it, but she kept calling back with increasing urgency.

"What is it?" I answered, stepping away from Claire’s toxic presence.

"Beckett, return home immediately," Katarina’s voice carried an edge of desperate hope. "Someone’s here who needs to speak with you urgently."

"I’m in the middle of something critical," I replied, gesturing toward the ongoing standoff with Claire.

"Beckett, abandon that demon and come here this instant. It’s about Lila." Katarina never pushed this hard unless the situation was genuinely desperate.

"We’re leaving." I ended the call and turned to Daniel. "Emergency at home."

"What about negotiating for your sister?" Claire called out mockingly as we headed toward the door.

"I know your demands, and they’re impossible. I need to leave—if our legitimate operations collapse, there won’t be anything left for you to extort." I gave her one final withering look before walking out with Daniel and Gideon.

"What’s the situation?" Daniel demanded once we were in my armored sedan.

"Unknown. Katarina said someone’s at the mansion wanting to speak with me. Must be connected to Lila." I pressed the accelerator, weaving through traffic with practiced efficiency.

When we arrived at the Sullivan family compound, I was surprised to find Rafael and Madeline waiting in our formal sitting room, both looking deeply troubled.

"Thank God you’re back," Katarina said, relief flooding her features.

"What’s happening?" I looked between her and Dad. "Daniel, meet Madeline—she and my mother gave birth on the same day at the private clinic—and her son Rafael. This is Daniel, Lila’s boyfriend and our family ally."

After quick introductions were made, Madeline stepped forward. "We’re here about Lila."

"Explain," I demanded, my heart racing.

Rafael moved closer. "I believe I spotted her last night. I apologize for the delay, but I didn’t know how to contact your family safely."

"Where did you see her?" I pressed.

"Late at night. Near the abandoned quarry by Connor’s old compound. I was returning from the university and saw Connor with a young woman and armed men. The lighting was poor, but she matched the photograph from the news reports. This morning when I drove past again, I witnessed Claire entering the property. That’s when I knew something was seriously wrong."

"Gideon, contact all our people," Daniel ordered, already moving toward the exit.

"Wait," Rafael warned. "Connor has heavy security there—professional muscle."

"Think strategically, Daniel," Gideon reasoned. "We need our full team."

Daniel’s jaw clenched with barely controlled fury. "Fine! Assemble everyone. And find out how Claire reached that location without our surveillance detecting her. Post watchers on her estate as well."

It took some time for our forces to mobilize. Daniel prowled the mansion like a caged predator, radiating lethal tension. When they finally departed for the compound, they refused to let me join the operation.

I remained behind, my heart hammering against my ribs. For the first time in days, we had genuine intelligence—a thread of hope in the darkness. Lila might finally be coming home to where she belonged.