I was on the verge of insisting that Dylan take a break when he sped off on his bike.
Feeling somewhat helpless, I surveyed the surroundings.
It was an open space, and not too far off, bodyguards patrolled the area.
Given our ample security, as long as Dylan didnât stray too far, he would be safe.
This outing was a rare opportunity for us, and I didnât want to spoil it for Dylan.
I called out to him, âJust remember to ride slowly and stay close, okay?â
Dylan nodded, his voice cheerful.
âOkay, Mommy!â
Assured by his response, I shifted my focus and joined Caleb and Elena in the pavilion.
Shortly after, the servants arrived, serving iced juice and freshly cut fruit.
As Elena and I played, I kept an occasional eye on Dylan, ensuring he was always within sight.
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True to his word, he stayed near the pavilion, allowing my vigilance to wane gradually.
After sharing some watermelon with Elena, I instinctively looked for Dylan.
But suddenly, I couldnât see him anywhere.
Panic surged through me as my heart pounded.
I turned to the nearest bodyguard, my voice tense as I demanded, âWhere is Dylan? Where is he?â
Calebâs expression changed too.
The bodyguard quickly informed us, âDylan went to the bathroom.
Heâs with two other bodyguards.
Heâll be safe.
â
Relieved by this, I exhaled deeply.
Caleb seemed relieved as well.
He grasped my hand, offering reassurance.
âItâs all right, donât worry.
Nothing untoward has happened recently.
Alexandria and her father know what Iâm capable of.
They wouldnât dare jeopardize their lives further.
Plus, Iâve had Carlos reclaim over ninety percent of their assets.
Theyâre in no position to challenge us anymore.
â
Calebâs assurances calmed my nerves.
Elena chimed in, comforting me further, âDonât worry, Mom.
Dylanâs smart.
Heâll steer clear of trouble.
â
She then offered me a cherry tomato.
I accepted it with a smile, gently tousling her hair.
âThank you, sweetie.
â
Just then, a uniformed bodyguard hurried towards us from the villa, causing my heart to skip a beat and my calm to falter.
The bodyguards wore expressions of deep anxiety, which clued me in immediately.
Something was wrong with Dylan.
Within moments, one of the bodyguards dashed over, his face etched with panic, and blurted out, âSomethingâs wrong! Dylanâs missing.
â
My head spun, and I nearly passed out from shock.
Caleb, always the steadier one, demanded, âWhat happened? Werenât you with him?â
Tears welled up in the bodyguardâs eyes as he stammered, âWe were right behind him until he went into the restroom and asked us to wait outside.
We did, but when he didnât come out after a few minutes, we knew something was off.
When we checked, he was gone.
â