The roar of the rain against the windshield of my Maybach sounded like a warning. Next to me, six-year-old Owen had fallen asleep, his little hand tucked inside mine. But my mind was miles away, anchored in the dimly lit hallway of Maple Row, trapped in the haunted amber eyes of a boy named Eli and the broken silhouette of Marianne.

"Where are they?" I demanded, striding up to Victoria and grabbing her by the collar of her jacket.

Arthur Vance shouted for security, but two of my personal guards instantly stepped into the boardroom, drawing their weapons and keeping the room at bay.

Victoria didn't even flinch as I pulled her against the table. She looked into my eyes with a chilling smile.

"You always were too sentimental, Julian," she whispered. "You assumed I was only playing a game of corporate chess. But I play for keeps. Did you really think I wouldn't have a contingency plan if you tried to turn the board against me?"

"If you touch a single hair on their heads, Victoria, I swear to God I will personally tear this city apart until I find you," I growled, my voice shaking with raw fury.

"I didn't touch them," Victoria purred. "Arthur’s men did. While you were so busy gathering your cute little financial receipts, my associates collected Owen from his private school and retrieved Marianne from your secure penthouse. They are currently being moved to a location outside state jurisdiction."

"Why?" I asked, my grip tightening on her jacket. "Why take Owen? He’s your grandson!"

"Owen is a bargaining chip," Victoria spat, her eyes turning dark. "And Eli is a mistake that should have been erased nine years ago. You will resign from Sterling Enterprises today. You will sign over full voting control of your shares to me. You will sign an admission of guilt for the corporate embezzlement, taking the fall for Arthur and me. Do that... and maybe, just maybe, you’ll get your precious family back in one piece."

She shoved my hands off her and smoothed down her lapels, standing tall like a queen sitting atop a throne of bone and deceit.

"You have two hours, Julian," she said, looking down at her diamond watch. "At 3:30 PM, the board will finalize the vote. If your resignation and confession aren't signed and notarized by then... you'll receive two parcels in the mail. And you won't like what's inside them."

She walked out of the boardroom, flanked by Arthur Vance and her legal team, leaving me standing alone in front of a horrified board of directors.

Marcus rushed into the boardroom, his face covered in sweat, holding his radio.

"Julian! We lost signal with the transport team! The penthouse guard was taken down with a stun weapon. They cleared out the security footage!"

"I know," I said, breathing heavily, forcing my racing pulse to slow down. I needed to think. I couldn't let emotion blind me. "Victoria used Arthur's security team. Where would Arthur hide them? Think, Marcus! What property does Vance Group own that isn't on the corporate ledger?"

Marcus pulled out his tablet, frantically tapping the screen to bring up land registry maps. "Arthur owns several private estates upstate, but those are too obvious. Wait... three years ago, Vance Group acquired an abandoned shipping facility on the docks of New Jersey through a shell company called 'Nautilus Logistics'."

"Why New Jersey?"

"Because it’s right across the river, outside Manhattan jurisdiction, and the docks are isolated," Marcus said, looking up at me. "If they want to move Marianne and Owen onto a boat and get them out into international waters, that’s where they’d go."

"Call the state police," I ordered, turning toward the elevator.

"We can't!" Marcus warned, running after me. "Victoria has the chief of police in her pocket. If we involve the authorities through official channels, someone will leak it to Arthur, and they’ll eliminate the hostages before we get within a mile of the docks!"