Chapter 49
LAYLA
After they are done kissing, Alpha Alexander sits down, and the girl perches onto his lap like she owns that spot. I ignore the pain in my heart and focus on the information she has to offer.
She tells Levi about different places. I listen to her patiently, like the rest of everyone in the room. Hope ignites in my heart. We will find my Baby and everything will be alright. Alpha Alexander has been doing good things in his life. I believe his enemy won’t get to destroy him, or because of their enmity, they won’t be able to destroy me and my Baby.
“How do you know about all these places?” Daphne asks doubtfully as Levi marches towards the door to get to work.
“I have been keeping an eye on their activities in hopes of getting their leader’s location. I befriended many of their gang members, and I found out today that they have brought a powerful Alpha’s daughter to one of their hideouts. I thought I should reach out and tell Xander about her so he could save that girl, but then Serafina called and told me all about Ayla.” She tells us, and her eyes meet mine as if she already knows that I am Ayla’s mother.
“I figured if it’s a rare baby, it must be Alpha Alexander’s daughter. The timing matched perfectly. That’s why I came here without delay.” She adds, shooting me a glare.
“Thank you.” I blurt. “Thank you, really. If Ayla is in one of the hideouts you told us about, I will be indebted to you for the rest of my life p>
“I am not doing it for you. I am doing it for Xander.” She scoffs and places her hand on his arm to prove her point.
I nod quickly. She can have him, she can have anything she wants as long as I have my Ayla.
“I need to go after Levi. I want to know what’s going on. “I mumble, getting to my feet.
“I am coming with you. “Daphne approaches my side, providing support like she has been doing from the morning.
I nod absentmindedly and walk towards the door. I half expect Alpha Alexander to stop me or tell me that he is coming with me, but he doesn’t, which makes me sigh before I exit his suffocating office.
“We are going to get her back.” Daphne intertwines our fingers and walks by my side.
Everyone keeps telling me that. Fortunately, I have come to believe it. I will not think about any other possibility.
“Do you know where Levi is?” I ask her.
“He went to the main office. They have some guy over there who is an expert with all technological things.” She informs me and walks towards the garage.
We take Levi’s car again and start towards the main office. When we pass by the school on the way, tears flood my eyes. She was right here, waiting, scared, and I was not there for her. She must have cried for me when they were grabbing her. She must have believed I would be there like I always have been.
I close my burning eyes and turn my mind towards Goddess Selene after a long time. She always gave me pain, but she also gave me good people in life.
Please, Goddess. Just this time, be on my side. Just this once, spare me the pain. I pray silently.
We get to the main office, which is a triple-storey glass house in the forest. Daphne turns off the engine and climbs out of the car. I follow her to the house. We make our way to the basement, where a guard opens the door when he sees Daphne.
Surprise crosses my face when I look around the dark room, which is illuminated by the numerous screens on the wall and different desktops placed over the huge desk. A man in a hoodie is working on one of the desktops as the scenes on the screens change rapidly.
“Baby. You didn’t need to come here.” Levi appears beside Daphne.
“Layla wants to be here, Levi. She has the right to be.” She whispers to him.
I look at Levi and release a shallow breath, noticing the soft, worried look in his eyes. I was wrong to think these people didn’t care about Ayla because one look at them told me they were just like me, scared and anxious.
Levi leads us to the black couch in the corner. Daphne sits down, but I stand beside her and watch the screens impatiently. Any moment now, they will find her, I assure myself as my legs tremble and my heart beats out of rhythm.
Time passes slowly. Despite Daphne’s insistence that I should sit down, I continue to stand or sometimes pace back and forth. Not once do I take my eyes off the screen.
Even the sound of my phone ringing doesn’t make me glance away. Daphne picks up the call and talks to whoever is calling.
I clasp my shivering hands and walk towards the tech guy. He doesn’t stop typing even when I stand right behind him. “Did you find anything yet?” I whisper, too scared to speak out loud.
“I have checked all the camera feeds of three places and areas around them. But nothing yet.” He informs without taking his eyes off the screen.
“Nothing?” I utter, finding the word hideous.
Levi stands beside me and exhales a breath. “At least those places are off the list, Layla. A few are left. It will take some time, but we will hit the mark eventually p>
I nod. “I know. Thank you p>
“Layla,” Daphne calls out to me.
“Hmm?” I hum, keeping my eyes on the screen.
Her hand touches my shoulder, making me jerk in surprise. “We should go to the packhouse now p>
“No. I can’t leave this place.” I shake my dizzy head.
“It’s important, Layla.” She leans closer and squeezes my shoulder.
I finally turn my back to the screens and look at her. My heart skips a beat when I notice the frown between her brows.
“What is it?” I wonder.
“Theo is at the packhouse. If we don’t go there right now, things might get bad,” she whispers softly.
Surprise crosses my face. “How did he p>
“He called when you were unconscious. I told him about Ayla. He is here now.” She sighs.