Hunt For Blue

Augustine drove out of the parking lot, his throat aching with a raw, burning soreness. His grip on the steering wheel tightened until his knuckles turned white, his jaw clenched so hard that his teeth threatened to crack under the pressure. A wave of disgust rolled through him as he glanced at his own hand—tainted. Useless.

His expression twisted, the skin at the corners of his eyes wrinkling painfully as rage pulsed through his veins.

The hotel where he had dinner with Blue was only a few blocks away. He sped toward it, his car slicing through the night like a blade, his face set in a dark, furious scowl.

As he rolled into the hotel driveway, a valet rushed forward, opening the car door and taking the keys without hesitation. Augustine barely acknowledged him, already striding inside.

The guards were waiting for him at the entrance, their heads bowed in guilt. The moment their team leader spotted Augustine, he approached with swift, measured steps.

Nigel.

A man with a solid, heavy build, his muscles straining against the crisp lines of his suit. Tan skin, a chiseled face, and a scar slashing across his cheekbone—giving him an air of hardened resilience. But none of that mattered.

The second Augustine laid eyes on him, his hand shot up, wrapping around Nigel's throat with crushing force. Though Nigel was undeniably strong, Augustine's presence alone overpowered him.

Augustine's fingers dug into the man's flesh, his grip unyielding.

"How do you explain this?" His voice was low, a growl simmering beneath his clenched teeth.

Nigel's face darkened as the blood flow to his head became restricted, but his expression remained stiff, disciplined.

"The Miss disappeared without a trace," he reported, his tone clipped and professional. "But my team is searching for her."

One hour.

It had been one whole hour since she vanished.

Augustine leaned in closer, his breath hot and venomous against Nigel's ear.

"One hour!" he seethed. "Why are you still alive if you couldn't protect a damn child? Should I just kill you?"

His voice dripped with unfiltered hatred.

Nigel's jaw tightened. His lips barely moved as he rasped, "I deserve to die."

His hand shakily reached up, trying to pry Augustine's fingers from his throat. His face had turned an alarming shade of purple.

Augustine let go.

He shoved Nigel backward, sending him stumbling. The bodyguard staggered, bending over slightly as he sucked in air, his breaths ragged and desperate.

Augustine didn't care.

"Bring me the CCTV." His voice was deathly calm.

Nigel nodded stiffly, rubbing his neck where deep red marks marred his skin. The bruises would linger for days—a painful reminder of his failure.

As the bodyguards dispersed to retrieve the CCTV footage, the reception area emptied, the tense atmosphere thinning.

On a luxurious sofa in the corner, a man nonchalantly folded a magazine, revealing a strikingly handsome face. His lips curled into a cunning smile as his fingers raked through his light brown hair, the golden glow of the lobby lights reflecting in his honey-brown eyes.

"Hoooh." He exhaled in amusement before fishing out his phone.

"Hello?" His voice was laced with satisfaction. "Augustine is finally out. Did you catch the investors?"

"Yeah. Just met with them," a voice on the other end confirmed. "Gustov is taking them into the conference room. Don't worry, we'll be done before you know it, Elijah."

Elijah's smirk deepened. "Good. Let me know when the meeting ends."

He ended the call, tossing his phone aside before leaning back against the sofa, spreading his arms as if stretching his wings. His head tilted upward, his expression one of pure contentment.

"Augustine Core… you're such a girl daddy. I didn't know it was this easy to pull you out of a meeting." His voice dripped with mockery, a sinister undertone lacing every word.

One Hour Ago

"There you go, Mr. Elijah. Your room key."

The receptionist's sweet voice chimed as she handed over the card. Elijah accepted it with a charming smirk, winking at her flirtatiously.

"Thank you, beautiful."

Women always liked him—it was a natural advantage. But it wasn't just his charm; he was the heir of BlueMoon Corporation, one of the biggest competitors of Core Industries. Their rivalry was well-known, an ongoing battle for dominance in the business world.

Just as he turned to walk away, something—or rather, someone—caught his attention.

Sofia.

She marched past him, elegance in every step, her daughter walking beside her in a beautifully tailored dress.

Elijah froze, his gaze locking onto Sofia, his chest tightening with something unreadable. Only when she disappeared from sight did he finally snap out of his thoughts.

He turned back to the receptionist.

"I see that Mr. Core has visited."

The woman's eyes widened slightly before she leaned in, lowering her voice.

"It's their monthly family dinner. Miss Core just arrived as well. I've heard it's also their daughter's birthday."

Elijah's lips curled.

"Dinner? Right now?" he murmured to himself, glancing at his watch. Something wasn't adding up.

"I thought Augustine had a meeting with SilverDome Construction tonight…"

That was the deal Elijah had been after—the same contract he had flown back specifically to hijack. SilverDome was a big fish, and if Augustine wasn't at that meeting…

A slow grin spread across Elijah's face.

He pulled out his phone and dialed his secretary.

"Yes, boss?" came a calm voice.

"Any news on SD Construction?"

"Yes, boss. They'll be arriving at the hotel in half an hour. I'm ready to escort them to our conference room."

Elijah leaned back on the counter, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes.

"Perfect." He chanted and pulled his luggage to the side.

Elijah pulled out his laptop, scanning through the documents one last time to ensure their proposal was the best it could be. Every detail had to be flawless. It took him about fifteen minutes to finalize everything before he shut the laptop with a satisfied click.

Rising from his seat, he strode toward the elevator, pressing the button and waiting for it to arrive.

With a soft ding, the doors slid open—

—and the sight that greeted him almost caught him off guard.

"What the—?"

His gaze dropped to a small figure standing alone in the elevator.

A little girl.

Blue.

His brows furrowed in confusion. What is she doing here?

She stared up at him with her wide, innocent eyes, unbothered by his presence.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, though he already knew exactly who she was—the daughter of his biggest rival.

"I'm going to hug Dada," she replied simply before rushing past him.

Elijah's jaw tensed. Augustine is done already?

His brows knitted in irritation. This wasn't good.

Without thinking, he turned swiftly and grabbed Blue by the shoulder, stopping her in her tracks.

"Where is your dad?"

Blue huffed in annoyance, wriggling against his grip.

"He went out. Let go! I need to hug him!" she snapped, forcefully pushing his hand away before darting toward the exit.

Elijah clicked his tongue.

"This is bad."

His sharp eyes darted around. Few people had noticed the child running off.

Then, his gaze flickered upward—to the security cameras overhead.

And just like that, his lips curled into a slow, knowing smirk.

An idea had just struck him.