The Search

Gonzalo's POV

I slammed the car door shut and stepped onto my gravel driveway, immediately feeling that something was horribly off. The air was unusually still, and even though I didn't support it, the usual hum of my security chattering was absent. I couldn't shake of the feeling that something was wrong.

My mind has been honed by years of running my empire with absolute precision, I could immediately register when something was definitely wrong. There had certainly been a disturbance here, a fracture in the order that I have so carefully maintained.

I strode purposefully toward the mansion, each step resonating with a controlled fury. 

Inside the mansion, the corridors are silent and I walked straight to the panic room. As I neared the room, the steel door seemed to be closed and that made me relax a bit. Upon getting closer, my pulse quickened. The door was slightly ajar, a sight that sent a cold shiver down my spine.

I pushed the door open with a force that greatly contrasted my calm exterior, and immediately my eyes locked onto the figure of the guard slumped against the wall, blood seeping through a small wound on his head. The sight of the guard rendered unconscious, filled me with rage. He better be dead or I'll kill him myself. 

Seeing his slumped body confirmed my fear and suspicions, Selena had escaped.

"Fuck!" I roared, my voice echoing off the cold, sterile walls. 

Rage and disbelief warred inside me. 

How could she, my tool for revenge slip through my fingers this way? I had underestimated and miscalculated her motives. When I find her, this is definetly not going to go unpunished.

Without missing a beat, I whipped out my phone and punched in Klaus's number. The line clicked, and the deep, measured voice of my right-hand man answered.

"Boss?" His tone was cautious, immediately aware that something was wrong.

"Selena's gone," I barked, barely containing my fury. "I want her found immediately, alive. You know what to do."

There was a heavy pause on the other end. "Some of our men are already out there, sir. I can confirm they're combing the perimeter."

"Good," I said, wondering how he found out but that wasn't something I needed to bother myself with right now. "Make sure no stone is left unturned. I want every man and every unit on her tail. And Klaus remind them to bring her back alive. Any harm or injury that is going to be inflicted would be done by me. Also gather the guards that were supposed to man the gates."

"Yes, sir. I'll get on it right away." 

I ended the call and stormed out of the room, the image of the fallen guard fueled my anger even more. As I moved through the dimly lit halls, I rehearsed my plan. My mind raced over every detail of the estate's layout. 

The fact that Selena had managed to slip out was an intolerable breach, and I needed answers, fast.

I reached the main entrance where a group of guards were gathered, their eyes flicking nervously between each other as they awaited my arrival. My eyes narrowed as I zeroed in on their collective silence.

"You're telling me no one passed through these gates?" I demanded in a low, dangerous tone.

A guard, trembling slightly, responded, "No, sir. We… we've checked every camera feed. No one came or went through the gates, except you, Sir."

My lips pressed into a thin line. This wasn't what I wanted to hear. "Then where the hell did she go?" I spat, stepping closer until I was nearly in their faces. 

My gaze swept over their faces for any hint of deceit or lies, but I found only fear.

One of the men, barely above the others in stature spoke up, stuttering "Sir, if she didn't exit through the gates… perhaps she used the back entrance?"

"Back entrance?! Does that mean that no one was watching the back gates? Are you fools? I screamed with rage. Do I have a bunch of idiots securing my house?

"No sir… that isn't…"

Before he could even utter another word, I stormed out and towards the security rooms. "Back entrance?" I repeated, anger lacing my tone. How would she even know about a back entrance?

"I want every camera running in real-time. Find any sign of movement. Now!" I said to the men in the security room before heading beack out to check the compound's perimeter just in case I find something.

As I neared the far wall, my eyes caught an important detail. There were bloodstains, small, distinct smears along the base of the towering fence. I knelt down, running a rough fingertip along the edge, feeling the dried crimson on my skin.

"Dammit," I muttered under my breath. My mind raced as I recalled the security layout. 

The fence was their last line of defense. It was a high, imposing barrier that had been designed to deter intruders. 

Yet, here was evidence that Selena had scaled it. Even with injuries that surely slowed her down, she'd taken the risk to escape.

I pulled out my phone once more and redialed Klaus. "Klaus, listen to me carefully," I said, my tone even more severe. "I've found traces that indicate she climbed the fence. There's blood on the wall, an obvious indication that she's been injured. Spread out the search teams around the perimeter and tI adjacent forest. She's not far, and if she's hurt, she'll be in no condition to hide for long."

"Understood, Boss," Klaus replied promptly. "I'm mobilizing every available unit now."

I snapped the phone shut and took a long, deep breath, forcing myself to regain some semblance of control. I wasn't about to let my emotions cloud my judgment. Not now. Not when every second counted.

I returned to the security room and slammed the door open, "Show me the footage," I commanded sharply, striding over to the bank of monitors. "I want a full review of every angle from the past hour."

The technician's fingers flew over the controls as he rewound, capturing the events that led to this moment. 

There Selena was, moving with calculated urgency through the corridors, I watched as she lured the guards at the entrance into the dining room and smashed one of their heads, while stealthily sneaking past the other. My eyes burned as I watched her silhouette disappear into the night and my men on her tail.

I carefully noticed and observed her movements. She didn't panic. She was scared yes, but she didn't panic. I'll give her that, she is a smart girl. But, I am a predator and she is my prey. I'll definitely hunt her down. 

I turned away from the screen and paced the room. "I want every man to search these grounds meticulously," I ordered. "I want her back in my grasp. I expect results. I expect Selena back here, and alive."

The door burst open again and Klaus entered. "Boss, our teams are in position. From what I gathered from the men who were on her tail earlier, she might have headed into the woods adjacent to the property. Some of the men have spotted her tracks, they're fresh."

My eyes narrowed. "The woods?" I repeated. "That's a wild card. We'll have units there, too. I want this search coordinated. No gaps. I want real-time updates on my phone."

Klaus's jaw set in determination. "Understood. I'll set up a command post near the eastern perimeter. We'll double-check every exit, every shadow."

I nodded curtly. "Good. And kill anyone who tries to interfere." My voice was icy, leaving no room for debate. "I don't care if she resists, she's coming back."

There was a brief moment of silence as the gravity of my words settled over the room. Then, as if on cue, another guard burst in, breathless. "Sir, we found something in the dining room, one of our men was badly injured!" 

I let out a deep sigh at the fact that I already knew. "Get him medical attention. He and the guard at the panic room would have to answer to me on how a petite girl could take them down."

"Yes sir," he replied and left immediately.

"Klaus," I turn back to him once more. "Remember, if you find any sign of her in the woods do not engage. Bring her back alive, but remember, you're not to take any chances. I want her captured, not killed. Also I want all units to maintain radio silence unless absolutely necessary. We cannot allow her to pick up on any chatter that might lead her away from us."

"Understood, Boss. I'll keep you updated every step of the way," he responded and also left the room. 

I followed suit, moving straight to my office and slamming the door close once inside.

"Selena," I murmured bitterly, "you thought you could outsmart me. You thought you could slip away and foil my plans. Well, you're mistaken. I will find you, and I will get my revenge"