Chapter 24 - The Breach
"Marcus! Get the tactical team to the mansion right now!" Diego roared into his radio as he sprinted out of the warehouse.
He threw himself into the driver’s seat of his armored SUV, slamming his foot on the accelerator. The heavy vehicle tore through the city streets, running red lights and ignoring the blaring horns of other cars.
His mind was a whirlwind of absolute terror.
Marisol was at the mansion.
She was supposed to be safe behind the reinforced steel gates and state-of-the-art security systems.
"Please answer, please answer," Diego begged, dialing Marisol’s personal cell phone.
It went straight to voicemail.
Diego arrived at the massive iron gates of the Villaseñor estate in record time.
The gates were wide open.
The guard booth was completely empty.
The front door of the mansion was blown off its hinges.
Diego grabbed a heavy tactical pistol from the glove compartment and sprinted up the marble steps.
"Marisol!" Diego screamed, his voice tearing through the silent, ruined hallways.
The house was completely ransacked.
Valuable paintings were slashed.
The security guards were lying unconscious on the floor, heavily darted with tranquilizer darts.
Diego rushed up the grand staircase, checking every single room.
The bedrooms were empty.
The bathrooms were empty.
Finally, he reached the master suite.
The door was ajar.
Diego pushed it open slowly, his gun raised.
The room was completely destroyed, but there was no sign of Marisol.
However, resting perfectly in the center of the large king-sized bed was a single, black envelope.
Diego dropped his weapon and grabbed the envelope.
He tore it open with shaking hands.
Inside was a handwritten note from Paulina.
"You took my future, Diego. So I am taking yours. If you ever want to see your precious wife alive again, you will transfer full ownership of the Villaseñor empire to my offshore accounts. You have exactly twenty-four hours. Do not call the police, or I will send her back to you in pieces."
Diego collapsed onto his knees.
The note slipped from his fingers.
Ten years of safety.
Ten years of building a perfect life.
And Paulina had shattered it in a matter of minutes.
Valentina came running into the bedroom, flanked by Marcus and the tactical team.
When she saw her father on his knees, she knew instantly.
"Dad..." Valentina whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "Where is Mom?"
Diego looked up at his daughter.
The pain in his chest was unbearable.
But the father inside him took over.
May you like
He stood up, his eyes turning to absolute ice.
"She took her," Diego said. "But I swear to God, I am going to burn the entire world down to get her back."
