Page 59 of Cinderella's Fling with the Off-Limits Billionaire

Irena moved quickly, shaking her husband awake. “Peter. Peter! Where’s Harper?”

But Peter was groggy, naturally a heavier sleeper than either Skye or Irena. “What? In her bed.”

“No, she’s not, Dad. She’s nowhere. Oh, God.” Skye’s heart sank. Harper was not a child who woke up once they were asleep. She was not a child who went walking in the middle of the night. She was predictable, and an excellent sleeper.

Harper pressed a hand to her mouth. “Call the police,” she groaned, running through the house, turning on every light as she went, looking under the table, in the kitchen pantry, behind doors, and then out into the dimly lit, small backyard, checking everywhere. And then she saw it.

A tiny, precious shoe near the gate.

She knew then what had happened. The latch on the gate was too high for Harper to reach. Peter had installed a new latch for precisely that reason when Skye had moved in. The only way Harper was getting out of the backyard was with an adult carrying her.

It didn’t take a detective to work out who that adult was most likely to have been. “Jay,” she groaned, dropping her head. “What have you done?”

“I should never have believed he would just disappear. I should have known something like this would happen. I should have known.”

Despite the lateness of the hour, the gala was still in full swing, and would likely continue into the early hours of the morning. Surrounded by the glitz and glamour of the world’s elite, with a jazz band playing elegant songs in the background, dressed in a jet black tuxedo and midway through a conversation with his sister and the head of their Asia-Pacific operations, the last thing he’d expected was to see Skye’s face on his phone. He’d answered immediately, swiping his fingers across the screen and stepping away from his conversation with a single lift of one finger, to indicate he’d be back soon.

“Skye? Slow down. I can’t hear you.” He moved further away from the crowd, towards the edges of the ballroom, listening as Skye’s words tumbled over themselves.

“I just got home from work and Harper wasn’t here. She’s not anywhere. And there’s a shoe, a tiny little shoe, near the gate, but she can’t open the gate, because Dad made sure she couldn’t open the gate, and she’s gone, Leandro, she’s gone, and I have a horrible feeling he has her and that he won’t give her back. That he might…oh God. What if he hurts her? I’m so scared. I’m so scared.”

That made two of them.

Ice flooded Leandro’s veins. He looked around, scanning the room, at the exact moment Max happened to look in his direction. Something in his brother’s face must have communicated the level of his panic because Max also abandoned his conversation, walking quickly towards Leandro.

“What is it?”

Leandro beckoned for Max to follow him, then strode from the ballroom. “Have you called the police.”

“Y-yes.” Skye sounded as though she was shivering.

“Good. Are they there yet?”

“It just happened. It all just happened. I don’t even know why I’m telling you. I just called because I—I thought—I don’t know. I’m so scared.”

Leandro closed his eyes. “I’m glad you called me. I want you to listen to me, Skye. We are going to find her. We are going to get her home, okay? I will do whatever it takes to get her back in your arms, you have my word.”

He disconnected the call and looked at his brother. “I need your help.”

“Anything.”

They stepped into the lift together, side by side. Two Valentinos, united against the world. Leandro couldn’t talk for a full minute, as he gathered his thoughts, but as the doors opened into the parking garage level, he turned to Max. “Skye’s daughter Harper’s been taken. By Skye’s ex, I presume. He’s a nasty piece of work.” Leandro quickly filled Max in on the essentials without compromising Skye’s privacy. “She’s called the police but?—,”

“Yeah, I know.” Max was already on the phone to the head of their private security. Leandro was glad Max was there because his mind was so fully engaged with Skye that he wasn’t sure he would have been able to speak sensibly, whereas Max gave clear, concise instructions. As they stepped into the car, Alec started the engine, sensing something was wrong and that efficiency was a priority.

“Take us to Skye’s,” Leandro said, eyes closed as he thought of Harper, his heart hurting. The last time he’d seen her she’d been so happy. God, he’d missed her. He’d been so focused on the absence of Skye that he hadn’t fully comprehended Harper was a part of that. He ground his teeth, refusing to imagine where she was right now. He had to focus on getting her back, that was all.

Max asked a few questions, like Skye’s address, then disconnected the call. “They’re meeting us there.”

The security agency had premises out of Brooklyn and as a result of that, by the time Leandro and Max arrived, four dark black SUVs were parked in the street, alongside a couple of police radio cars. Leandro strode from the vehicle and pushed through the front door without knocking. The house was packed to capacity but his eyes found Skye’s immediately. She sobbed when she saw him, and he felt it deep in his bones. He pushed through the crowd, seeing only her, and dragged her against his body, wrapping her in a hug that promised her everything he’d said on the phone. They’d find Harper. He’d make sure of it.

“You sent an army.”

“It’s just the beginning.”

Tears ran down her cheeks. “I’m so scared.”

“I know.”

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