Page 94 of Ruthless Serenade

The image in the message slams into my chest like a fucking sledgehammer. It’s Sharon. She’s bound to a chair like some cartel hostage. Her eyes are wide with pure terror, tears cutting paths down her cheeks. She’s physically untouched, but the fear etched across her face makes my blood boil.

These fucking animals!

But that doesn’t matter now. What matters is that Sharon is alive, and she’s unharmed. That is everything.

Below the photo, numbers flash across my screen like neon signs - the bank account details sear themselves into my brain. The message beneath reads:"Send the money and you’ll get her coordinates."

“Maron, what’s happening?” Mindy’s voice shatters like broken glass.

I don’t say anything. My fingers are already flying across the screen, punching in the transfer details. Ten million means nothing to me. Hell, I wouldn’t care if it was a hundred. I’d empty every account I own, burn every fucking asset to the ground if it meant getting my daughter back. As for Mindy, I’ll deal with her later.

"Maron, please! What’s going on?" Mindy’s voice fractures further.

"She’s okay." I hammer the transfer button like a maniac. Five seconds stretch into a fucking eternity before the confirmation flashes: Transfer Successful.

Rachel Anderson’s response is almost instant.“Smart move, Mr. Korolev. Your coordinates are 41°15'52.1"N 74°36'14.5"W. Small wooden hut. Door’s open. You have two hours.”

I’m moving before the message fades, snatching my jacket and car keys in one fluid motion.

"Maron, please!" Mindy blocks my path, desperation rolling off her in waves. "Where is Sharon? What is happening?" Pure panic bleeds from every word.

I grip her shoulders, forcing her tear-filled eyes to meet mine. "I need you to wait here, Mindy. Sharon’s safe. I promise."

"Where are you going?" Fresh tears carve paths down her cheeks.

"To get Sharon," I tell her, my voice pure gravel.

"I’m coming with you."

"No." The word cracks like a gunshot.

"Maron, please! You can’t make me stay-"

"I said, no!" I cut through her protest like a blade. "I need you to trust me, Mindy. I will bring her back. I promise."

I’m already turning for the door when her hand catches my shoulder. "Maron, I... I’m so sorry. For everything. For keeping Sharon away from you. Just... please bring our daughter back."

Ourdaughter.

The raw vulnerability in her voice almost cracks my armor. Every one of my instincts scream to pull her close, to swear everything will be alright. But I don’t. I can’t. At least not until this is finished.

"I will," I growl, each word an oath sealed in blood. "Whatever it takes."

Chapter Forty-Four

Maron

"41°15’52.1"N 74°36’14.5"W. Small wooden hut. Door’s open. You have two hours."

I stare at the text again. I burn the coordinates into my memory, my jaw clenched as I scan the dense treeline around me. The hut has to be here. Has to be.

The Land Rover’s door slams shut behind me as I step into the downpour. The icy rain is like sharp bullets against my skin. Perfect fucking weather for this nightmare. The storm started on my way here, nature’s own twisted welcome party. Somewhere in this godforsaken forest, Sharon’s waiting. My daughter is waiting.

I’ve broken every traffic law between here and the city, the speedometer buried in the red the entire way. Let the fucking tickets come. Nothing matters except finding her. My daughter. My family. The words feel foreign and familiar at the same time, but they ignite something primal in my chest.

My mind tortures me with images of her - tiny frame bound to that chair, those wide eyes filled with terror. She won’t even be able to cry out, her selective mutism sealing her lips shut. The thought of her suffering in silence makes my hands shake with rage. I force them steady. Rage can wait. Focus needs to come first.

That day at the school event keeps playing in my mind. She spoke to me. Only me. Back then, I didn’t understand the gift she’d given me. Now? Now, I know it was the universe giving me a sign I was too fucking stupid to see.

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