Page 50 of Worship Him

Jake hesitates, keys still in hand. "Are you sure, sir? You seem a bit... distracted."

I fix him with a hard stare. "I said I'll take it from here."

He quickly hands over the keys, backing away. "Of course, Mr. Ryder. Have a good day."

I slide into the driver's seat, gripping the steering wheel tight.

I need a plan. Anger makes me exhale loudly. There isn’t much I can do if Destiny had already left. Who knows how long ago those pictures were taken?

My phone buzzes again. Another news alert. I snatch it up. It's more predictions about my company's AI projects.

"Useless," I growl, tossing the phone onto the passenger seat.

I start the car, the engine purring to life. As I pull out of the parking garage, my mind races. How did they even find out about Avery? We've been so careful.

A honk jolts me back to reality. I've nearly run a red light. Cursing under my breath, I slam on the brakes. The car behind me lays on the horn again.

"Yeah, yeah," I mutter, waving an apologetic hand out the window.

I need to focus. Being sloppy isn’t my style.

The light turns green, and I accelerate, leaving the angry driver behind.

I grip the steering wheel, knuckles white, as I speed through traffic. I have to act. I make a call. The phone rings through the car's Bluetooth, each tone grating on my nerves.

"Adam, what can I do for you?" My lawyer’s calm voice grates on my nerves.

"Destiny's been spotted at the airport with Avery. I think it’s possible they left the country. What the fuck can we do about it?"

A pause. "Are you certain she's leaving the country?"

"There are damned pictures of her with suitcases. What more do you need?"

"Adam, take a breath. We can't jump to conclusions. Suitcases don't necessarily mean-"

"Don't tell me to take a breath," I snarl, cutting him off. "My daughter could be halfway across the world by now."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Have you tried contacting Destiny?"

I grit my teeth and resist the urge to roll my eyes. "Of course I have. She's not answering."

"Alright. Well, unfortunately, we can't take any legal action until we have concrete proof that she's actually left with Avery."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I slam my hand against the steering wheel. "What about some kind of restraining order? Something to keep her in the country?"

"Adam, listen to me. We have no grounds for that. Destiny has every right to travel with her child. Unless we can prove she intends to permanently relocate without your consent, our hands are tied."

I curse under my breath. "So what, I'm just supposed to sit here and do nothing while she potentially kidnaps my daughter?"

"I understand you're frustrated, but we need to approach this rationally. Have you considered that there might be a perfectly innocent explanation?"

"Like what?" I snap.

"A business trip, perhaps? Or a trip to see family? Destiny's clothing line is doing well, isn't it? She could be traveling for business, or have taken time off to visit family she hasn't seen in a while."

I fall silent, my mind racing. He's right, damn it. But the thought of Destiny taking Avery away, even temporarily, makes my blood boil.

"Fine," I growl. "But I want you to start preparing for the worst-case scenario. If she's really trying to leave, I want to be ready."

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