Page 94 of Misconducts & Temptation

How fucking dare he? How fucking dare he touch her, take her away from me?

The thought of Elodie in his grasp made my blood boil, and I wanted to tear the world apart to find her.

Not just wanted, Iwould.

I shoved my phone into my pocket and stormed out of the locker room, my footsteps echoing like gunshots in the empty hallway. Each step fueled by the fury that churned inside me. I didn't care about the consequences, about what this would mean for any of it. All that mattered was getting Elodie back, safe and sound.

I burst out of the locker room, my breath ragged and my mind racing. The cool night air slapped me in the face, but it did little to calm the storm inside.

My father was waiting near the exit. "What happened?" he asked, stepping closer.

"He has her," I spat out, the words tasting like venom.

"What?" His brows knitted together. "Who?"

I didn't have time for this. I shoved past him, my jaw clenched so tight it hurt. "I'm going to kill him," I muttered through gritted teeth. "Rip him apart with my bare hands."

We stepped out of Pandora's Box, the exclusive rink where we'd been practicing. The place usually felt like a fortress. Now it felt like a prison, every second here a second wasted.

"Well?" I snapped, glaring at my father. "Isn't this the part where you tell me not to ruin my future?"

He looked at me, his eyes hardening with an emotion I couldn't quite place. "She's your wife," he said evenly. "There's no future if she isn't in it."

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. For once, we were on the same page. No lectures about duty or legacy—just raw, unfiltered truth.

I nodded, feeling a strange sense of unity with him for perhaps the first time in years. We had to get Elodie back. There was no other option.

Without another word, I headed toward my car, my father following closely behind. The plan was simple: find William and make him pay.

My mind raced with thoughts of where he could have taken her, each possibility more horrifying than the last. I needed to focus, to think clearly, but it was impossible with rage clouding my vision.

I yanked open the door and slid behind the wheel, jamming the key into the ignition. The engine roared to life as if it shared my fury. I gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white and peeled out of the lot.

I was almost positive my father had gone home, hopefully to tell Lola to fuck off. Just knowing he was in my corner…

I didn’t have time for sentimentality. I needed to get Elodie back.

Now.

The streets blurred past as I drove, each mile taking me closer to wherever William might be hiding with her. I didn't have a plan—hell; I didn't even know where to start looking—but that didn't matter. I'd tear apart this entire town if I had to. Elodie needed me, and nothing would stop me from finding her.

And now she was in danger because of me. Because I had left because she believed in me.

Fucking hell, I was a monster.

I wouldn't let anything happen to her. Not while there was breath in my body.

I pressed harder on the gas pedal, determination mingling with anger as I raced against time to save Elodie from whatever hell William had planned for her.

I screeched to a stop in front of Elodie's old house; the tires kicking up gravel. The headlights cast an eerie glow on the decrepit porch, where her stepfamily's house stood like a grim reminder of her suffering.

The front door burst open, and the Buck Tooth sister rushed out, eyes wide with panic.

"What the fuck happened?" I demanded, storming toward her. "Why was she here?"

Stephanie's breath hitched. "It's the contract," she stammered. "My mother—William said the contract wasn't fulfilled."

"He wants money?" I barked, pushing past her into the dimly lit foyer. "I'll pay him."

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