Page 66 of Imperfect Desires

“How about me what?”

“Are you missing me?”

“I am still too mad to miss you.” She sounds unhappy. “I can’t believe you are allowing Alina to live out the rest of her life alone. You are practically ostracizing her and her baby from the rest of the family.”

Her words pierce my chest like a blade. “I know I've been narrow-minded about this situation, but I will make it up to Alina when I return.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning the reason I asked her to remain in New York is so that we can work this out.”

Scarlett’s silence stretches out a fraction too long, instantly alarming me. "Scarlett?"

"Viktor," she hesitates, a note of fear creeping into her voice, "Alina isn't here. She left with you and never returned to the house."

My heart slams violently against my ribs, panic flooding through me. "Check her room," I command tightly. "Maybe she's there, resting."

"I'll check now." Scarlett’s voice trembles slightly, mirroring my sudden dread.

The phone line fills with silence. Seconds tick by, torturous and slow, each heartbeat pounding louder in my ears. My mind races, conjuring horrifying scenarios. Alina is pregnant and vulnerable. If something were to happen—

Scarlett’s voice returns, wavering. "She's not here, Viktor. She didn't come home."

My body floods with ice, chilling me to my core. "I'll handle it. Stay calm. I'll call you back."

I disconnect immediately, barking orders into another call, mobilizing every available man in New York to search the city. My pulse thunders in my ears, adrenaline sharpening my focus.

Zasha stands nearby, concern evident on his normally composed face. "What's happening?"

"Alina never arrived home," I reply, my voice harsh and clipped.

Zasha’s eyes narrow sharply. "Taken?"

"I don’t know yet," I admit, pacing quickly across the tarmac. "But something’s wrong. I feel it."

He steps closer, his voice firm. "We’ll find her."

I nod once, frustration and fear battling fiercely inside me. I glare at the darkening horizon, wishing desperately that Zashawas back in New York. He would have launched an immediate search for her himself.

Damn it all tohell.I feel handicapped.

Then, suddenly, clarity breaks through my panic. Lev. If anyone is capable of tearing New York apart brick by brick to find Alina, it’s Lev. No one else would be as relentless, brutal, and determined as a man in love.

I stop abruptly, turning sharply toward Zasha. "Lev," I say urgently, realization crystallizing in my mind. "He'll find her."

Zasha’s expression hardens into determined resolve. "Then we get him back."

"Immediately," I agree firmly, reaching again for my phone. My hands tremble slightly, a reaction I refuse to acknowledge as fear. Right now, Lev isn’t the enemy. He's Alina’s lifeline. He’s her only chance.

Without hesitation, I dial Lev’s number. It rings only twice before a deep, cautious voice answers.

"Boss?"

"Lev," I say, voice steel-hard, unwavering. "Alina is missing."

A stunned silence stretches heavily over the line. I hear Lev’s breathing quicken sharply, and desperation clears in his voice ashe finally responds, hoarse and raw. "What happened? Where is she?"

"I don't know. She disappeared after I sent her back from the airport," I reply, each word biting sharply. "Lev, there’s something else."

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