3rd person POV
Max sat in the office, staring at the wall without really seeing it. He has been here for two days. His thoughts were heavy, tangled like a mess of wires. The past few days had been a nightmare, but he hadn’t even had time to grieve properly. His father had been Shot. And now, he was trying to make sense of everything. He had seen his bloodied body on the news, it had gone viral but he hadn’t seen it for himself yet. He knew his father was a strong man and there was no way he could die so easily or so he thought.
The autopsy report was supposed to give him answers. He had arranged everything carefully. A private request, away from prying eyes. His father deserved justice, and Max was determined to get it. But why was it taking so long?
His phone buzzed on the desk, breaking his thoughts. He glanced at the screen. Ray. His trusted bodyguard. Max picked up immediately.
“Tell me you have good news,” he said, rubbing his forehead.
There was silence on the other end, and for a moment, all Max could hear was Ray’s heavy breathing. Then, in a slow, controlled voice, Ray said, “Sir, the autopsy didn’t happen.”
Max sat up. “What do you mean?”
Ray hesitated. “The body. It’s gone.”
Max’s grip on the phone tightened. “What?”
“They went to examine it, but it wasn’t there. The morgue staff is in shock. No one knows how it happened.”
Max stood up so fast his chair nearly toppled over. He pressed his fingers against his temple, his mind racing. “That’s impossible. Wasn’t he kept in a secure facility? How does a dead man just disappear?”
“I don’t know,” Ray said. “But someone took it. And they were careful about it. No alarms, no witnesses. Whoever did this… they planned it well.”
Max felt a rush of anger so strong that for a moment, he couldn’t think straight. His father had already been taken from him in the worst way. And now, even in his alleged death, they wouldn’t leave him in peace?
“Find out who was working at the morgue last night,” Max ordered. “Check the security cameras. I want answers.”
“Already on it,” Ray said. “But there’s something else.”
Max closed his eyes, dreading what was coming next. “What?”
There was a pause, then Ray’s voice dropped lower. “I think this was a message.”
Max’s eyes snapped open. “A message?”
“Yes. Someone didn’t want you to get the autopsy results. They didn’t want you to know anything at all.”
Max’s heart pounded. His father might had been shot truly. He had suspected it from the start, but now, this proved it. Someone had gone to extreme lengths to cover their tracks. But who? And why?
He took a deep breath, trying to control his rage. He needed to think clearly. “Ray, stay at the morgue. If anyone talks, if anyone remembers anything-call me.”
“Understood,” Ray said before hanging up.
Max dropped his phone onto the desk and ran a hand through his hair. His jaw was clenched so tight it hurt. The pieces were starting to fit together, but he didn’t like the picture they were forming.
His father had been shot. He didn’t know if he was truly dead or alive. Now, his body was missing. Someone was trying to erase the truth. And Max had a feeling he knew exactly who was behind it.
Max had never trusted him. He was a conniving man, malicious, willing to destroy anything that stood in his way. And Max knew he had every reason to want his father dead.
But if he had taken the body… what was he planning to do with it?
Before Max could think any further, his phone rang again. His stomach tightened as he saw an unknown number on the screen. He hesitated for only a second before answering.
“Max Norman” he said, his voice sharp.
There was silence. Then, a deep, familiar voice spoke. “I see you’ve discovered the problem.”
Max’s grip on the phone turned to steel. “Alexander?” he said coldly.
A soft chuckle came through the line. “You sound upset. Losing something important, are we?”
Max’s pulse thundered. “Where is he?”
Alexander sighed, as if he were bored. “Straight to the point. I admire that. But let’s not waste time, Max. We both know why I’m calling.”
Max’s hand curled into a fist. “If you’ve taken my father’s body, you will regret it.”
Another chuckle. “Such big threats for someone who’s already losing the game. But don’t worry, I don’t want your father’s corpse. I want something else.”
Max’s blood ran cold. “What do you want?”
There was a pause. Then Alexander’s voice dropped lower, more dangerous. “Vivian.”
Max’s body went stiff.
Alexander continued, his tone smooth but sharp. “You want your father’s body? Fine. I’ll make a trade. Give me my daughter.”
Max’s heart pounded so hard it felt like it might break his ribs. “You’re insane.”
“Am I?” Alexander said lightly. “You see, Max, my daughter has become… quite a problem. She refuses to listen. She chooses your family over her own blood. That is unacceptable.”
Max gritted his teeth. “She’s not your property.”
“But she is my daughter,” Alexander said. “And I always get what belongs to me.”
Max’s breath was short, fast. He felt like a cornered animal, his instincts screaming at him to fight. “And what if I refuse?”
Alexander’s voice turned cold. “Then you’ll never find your father’s body. He will disappear, just like his secrets and if I have to shoot him over and over again, I bet you wouldn’t want that”
Max felt something inside him snap. He slammed his fist against the desk, his vision blurring with rage. “If you hurt Vivian, I swear I will-”
Alexander laughed. “Oh, Max. I don’t need to hurt her. I just need her back where she belongs. But if you force my hand… well, let’s just say your father won’t be the only one in the ground.”
Max’s blood turned to ice.
Alexander lowered his voice. “I have her mothe already as well, I adopted her from the hospital she was in ”
Max’s breath caught in his throat. “Yes,” Alexander continued, amused. “I guess you know your father wouldn’t just miss so easily, I lured him out with her and it worked. She’s safe-for now. But if Vivian doesn’t come to me willingly… I can’t guarantee her safety as well”
Max felt a terrible weight settle on his chest. This wasn’t just about his father anymore. This was about Vivian. Her mother. Their lives.
Alexander had him trapped.
“I’ll give you time to think,” Alexander said. “But don’t take too long. I don’t like waiting.”
Then the line went dead.
Max stood there, gripping his phone so tightly his knuckles turned white.
His father’s body was missing. Vivian’s mother was kidnapped. And now, he had to choose-give up the woman he had come to love or lose everything.
He let out a slow, shaky breath.
No.
He wasn’t going to let Alexander win.
One way or another, he would find a way to save them all.
And when he did-Alexander would pay.