Stephen’s POV
“I told you already. We won’t gain anything from this. Do you think he would just hand over that thing to anyone?”
I was taken aback by Liam’s words. I turned to look at his scowling face.
“But I can’t afford to be wrong. I personally saw the old Romero holding that thing when I was tailing him the other day. Besides, he used that thing to manipulate other members of the organization to follow his plans.”
He scratched his head. “Maybe he did have it at the time you saw him. But I’m pretty sure it’s no longer with him after we stormed in here earlier. The man probably made different leaders to hold that thing, so it wouldn’t directly lead back to him.”
I let out a deep sigh. I had also considered that possibility. However, I couldn’t help but hold on to hope. Besides, I had another reason for coming here.
“Did you find any information or anything that could lead us to his whereabouts in this headquarters?” I asked.
He scratched his head before sighing. “Nothing. Even in the Romero mansion, we found nothing substantial. Most of the documents we found there were just related to their transactions and seemed to have nothing to do with him. We even checked their cellphones, laptops, and other communication devices, but we didn’t find anything useful.”
I clenched my fists. That man is truly skilled at hiding.
“How about your own investigation? Still no lead?” I asked.
Liam shook his head. “None so far.”
We were now walking out of the chaotic and ruined headquarters of the Romero family. I gestured to my scattered men to return to their respective vehicles. Meanwhile, the mafia reapers had left a while ago since I had given them other tasks.
I stopped walking and gave Liam a serious look as I remembered something. He furrowed his brow and turned to me.
“What is it?”
I shrugged. “Just curious. When do you plan to tell Nathalia the truth? She knows nothing about who her real parents are, and even less about who you guys really are, who took care of her.”
I could see the seriousness in his face, too. “I don’t know either. I’ll let Uncle Edwin make the decision about that matter. So, you better not make the mistake of meddling, Anderson.” His voice carried a hint of a threat.
I gave him a sharp look. He acted as if he could intimidate me.
“I know that. What I’m saying is that she’s starting to ask questions, and you know that too. Don’t wait for her to discover the truth on her own.” We continued walking.
It’s also difficult for me to admit that the Sarmiento family is also part of the underground society. Besides that, they are also one of my allies. I’m sure she’ll be even more confused and have many questions, which I’m trying to avoid happening.
“But fate really is so fickle, isn’t it? Among all the things she couldn’t remember—”
I tapped his shoulder the moment I reached my car. “Just update me when you have something new.”
He was momentarily stunned but quickly nodded. Then he proceeded to his parked car, which was right beside mine. He immediately sped away, accompanied by some of his companions who were with him.
I waited until they were out of sight before getting into my car and calling Cole. He answered quickly.
“How’s everything at the mansion? And Nathalia?” I asked, massaging my temples.
“Good morning, Sir Stephen. We’re doing well here, especially Madame, who has been asleep since earlier. Since you left until now, the guards haven’t noticed anything suspicious in the vicinity.”
I breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that. “That’s good to hear. I’m on my way home.”
“Alright, Sir.”
I ended the call. As I glanced at my phone’s screen, I noticed it was already past three in the morning.
Next, I looked for Ashter’s name in my contacts. However, my brow furrowed as his phone just kept ringing. I was quite certain he was still awake at this hour.
“Where is this guy now?” I shook my head before dialing Shantel’s number.
“H-Hello?”
My frown deepened. Shantel’s voice sounded uneasy, which was unusual for her.
“Where are you? Are you still together? Why isn’t Ashter answering my call?”
“Oh, it’s you. I’m currently at your mansion. I got too lazy to go home. The others are still at your headquarters. They said they’ll head home around noon. As for Ashter, he’s completely wasted, so maybe that’s why he couldn’t pick up your call.”
I sat up straight. “Ashter got drunk? Why? I know he has a habit of drinking after a fight, but it never gets to the point where he gets wasted and collapses.”
Shantel chuckled on the other end of the line.
“Oh, Stephen! You wouldn’t want to know why! You’ll probably end up beating him up.”
That made me even more curious. I couldn’t help but wonder why my friend got drunk.
“Okay. Anyway, why did you leave them there?”
She remained silent for a few minutes, further adding to my confusion. I had only been gone for a few hours, and it seemed like my friends’ actions had already become peculiar.
“Well?” I urged her from the other end of the line.
“Uhm... Well, there was nothing more for me to do there. Besides, I wanted to keep an eye on Nath while you were still away.”
Before I could respond, I heard Ace’s voice on the other line. It sounded like they were arguing again with Shantel.
I thought she said he stayed at the headquarters.
I sighed and ended the call completely. I tossed my cellphone onto the passenger seat before starting the car. My men quickly followed behind in their own vehicles.
It seems that something happened between the two of them. Ace wouldn’t bother to follow her if there weren’t.
Oh, well. I’ve been noticing something between the two of them for a while now. But I’ll just let them sort it out on their own.
When I arrived at the mansion, I found Shantel sitting alone at the bar counter, drinking. She was staring into space, deep in thought.
I looked around for Ace, but he wasn’t there. I sighed and quietly approached Shantel, tapping her shoulder gently.
She almost fell off her seat in surprise before turning to look at me.
I furrowed my eyebrows. This isn’t like her. She’s the type of person who prepares herself before anyone even approaches her.
“Are you alright? Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?” I asked her, puzzled.
Her eyes became evasive as she slowly lowered the wine glass she was holding.
“Sorry. I thought...” She hesitated. I couldn’t miss the sudden gulp she made.
“You thought it was Ace? I see. Where is that guy, and it looks like he has caused some mischief again?” I said with a smirk, finishing what she was about to say.
Her eyes suddenly sharpened, but before she could respond, the person who was the cause of her distress appeared from the kitchen.
“I’m here. How was your other agenda?” he asked casually.
I glanced at Shantel, who blinked rapidly, making sure she was really seeing Ace. Then she quickly downed the remaining contents of her wine glass before standing up.
“I’m done. I’ll just sleep here for a while, okay? I’ll go home later.”
I didn’t say anything and just watched her sway as she headed to the guest room downstairs.
Ace followed her quickly, seemingly about to support her, but she forcefully pushed him away. However, Ace is naturally persistent, so I wouldn’t be surprised if I heard shouting or things breaking later on.
I couldn’t help but laugh. It seems that Ace has done something beyond his usual prank. This is the first time I’ve seen Shantel so unfocused.
Suddenly, I found myself yawning. Now, I truly feel tired from everything that happened today. Feeling drowsy, I headed towards the stairs to go to our room. As I approached our room, where Nathalia and I stay, I noticed Cole standing guard outside, fighting off sleepiness.
I tapped him on the shoulder as I approached, causing his eyes to widen.
“How’s everything here?” I asked.
He bowed his head slightly before answering, “Everything is fine, Sir. We haven’t seen any enemies wandering around. I had a bit of a hard time getting Madame to sleep earlier though, because she wanted to wait for you.”
I nodded, but deep inside, I couldn’t help but feel delighted knowing that my wife wanted to wait for me.
My wife.
“Alright, you can go to sleep now. I’ll take over. Thank you,” I said.
“You’re welcome, Sir.” He bowed again before heading to the adjacent room.
As I entered our room, I immediately searched for the light switch, flooding the surroundings with light. The first thing I saw was my sleeping and peaceful wife. I gazed at her for a moment before my expression turned into a frown. I noticed that her blanket was slightly raised, revealing her smooth legs.
I approached her and quickly fixed the blanket’s position. As I was about to turn away, I found myself captivated by her face. It was as if I was hypnotized, staring at her gentle expression, until I slowly sat down at the edge of the bed.
I raised my right hand and gently caressed her cheek, and my finger lightly touched her slightly parted lips.
My breath hitched. Until now, I still couldn’t believe that she’s right here in front of me now, as my wife.
“Just wait a little more, Nathalia. You’ll know everything soon,” I whispered.
I froze, my left hand clutching my chest. I could feel my heart beating rapidly and strongly.
“When that time comes, I’ll also be able to let out these feelings that I have locked up for a long time now.”