91

Jarek Strong cursed when one of his guards informed him that Suzanne had been kidnapped by a crazy red-haired woman. His face turned red with anger as he tried to process the information.

The old man was fuming; his plans had been anticipated by someone, and now he had to break the news to Nathan that his wife and children were missing.

“Damn it!” Jarek exclaimed, slamming his closed fist on the desk in his office. The wood creaked under the force of the impact. “How could they let Suzanne and the kids be taken?”

He felt trapped, guilty. He knew Nathan would blame him, and in a way, he was right. This wasn’t how he expected things to turn out, but Richard Quirrell wouldn’t stop until he achieved his goals.

Jarek knew this well; he had known him for a long time, since he was his daughter’s husband. He had sensed Richard’s bad intentions almost from the moment they met.

He remembered the day his daughter, Natalia, introduced him to Richard. From the first moment, Jarek knew that man had a rotten soul.

His daughter, blinded by illusion and love, couldn’t see what he saw. When their first grandson was born, Jarek hoped his suspicions would be alleviated, but it was quite the opposite.

The problems between Natalia and Richard only grew, and Jarek feared for the safety of his daughter and grandson.

One afternoon, after an especially violent argument, Jarek spoke to Natalia.

“Natalia, you must leave Richard,” he said firmly. “That man doesn’t love you; he’s only interested in your money.”

“That’s not true, Dad!” Natalia cried, her eyes full of tears. “Richard loves me. We’re just going through a rough patch, but we’ll work it out.”

Jarek felt completely tied, hands and feet. He didn’t want to force his daughter away because he knew he would lose her forever.

The guilt gnawed at him. His worst mistake had been not acting more decisively. Richard Quirrell only wanted the Strong family’s fortune.

That vagabond with delusions of grandeur didn’t value his wife or children beyond tools for his ends. When Jeremy was born, everything got worse.

The fights became unbearable, and one day, Jarek saw a bruise on Natalia’s face.

“This can’t go on!” Jarek roared. “You must leave that heartless man.”

Natalia, with a trembling voice, tried to justify Richard.

“It was my fault, Dad. I didn’t mean to start a fight.”

Jarek realized that his daughter was trapped in an illusion of a happy family that would never exist. She thought her love and their children could change Richard, but Jarek knew there was no hope.

Jarek saw the same patterns in Nathan. He had asked him to seek a wife by contract, and now he feared losing him too.

Urgently, he began giving orders to his guards.

“Search for Suzanne and the children everywhere. Spare no resources,” he said, his voice trembling slightly with fear. “We can’t let Richard get away with this again.”

Jarek knew that Nathan was Richard’s main target. Keeping him locked up was a strategy to protect him, even if it meant Nathan hated him.

The old Strong was a controlling and manipulative man, leaving nothing to chance, but now he felt control slipping through his fingers.

He went to the room where Nathan was and, with a trembling voice, informed him of Suzanne’s kidnapping.

“What did you say?” Nathan jumped up, his eyes blazing with fury. “It’s your fault, you damned old man! I’m going to get out of here and find my family, and if you get in my way, I’ll finish you!”

Those words pierced Jarek’s heart.

Nathan was driven by anger, whereas he was colder and more calculating. However, he also had a heart. He loved Suzanne, his great-grandchildren, and Nathan, even if the latter hated him at that moment.

“Nathan, please, calm down. We’re going to find them,” Jarek tried to say.

“Don’t tell me to calm down!” Nathan shouted, trying to hit him. “Let me out of here!”

Jarek, anticipating this, had called for a nurse. With a nod, the nurse injected Nathan with a sedative, and he began to rant and rave.

“Let me go, Jarek! Don’t be so heartless! Have some compassion for me for once in your damn life!” Nathan screamed as the sedative took effect.

Jarek looked at his grandson with sadness as he reluctantly fell asleep. Nathan’s words echoed in his mind: “You are not a God.”

Jarek knew Nathan was right. If he had been a God, he would have eliminated Richard Quirrell before he caused so much harm.

He hadn’t thought things would escalate to this level, and now he lived with the guilt that his daughter was in an emotional limbo, that his grandson hated him, and that little Jeremy hadn’t been able to escape Richard’s claws.

Tears began to roll down his cheeks. Old age had hit him hard, and he cried for his grandson, for his daughter’s condition, for the lies he had told Nathan to protect him.

Now, those lies weighed on him like a mountain.

“I’m going to end Richard with my own hands, even if it means risking my life,” Jarek said to himself, with firm resolve.

He knew time was running out and he had to act quickly. Suzanne and his great-grandchildren depended on him.

His family, despite the hatreds and resentments, was the most important thing, and he wouldn’t let Richard destroy what was left of it.

Jarek looked at Nathan, now asleep, as his thoughts were engulfed in a storm of guilt and desperation.

He had to act quickly, but how could he ensure he wouldn’t fail again?

The image of Richard Quirrell kept appearing in his mind, reminding him of the danger he posed.

The old man left the room and headed to the main hall, where his assistant, Elias, was waiting with a grave expression.

“Well, Elias? What news do you have?” Jarek asked, trying to remain calm.

“We’ve tracked the red-haired woman to a house on the outskirts of the city, sir,” Elias reported. “She’s been moving quickly, but we managed to follow her trail. Our men are ready to act as soon as you give the order.”

Jarek nodded, his mind already calculating the next steps. He had to ensure that Suzanne and the children were safe before confronting Richard.

"Prepare everything, Elias. We’re going to get my family back," Jarek said, his voice firm.