chapter-26: A Major Problem
Zaiden Storm
I felt my heart clenching as I was waiting for Aria at the restaurant.
Something felt unusual. Everything was going smoothly, but I could still feel something bad was happening, or something bad was about to happen. The last time I felt like this was when Lance got shot in his shoulder a year ago.
Was Lance okay?
I took my phone and dialed his number. He picked it up on the second ring.
"Bro, is something wrong?" came Lance's worried voice.
"No," I responded, getting confused if he was okay, then why I was feeling this way. "I just called you to ask whether you were okay or not."
"I am definitely okay. What's wrong with me? Did you appoint a sniper to kill me?" he joked, which made me roll my eyes.
"Totally. I called you so that I can hear you dying," I retorted and heard a curt chuckle from him. "Remember the uneasy feeling I got when you got shot last year?"
"Yeah. . .?" he trailed off.
"I am getting that feeling once again and this time, it's worse. I feel like someone is pulling my heart out of my chest forcefully," I informed Lance. "I am unable to put it into words. All I know is, something is not right."
"Bro, did you check up on Aria?"
As soon as Lance asked that, I felt my soul leave my body.
Was Aria in danger? Was that why I have been feeling the pain? But how could she be in danger when she was in front of my eyes a few minutes ago before I left the office?
"Talk to you later," I told Lance and cut the call at that instant. With my shivering hands, I dialed Aria's number, mentally praying that she would pick up the call. Usually, she would pick up my call at the first ring, but it was on the third ring yet there was no answer.
If she was in danger, her phone would be switched off soon so before it got switched off, I tracked the number, only to find it between a deserted road. I dialed her number again and now, it was switched off as expected. Aria was in danger.
My chest ached at that thought as I stood up from my seat. I got out of the restaurant and drove to the showroom. Once I reached there, I saw Aria's car parked outside the showroom. Panic struck within me. I went inside and asked the manager, "Did Ms. Anastasia come here?"
The manager nodded his head. "She is very responsible. She handed me the file by herself and when I told her to have some refreshment, she said she had to meet someone special for lunch so she was in a hurry. Thus she left early," said the manager.
Someone special . . . I was that someone special for her. She was as much excited for this date as I was. My Aria was close to me, yet someone took her far away.
I got out of the showroom and walked towards Aria's car. I saw her wristwatch lying on the street. I recognized the watch because only she would wear the specially customized watches. She loved wearing her own designs.
I picked up the watch from the ground. It all meant only one thing. Aria was kidnapped by someone just to exact revenge on me. Someone already found what Aria meant to me and that person took her away from me.
Aria wasn't with me anymore. I couldn't keep the promise of protecting her. She was trapped in this internal Mafia war, where one would hurt the close ones to exact revenge or be the next Mafia leader.
Aria trusted me with everything that, come what may and here I was, breaking the promise that meant everything to her. She kept my secret, with the hope that she knew I would protect her. But today, I failed.
I failed to protect the most precious person in my life.
'Zaiden, I need you to promise me that you will always protect me. Since I know your Mafia stuff now if any gangs find out or try to harm me, promise me that you will protect me,' her voice echoed in my mind.
'I promise you, Ms. Aria Anastasia, that I will always protect you, come what may,' this was what I had replied to her.
I had so much confidence that I would be there for her, but today, my confidence shattered into pieces along with my heart. I wonder how she was, whether she was okay or not. Was she hurt?
She must be starving because she didn't even have lunch.
Was the kidnapper hurting her? Oh, God, no, please.
I didn't understand the logic of the other gang leaders. If they wanted revenge on me, they should attack me, not my family. Every time I killed or kidnapped someone, I made sure it was the person whom I wanted to hurt, not his family. Then what was the point of kidnapping my girlfriend?
Kidnapping someone close to me was a sign of weakness for the kidnapper. He couldn't reach me directly thus he was using Aria. First of all, I had to find out who was the kidnapper.
I made my way to the car as I called Ash.
"Prepare everyone. We might end up having a war. I am coming to the base," I informed Ash, who was shocked.
"What's wrong, Zaiden?" he asked.
"Some motherfucking bastard took my Aria," I replied, clenching my jaw in anger.
"What? I am informing the people here to find her. Send me her last location," with that, Ash cut the call.
After sending him the required information, I drove to the base directly. All the time in the car, Aria's face was repeatedly popping in front of me. Our first official date as a couple was supposed to be our lunch date, but we didn't even have a moment of peace. She was taken away from me as soon as I announced her as my girlfriend.
I shouldn't have opened up to my feelings for her. If I could hide my emotions properly, we would never be a couple and she should've been safe. I was the one who put her in danger. I couldn't keep her safe.
I was a disgrace as a boyfriend, who couldn't protect his girlfriend. I was a disgrace as a boss, who couldn't keep his employee safe when she decided to work under me after knowing my secret just because I promised to protect her against all odds.
I stopped driving the car and punched the steering wheel in anger.
Who the fuck took her away from me? Who has the audacity to mess with the Mafia Thunder?
Whoever did this, I swear, I would make sure he never saw another day in this beautiful world if he hurt Aria even a little. He messed up with the wrong person. Just because I stayed soft towards Aria, didn't mean I wasn't ruthless in the underworld.
Everyone deserves what they do, and the kidnapper will get what he deserves as well, once I find out who is that bastard.
I will find you, Aria. Stay strong.
I was busy checking the CCTV footage repeatedly of the street to find something useful. Jace and Ash were doing the tasks I have assigned them.
Suddenly, my phone rang. I thought it was one of my men who found something about Aria so I answered it without looking at the caller ID.
"Zaiden, is my daughter okay?" I heard a familiar female voice that made my eyes grow as big as saucers. It was Amora Anastasia, Aria's mother. "She is not receiving the phone. I am feeling restless. Please make me talk to her."
I was dumbstruck. What would I answer her? If I told her Aria was kidnapped, it meant I had to tell her my secret of being in the Mafia. If I lied to her, it would break her more once she learns later about my lie.
I was in a major problem now.