CHAPTER 315: URGENT SITUATION

Lanny quickly joined Vladimir and Enzo in his office at the nightclub the moment she heard the news about Athena’s abduction. Aaron and Kimmy also insisted on coming with them.

Vladimir gathered Luna and his men, giving them a very important task.

"Someone kidnapped Athena. I want you to find those culprits! We only have twenty hours left before I comply with their demands. We have to track their location as soon as possible!" Vladimir gave his command.

Luna started working on her computer, accessing the CCTV camera of the hospital. The culprits managed to delete the files. The moment of Athena’s abduction was not recorded in the footage.

However, Luna managed to track down a suspicious ambulance that left the hospital right after Athena and Dominique’s disappearance.

"I’m trying to locate the suspicious vehicle, Boss. Just give me a few minutes, we will be able to find them soon," Luna said, reassuring Vladimir.

While Vladimir and his men were preparing their weapons for the rescue mission, another group of men burst through the door and entered the office.

Vladimir frowned the moment he saw his father, Miguel.

"What are you doing here?" Vladimir asked Miguel coldly.

"I am here to take them! They are still part of the Ivankov Clan. You have no right to mobilize them. You are no longer a member of our organization. I remove your authority to command them," Miguel declared.

Luna and the other men suddenly stopped working. A heavy tension hung in the air. They didn’t know what they should do. They didn’t want to offend both Miguel and Vladimir.

"Luna, Vladimir is no longer your master. Don’t obey his command. This is my order!" Miguel sternly said, flexing his authority over them.

Vladimir gritted his teeth. "Stop interfering, Old man! I hired these men! Not you!" he retorted.

"But the money you used to hire them comes from the Ivankov Family. And you are no longer an Ivankov. I already disowned you."

Vladimir slammed his eyes shut, barely containing his rage. He didn’t want to waste his time dealing with this old man. He had a more pressing matter to do– saving Athena.

"Just leave. This is my place! You won’t take them away from me."

"Haha." Miguel chuckled mockingly. "Are you certain about that?"

The old man paused for a moment, his sharp eyes scrutinizing the men, including Luna.

"Who are you going to obey? Choose now. I believe you already knew the consequences of defying me. I hate insubordination!" Miguel said with a threatening tone.

The men darted their gazes back and forth between Miguel and Vladimir. The majority of them hesitated for a moment. After a while, they put down the weapons and moved behind the old man. They chose to obey Miguel Ivankov.

Vladimir became more enraged upon witnessing his men abandoning him. Then he looked at Luna.

Luna swallowed hard and lowered his gaze, avoiding Vladimir’s eyes.

"I’m sorry, Boss... But I still have a family to support," Luna mumbled, before standing up and folding the laptop.

Vladimir clenched his fists, veins bulging in anger. He felt betrayed by the men he trusted. They easily abandoned him. Where did their loyalty go?

Meanwhile, Miguel was satisfied to see Vladimir’s reaction. He wanted his son to feel helpless and regret his choice for choosing Athena over him. This was a lesson for him.

"Let’s leave now. Don’t ever come back here," Miguel commanded the men.

They were about to step out of the office when Lanny and the two children blocked their way.

"Dad! What are you doing? Can you please stop this madness? We have to rescue Athena. This is a matter of life and death!"

Lanny snapped at her father.

"We need them to save her! You can have them back after this mission!" She added pleadingly.

"NO! This is your mess, so fix this on your own. I don’t care about that woman. No one will make a move. These men belong to my organization. You and Vladimir have nothing to do with us... anymore." Miguel was firm in his decision. He didn’t give room for negotiation.

Aaron and Kimmy were left utterly speechless. Never before had they seen their grandfather behave so coldly toward them.

Until now, Miguel had always been the warm, doting figure in their lives, showering them with affection, indulging their every whim, and treating them as if they were the center of his world.

But everything changed the moment he learned of Vladimir, Lanny, and Athena’s deception. The sudden shift in his demeanor felt like a blow, leaving them confused and unsettled.

"Grandpa? Do you hate my Mom so much?" Aaron asked him in a sad tone. He tried to fight back his tears. He didn’t want to cry. But tears already welled up in the corners of his eyes.

Aaron was hurt when Miguel told them he didn’t care about Athena. His loving grandfather was gone.

Meanwhile, Miguel was taken aback when he caught sight of Aaron’s gloomy expression. He didn’t want to admit it—even to himself—but a tight, painful sensation gripped his chest, as though an invisible hand were squeezing his heart.

He had become attached to this child. He didn’t hate Aaron. It was Lanny and Athena who deceived him, making him believe that Aaron was his grandson.

He thought he wouldn’t be affected by Aaron’s reaction. However, his love for Aaron never changed.

Before Miguel could utter a word, Aaron spoke again. "Grandpa... please help us. My Mom and Uncle Dom went missing. We need your men to find them."

Even though Vladimir suspected Dominique as the mastermind of this abduction, Aaron still believed that Dominique was not the one who took his mother away.

Meanwhile, Miguel’s expression made a sudden shift at the mention of Dominique.

’What?! Dominique has gone missing, too. Are they together?’ Miguel pondered to himself.

After a few seconds, Miguel changed his mind.

"Fine. I will lend you a hand," Miguel replied in his neutral tone. "Men... you can assist them in finding Athena and Dominique. Search for them!"

Lanny and Vladimir were surprised by Miguel’s decision. They didn’t expect him to fulfill Aaron’s request. They also noticed that Miguel’s attitude suddenly changed when Dominique’s name was mentioned by Aaron.

Both Lanny and Vladimir were still clueless that Miguel was Dominique’s foster father. He was also planning to make Dominique his successor.

"Thank you, Grandpa." Aaron’s elated voice was heard as he suddenly hugged Miguel’s waist.

No matter how cold and detached the old man tried to appear, he couldn’t bring himself to push Aaron away. He simply stood there, motionless, as the boy wrapped his small arms tightly around him. He still had a soft spot for Aaron.

Besides, Aaron was Dominique’s son. So he still considered him his grandson. He only hated Athena, but not Aaron.

Their quiet moment was abruptly shattered when Vladimir’s phone began to ring. It was a video call. He accepted the call, and the screen lit up with a live feed.

There she was—Athena... bound to a chair in a dim, empty room. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with fear, but she was alive. Alone.

"See for yourself, Mr. Vladimir," the masked man on the other end said with a mocking grin. "Here’s your woman. Still breathing... for now. So, I suggest you get ready to meet our demands. Time is running out. Don’t make us wait."

Vladimir’s jaw tightened. His voice was ice-cold. "I want to speak with her. Put her on."

But the kidnapper shook his head, blatantly refusing him. "That’s not happening. She knows too much. I can’t let her talk to you, she’ll ruin everything."

They revealed their plan to Athena, so they couldn’t afford to let her speak to Vladimir, or else, she would tell him that they were planning to kill her even if Vladimir fulfilled their demands.

"You can’t speak with her. You can only watch her."

After a few minutes, the kidnapper ended the call, leaving Vladimir staring at a black screen— his reflection staring back at him, caught between fury and helplessness.

"Damn it! We need to move now!" He uttered with urgency.

His heart pounded, the image of Athena’s terrified eyes seared into his mind. That look filled with pure fear, silent pleading haunted him.

’If only I had been there...’ he thought bitterly. ’I would’ve pulled her into my arms, held her close—anything to make her feel safe.’