CHAPTER 211: CHAPTER 211

Without wanting to waste any more time—without even thinking of what to say or what excuse to make—he stormed out of the house, slamming the front door shut behind him. He didn’t care who heard it. He didn’t care who watched. He just wanted to find her.

He jumped into his car, his hands shaking slightly as he gripped the steering wheel. The engine roared to life, tires screeching as he sped out of the driveway and headed straight for Sterling Design.

The entire drive felt like a blur. His mind was so clouded with panic and rage that he barely noticed the road or the traffic around him. All he could think of was Valentina—alone, vulnerable, possibly surrounded by people who meant her harm.

When he reached Sterling Design’s premises, he didn’t waste a second. He swerved into the parking area with a sharp, furious turn, stepped out of the car, and started heading toward the entrance with fierce determination in his stride.

But the guards stopped him.

Two of them, firm and composed, moved in front of the glass doors like immovable statues.

"Sir, you can’t go in," one of them said firmly, extending his hand. "This is a restricted property. We don’t know who you are. Please return to your car."

The other guard added, "If you don’t have identification or an appointment, we can’t let you through. This is not your place of business."

Raymond’s eyes narrowed.

They had no idea who they were talking to. And right now? He wasn’t in the mood to explain himself to anyone.

He didn’t say a word. He didn’t even blink.

Before either of them could finish another sentence, Raymond moved.

A swift strike—precise, controlled.

Within seconds, both guards dropped, unconscious.

He hadn’t used excessive force—just enough to shut them down temporarily. No injuries. Just sleep. He wasn’t there to pick fights. He was there for her.

"I told you, I don’t have time for this," he muttered under his breath, stepping over their bodies and making his way into the building.

The halls were quiet. The office space sleek and modern, but to Raymond, it all looked like a maze he didn’t have time to solve.

He stormed up the stairs and threw open the door to Valentina’s office.

Empty.

His eyes darted around—desk untouched, files neatly stacked, her jacket still on the chair. Everything looked normal... except she wasn’t there.

Raymond’s heartbeat kicked into overdrive again. A sharp heat rose in his chest, a fury building that couldn’t be masked. Where is she?! he screamed in his thoughts.

Without wasting another second, he pulled out his phone and dialed her number. The screen lit up. It rang.

Once, twice, three times.

No answer.

Raymond’s jaw tightened. His hand gripped the phone until his knuckles turned white.

With every unanswered ring, his rage grew louder in his head. The worry, the helplessness, the pain of not knowing—they were all fueling something dangerous within him.

Valentina wasn’t here.

Valentina wasn’t answering.

And that made Raymond more and more angrier.

Because now, things were going south—completely out of control—and nothing was going the way Raymond had imagined. Nothing was going the way he had carefully planned, calculated, and prepared for. The world around him was shifting too fast, like sand slipping through his fingers. And that—that—was what made the anger boil harder in his chest.

He stood alone in the middle of Valentina’s empty office at Sterling Design, his breath heavy, his fists clenched so tightly the veins on his arms bulged. The walls felt like they were closing in. The silence in the room screamed louder than any alarm could.

Where are you, Valentina?

He couldn’t believe it. No note. No message. Not even a simple, "I’m stepping out." Nothing.

Raymond had always been calm under pressure. That was who he was. The man who didn’t crack. The man who always had a plan. But today—this—this silence, this confusion, this helplessness—it was driving him over the edge.

Valentina was supposed to tell him where she was going. She was supposed to let him know. She wasn’t just anyone. She was his. Someone he protected. Someone he watched over. She knew that. And yet, she just vanished.

Without a word, without warning.

He turned around sharply and paced the room, running a hand through his hair in frustration. His mind kept replaying everything—every detail of this morning, every word she said, every look she gave him. There was nothing that hinted she’d leave. Nothing that suggested she’d disappear.

She never told him she would leave the house today.

And now? She was gone. And he was left chasing shadows and holding nothing but questions and doubt. It wasn’t just the worry that hurt—it was the pressure. The pressure of being responsible for her and failing. The pressure of knowing that if something happened to her, it would be on him.

His chest tightened further. The more he thought, the more the silence around him screamed.

he couldn’t believe all of a sudden, she just left the house and put him under this immense pressure, which was something that he himself doesn’t quite even understand.

At that moment, Raymond didn’t waste another second. His chest burned with frustration, his pulse racing from the chaos spinning around him. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and immediately scrolled to Benjamin’s name. His thumb hovered for only half a second before he pressed the call button.

It rang once.

Benjamin picked up on the second.

"Hello, Boss—"

But Raymond didn’t let him finish.

"Have you seen Valentina today?" Raymond’s voice was sharp. Direct. It cut through the air like a blade, no warmth, no delay—just fury held together by the thinnest thread of control.

On the other end of the line, Benjamin paused. That one second of silence said everything.

From the way Raymond spoke—fast, clipped, heavy with tension—Benjamin immediately knew something was wrong. Raymond wasn’t the kind of man who called without reason. Especially not like this. Especially not without first asking how Valentina was doing, or if everything was okay. It was out of character. And if Raymond was losing his calm... then something was very wrong.

"Sir," Benjamin replied slowly, carefully, "I—I haven’t seen her since earlier this morning. She was still in the house when I last checked. What happened?"

There was another short silence on the line—this time from Raymond. Not because he didn’t know what to say, but because he didn’t trust himself to say it without exploding.

"She’s gone," Raymond said coldly. "She left the house without a word. And now, she’s not answering her calls. I just got to Sterling Design—she’s not here either."

Benjamin’s heart dropped.

He stood up from where he was, his mind racing, trying to process what he was hearing. Valentina was missing?

"She—left?" he repeated, confused. "Without telling anyone?"

"Yes!" Raymond snapped. "Without telling me. Without telling you. Without leaving a single damn trace. And you—you were supposed to be watching the perimeter."

Benjamin swallowed hard. "I—I don’t understand, sir. Valentina isn’t reckless. We both know that. She’s always been careful. Something doesn’t feel right."

Raymond didn’t respond immediately, but Benjamin could hear his heavy breathing. Could hear the weight of his anger and fear rising.

Even Benjamin—who had been with Raymond through missions, stakeouts, betrayals—even he had never heard Raymond sound like this before.

And just hearing all of this that is happening, even made Benjamin extremely confused.

Benjamin took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice steady even though he could already feel the pressure building on the other end of the call. "Sir... I haven’t seen Valentina. Not today. The last time I saw her was yesterday, in the hallway, just after lunch. She didn’t mention going anywhere, and since then... nothing."

Raymond’s silence was sharp, slicing through the line like broken glass. Benjamin could feel the weight of it, even without seeing his face.

"I swear," Benjamin continued quickly, "I don’t know where she is. Maybe... maybe she’s with Cecilia?"

The second that name left Benjamin’s mouth, Raymond’s eyes narrowed. His body tensed like a wire pulled to its breaking point.

Cecilia?

The very thought made his blood run hot. What did Cecilia have to do with any of this? Who gave her the right to meddle? And more importantly—why would Valentina go to her without saying anything to him?

Raymond’s hand gripped the phone tighter, his jaw tightening with every breath. "Cecilia?" he repeated under his breath, disbelief in his voice. "Are you out of your mind?"

Benjamin could already hear it. The storm rising in Raymond’s voice. The fury creeping in. The way his tone dropped lower, quieter—but more dangerous.

Why would Valentina be with Cecilia? How? When? He hadn’t received a single word, not even a hint that Cecilia was involved. And now, all of a sudden, she might be?

Raymond’s mind spun, replaying every recent conversation, every move Cecilia made, every look she gave him—and Valentina. There was no warning. No sign. And if Cecilia was hiding something—if she had taken Valentina or even encouraged her to leave without saying a word—then she had crossed a line.

A very dangerous line.

Raymond wasn’t just angry now. He was furious.

Furious to the point where his knuckles cracked from how hard he was gripping the phone. To the point where he didn’t care who Cecilia was or what her reason could be. If she had Valentina—if she was playing any part in this—then she was going to deal with a version of Raymond no one had ever seen.

She was going to get a very big part of him today.

No excuses. No warnings.

Without wasting any more time, Raymond ended the call without another word.

Immediately, his thumb hovered for just a second before he dialed another number.

Cecilia.