The hospital room was eerily quiet except for the rhythmic beeping of the machines monitoring Victoria’s condition. She lay pale and motionless on the hospital bed, her breathing shallow and uneven. Zaiden sat by her side, his face a mask of exhaustion and torment. The past 24 hours had been a waking nightmare.
Victoria had lost consciousness four times since Alessia’s kidnapping. The stress had pushed her fragile body past its limits, landing her back in the ICU. Zaiden hadn’t left her side until the doctors insisted they needed to stabilize her. Even then, his heart was in turmoil, torn between staying with Victoria and doing everything in his power to bring Alessia back.
“She’s strong,” Elena whispered as she approached Zaiden in the waiting room. Her face was drawn, her usual confidence replaced with worry. “She’ll pull through. But right now, we need you to stay focused. We’ve got a lead.”
Zaiden snapped his head up, his bloodshot eyes locking onto Elena. “What did you find?”
Tobias and Jonathan entered behind her, their expressions grim but determined. Tobias held a tablet in his hand, the screen displaying a grainy image of a man entering a hotel lobby.
“We’ve traced Damian,” Tobias said without preamble. “He’s staying at The Royal Meridian under the name Michael Reed.”
Zaiden shot to his feet, his fists clenched. “Damian,” he spat, the name venomous on his tongue. “I should’ve known. What room is he in?”
“Room 805,” Jonathan supplied. His usually calm demeanor was tinged with urgency. “But we can’t just storm in. We need to coordinate with the authorities. If we make the wrong move—”
“There’s no time for that!” Zaiden growled, cutting him off. “He has my daughter. I’m not waiting around for red tape while she’s in danger.”
Elena placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “I get it, Zaiden. Believe me, I do. But if we go in without a plan, we could lose her. Damian’s not the type to leave loose ends. We have to be smart about this.”
Zaiden’s shoulders heaved as he struggled to contain his frustration. His mind raced, envisioning every worst-case scenario. He couldn’t bear the thought of failing Alessia—or Victoria.
“What do you suggest?” he asked through gritted teeth.
Thirty minutes later, a plan was in place. Tobias had reached out to a trusted contact in law enforcement, who agreed to send an undercover team to The Royal Meridian. Elena hacked into the hotel’s security system, ensuring they could monitor Damian’s movements in real time. Jonathan coordinated logistics, keeping communication open between all parties.
Zaiden, however, was adamant about being on the ground. “I’m going,” he said firmly, his tone brooking no argument.
“You’re too emotionally involved,” Tobias warned. “If you go in there guns blazing, you’ll jeopardize everything.”
Zaiden glared at him. “She’s my daughter. You expect me to just sit here while strangers handle this? No. I need to be there.”
After a tense moment, Elena intervened. “Let him come,” she said softly. “But you follow the plan, Zaiden. No heroics. Alessia’s safety comes first.”
Zaiden nodded, his jaw tight. “Understood.”
The Royal Meridian’s lobby was a picture of opulence—polished marble floors, sparkling chandeliers, and a hushed atmosphere that seemed a world away from the chaos swirling in Zaiden’s mind. Disguised as a hotel guest, he took a seat near the elevator bank, his heart pounding as he waited for the signal.
“Damian just ordered room service,” Elena’s voice crackled in his earpiece. “He’s in his room. Team Alpha is in position.”
Zaiden tightened his grip on the coffee cup he was pretending to sip from. His eyes darted to the elevator doors, imagining Alessia trapped in that room with a man capable of unimaginable cruelty.
“Let’s move,” Jonathan’s voice commanded.