Chapter 96: Hunting the Hunter
The moment Diane stepped out of the building, the cool night air rushed over her, but it did nothing to calm the fire burning in her chest.
Arthur was missing. And Rachel had him.
She shoved Adrian forward, his stumble barely registering as her mind raced through every possibility, every place Rachel could have taken him.
Then—
A slow clap.
Diane’s stomach twisted as she looked up to see a person leaning casually against a sleek black car parked just outside the building.
"Micha?!"
He was dressed in his usual crisp suit, his tie slightly loosened as if he hadn’t a care in the world.
His smirk was in place, and his dark eyes glinted under the streetlights.
"Well, well," Micha drawled, tilting his head. "Look at my little rabbit, always hopping into trouble."
Diane scowled. "Not now, Micha."
He ignored her, his eyes travelled to Adrian. His smirk widened.
"I see you caught the rat. Did my new tracking system help?"
Diane narrowed her eyes. "That was you?"
Micha shrugged.
"Of course. You really should thank me, rabbit. You set the trap, but I made sure he had nowhere to run."
Adrian, who had been silent up until now, suddenly stiffened.
His head snapped toward Micha, and his expression twisted with pure hatred.
"You," Adrian spat.
Micha’s grin widened. "Me."
Adrian lunged. Or at least, he tried to.
Diane barely had time to react before Micha moved.
A blur of motion—Micha’s fist connected with Adrian’s jaw, the impact waw sharp and precise.
Adrian crumpled to the pavement, unconscious before he even hit the ground.
Micha let out a dramatic sigh, shaking his hand as if Adrian had been an inconvenience. "That was... disappointing."
Diane crossed her arms. "Was that necessary?"
Micha raised a brow. "He was getting loud. I don’t like loud."
Riot snorted. "Yeah, sure. You just like showing off."
Micha shot him a grin. "And yet, here we are, benefiting from my talents once again."
Diane sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Focus. We don’t have time for this. We need to find Arthur."
Micha’s amusement faded slightly, his nose sharpened like a knife. "Rachel took him?"
Diane nodded, her voice was way too tight. "We just confirmed it."
Micha exhaled, running a hand through his dark-streaked hair.
"And do we have any idea where our dear Rachel would hide a stolen child?"
Diane frowned. That was the problem. Rachel was unpredictable.
"She wouldn’t take him somewhere obvious," Diane murmured. "She knows we’d check her usual properties first."
Riot crossed his arms. "She also wouldn’t leave the city. Not yet. Too risky."
Micha tilted his head. "So, she needs a place that’s private but close."
Diane’s mind raced. "Somewhere no one would think to look."
Micha snapped his fingers. "What about her old properties? Ones she owned before Leon cut her off?"
Diane’s eyes widened. "The townhouse."
Micha grinned. "That’s my rabbit."
Riot frowned. "What townhouse?"
Diane turned to him.
"Rachel used to own a property in Brooklyn. She bought it years ago before she married Leon. It was supposed to be a ’personal retreat.’"
Riot’s brow furrowed. "And it’s still hers?"
Diane nodded. "Leon never had it under his name. It was one of the few things she managed to keep."
Micha clapped his hands. "Well, then. Shall we go pay her a visit?"
Before anyone could answer, the sound of another car pulling up made them all turn.
Gabriel was here.
The black luxury vehicle rolled to a stop, and within seconds, Gabriel stepped out, taking in the situation with practiced ease.
His eyes landed on Diane first, scanning her for any signs of distress.
Then, they flew to Riot, then to Micha—where they remained longer.
Diane sighed internally.
Gabriel’s expression cooled instantly. "What is he doing here?"
Micha smirked, stepping forward with his usual grace. "Nice to see you too, Gabriel."
Gabriel ignored him, turning back to Diane. "Are you alright?"
"I’m fine," she said quickly. "But Arthur isn’t. Rachel has him."
Gabriel’s entire body tensed. His jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists at his sides.
"Where?" he demanded.
Diane glanced at Micha, then Riot, before answering.
"We think she’s keeping him at her old townhouse in Brooklyn."
Gabriel’s voice was way too lowered, sounding more dangerous. "Then let’s go."
Micha tsked. "Ah, but see, that’s where things get tricky. Rachel isn’t stupid. If she took Arthur, she knows we’ll come for him."
Gabriel gave him a glare. "And?"
Micha’s smirk didn’t vanish. "And she’s likely prepared. If we storm in blind, we could be walking into a trap."
Gabriel didn’t hesitate. "Then we don’t go in blind."
Diane met his eyes like a sun meets the earth, her heart pounding. "We go in smart."
Gabriel nodded. "And we bring Arthur home."
The air between them was a bit too chilly, charged with harder motivation to save the child.
For the first time in a long time, they were all on the same page.
And Rachel had no idea that they all were coming for her.
Gabriel and Diane slid into the sleek black car, the doors shutting with a heavy finality.
The moment they were inside, Gabriel exhaled slowly, gripping the steering wheel tightly before turning to face her.
"Why is Micha involved in this?"
Diane sighed, already anticipating this conversation.
"Because he helped track Adrian. And right now, we need all the help we can get."
Gabriel’s jaw tightened. "He’s a snake, Diane. He only helps when it benefits him."
She met his green eyes. "I know what Micha is. But he got us Adrian, didn’t he?"
Gabriel scoffed. "At what cost?"
Diane clenched her fists.
"I don’t have time for this. Arthur is out there, and if Micha can help us get him back, I don’t care about his motives."
Gabriel’s fingers tapped against the wheel before he let out a dramatic sigh.
"Fine. But the moment this is over, I want him out of your life."
Diane didn’t respond.
In the car behind them, Riot and Micha sat in tense silence, with Adrian tied up in the backseat.
Micha smirked, watching Gabriel’s car pull away. "Trouble in paradise?"
Riot rolled his eyes. "Shut up and drive."