A/N: Hey everyone, I want to apologize, I forgot to upload this chapter. Got busy with some personal and work-related matters. Thank you for waiting patiently.

Happy reading!

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It's been three days since they have known that Claire is missing, three gruelling days of worry and regret on his part. If he didn't do what he did that day, Claire may still be with them. But now, she's nowhere to be found, it is as if she vanished from the face of the earth without a trace. Her car was found yesterday at a ravine, thirty minutes south of Millbrook, the only break they got since. Her car shows blown up tires both front and back on the left side, but nothing indicates that she was mugged, no broken windows or windshield, the lock is intact as well as the important documents inside her compartment, nothing was rummaged, though her personal belongings isn't there; which means that she wasn't taken against her will, it is either she left the car after her tires blew then somebody took her or she was taken by someone she knew who might have helped her. There are so many probable ideas of what had happened but nothing is substantial enough to warrant anything, all they know is that she is missing and nobody knows where, when, how and who took her.

Another break they got is when Alvin told him that Claire has been receiving suspicious letters anonymously. Though he want to lash at his employee, he cannot fully blame him for he as well know nothing about it. He asked Alessa to check Claire's luggage for those letters which they found hidden within her business documents. What was written there made his blood boil, for it contains threatening words. He wants to smash something or hurt someone including himself for he did not notice anything amiss or that she is hiding her fear that those letters brought her.

The letters were given to the authorities to check for any fingerprint and clues as to who sent those, but nothing came about. The letters were as clean as a newly produced bond paper making it another dead end.

Another day went by when they have no news. Just when they were about to loose hope, a spark came out of nowhere. A man who is an acquaintance of Pete, came up front together with his wife bearing a news about a woman they saw in the middle of the road who unfortunately blew up her two tires. Their description of the woman matches that of Claire and they were able to identify her positively when they saw her picture. The only problem is that they were not able to see the face of the man she is talking with at that time. All they were able to tell is that maybe Claire knows the man for she refused their offered help saying that she will just hitch with the unknown man. They can also say that she knows him personally for how the way they talked and she went to the car of the unidentified man willingly and without being ushered, which means to say that she wasn't threatened.

They are waiting for any hint to their last resort for they asked the authorities to check the cctv cameras starting from his penthouse towards Millbrook and it will take days according to them and that day is today. He is hoping and praying that they can get anything from it.

He came to the office just when Claire's family with Beatriz are arriving as well. Both he and Ethan set aside their differences for Claire's sake, they can now talk to each other without snarling. They all sat and waited for the officer in charge of the case. Drake went with him as well as his family, both Helena and Anne refuses to be left out.

The officer entered the room and started talking. They were able to find something, an old mercedes benz was caught on camera that has been following Claire's car that day she left. The old car was also seen regularly parked near the penthouse as well as near his office building. But the problem is that they cannot properly see the man's face, for he is constantly turning away from the cameras.

"It clearly looks like he is avoiding his face to be caught by camera." The officer stated.

"How about the car, the plate is showing." Ollie asked.

"We also check the plates, four to be exact." This answer, made them alert.

"What do you mean by that?" Nathan asked and the officer answered for clarification.

"He is using different plates at different times, some are fake while others were from cars that are reportedly missing. We do not know if those plates from missing cars were taken by him personally or he bought it somewhere."

"So, what will happen now? Is this another dead end?" He cannot helped but ask with clench teeth.

"I'm afraid so. Unless someone will come forward and able to identify the man, then we are still at a loss. Though we will still continue finding some evidence, he may have slip somewhere, and that is the one we are waiting to happen." The officer said before he left and dismissed them.

The hopelessness he felt is now becoming stronger, making him weak. He went out of the room and found a place where he can be alone. He cannot helped but blame himself some more, guilt is eating him inside. The constant nagging feeling that Claire is suffering somewhere is driving him crazy, and the thought that she is carrying their child makes him weep. A soft hand touched his shoulder. He didn't noticed that Alessa followed him from the room.

"Lucas, do not blame yourself because of what happened. Yes, you may have quarelled that day and hurtful words were said making my daughter leave. But even if that spat did not happen, this evil person will still do what he had planned, whether you are together or not." Alessa said that he fell silent, he just realized he is already crying when Alessa urged him to cry on her shoulder.

"Be strong for Claire and your child Lucas. She needed our strength at times like this. She is not someone who gives up easily just because she is in a difficult situation. I know she is fighting as well and waiting for us to find and rescue her. So you should not break and gave in to the guilt that you are feeling, okay?" Her words comforted him and gave him courage to continue searching for Claire. When Alessa thought that he will be fine, she left him alone.

He willed himself to stop his guilt-tripping and just focus on important matters. He promises that when they find her, he will tell her how he really feels and how sorry he was for what he did. He just fervently hope and prayed that something, anything will come that will help them pinpoint where she is, any hint or clue, no matter how small it is.

His prayer was answered on a form of a phone call, which, in all honesty, he is not expecting from someone, or rather from somewhere. He ran and went back to the room where the others are still waiting. He gathered them and they all went to the hospital where the call came from.

Amanda is asking for him. She, as per her mother, had been admitted at the hospital for a week already and just woke up from coma. The first thing she asked is to send for him, for the reason that she had an important matter to be said to him in regards with Claire.

Him and the others hurriedly went to the floor where Amanda is admitted. The officer-in-charge of Claire's case came with them as well.

The staffs did not let them in all at once, only three persons were allowed inside the room and her family. So the others stayed except for him, Ethan and the officer-in-charge. When they first entered all he noticed is that she was pretty banged up, considering it has been a week since she was admitted. Her face must have been unrecognizable during the first few days for the swelling and bruises are still very much evident on her face. He expected that whatever Amanda will say probably will not matter much but he had been wrong, for what she confessed and stated for the next several minutes they stayed is consider to be the breakthrough with the case.

With much difficulty due to her injuries, she managed to tell them the story which first started at the night of the charity ball...

Amanda met a charming, old man who looks to be a proper and well-mannered person. She came to know that he had been following Claire, he said she was taken from him since infancy. The man claims, he's Claire's biological father. With the promise of removing Claire from Lucas' life, she planned on helping him to take her away. She had been spying on Lucas and Claire which is not that difficult to do considering they move within the same circle in the society. She will take pictures of them and even ask and pay the official photographer to take a photo of them. She is also reporting to the man often about Lucas' whereabouts.

She was thankful when she heard of the news that Lucas and Claire rarely seen together, so she fueled their misunderstanding with the photos she took during the charity ball, the one involving Sean. Their plan took place when Claire left Lucas that fateful day, it was the only moment where an opportunity occur so that the man can finally take Claire away and be with him.

Amanda thought everything is well but her conscience suddenly sprouted out of nowhere making her guilty especially how broken Lucas is. Her guilt made her question her accomplice which brought out the monster within him. They were at their usual meeting place, a seedy hotel somewhere, when she knew and met the real him. Her incessant questioning about Claire's whereabout and what was his real intention made him struck her on the face, a first for her - for no one, not even her parents hurt her physically. The man sexually assaulted her as well. Her scream of fear made him more aggressive to the point of not stopping for several hours violating her. The alternating physical and sexual violence for a whole day almost made her die. She was only brought to the hospital when a cleaner entered the room thinking that the occupant already left. She was in coma for a week, she woke up only yesterday and was fully conscious today.

What she experienced at the hands of the man made her think about Claire's well-being. That is why she asked for Lucas the very moment she was fully aware of her surroundings.

"I am so sorry, Lucas. I didn't know this will happen as a result of my greed for you." Amanda's cry of grief and remorse filled the whole room.

Lucas tried not to lash out and rant because of what she had done for he saw how contrite she was. They waited until her cries became a muffled sob.

The officer who was with them, asked her several questions including that of Claire's whereabouts which Amanda answered negatively. For the man did not let anything slip from his mouth.

"Can you describe what he looks like?" When Amanda nod in agreement, the officer left stating he will call someone who can make the sketch.

While they were waiting, him and Ethan left the room but both of them did not went to their families, instead they went outside to cool their heads. Just then, he realized how alike they are, maybe that is the reason why they are always at each other's neck.

He heard Ethan took a deep sigh after several minutes and asked. "Can I ask you a question?" When he hummed his agreement, Ethan continued. "What if that man did what he did to Amanda, will your feelings for Claire lessen?"

He pondered for a while what his answer will be not because he was unsure by what he felt but because he is not used to tell what he felt to other person especially this man whom he considered his enemy for so long. He thought his words carefully before finally speaking.

"Do not in any way question what I feel for your sister. I know how deeply I am in love with her, my hesitance to answer your question is not in any way related to my feelings for her but towards you. I don't want to declare my feelings for her to the world before I even told her myself."

His answer seems to satisfy Ethan for he didn't heard a rebuke. Their conversation was interrupted by Drake who came running.

"Lucas, Ethan, the sketch is already finished." Drake said in between his panting. His words made him and Ethan rush back to Amanda's room.

They were about to enter when the person who made the sketch and the officer were leaving the room. The whole family are waiting outside as well. The officer-in-charge turned to them and spoke.

"I have the sketch be verified for any match from a previous offender and we will let you know."

"Can we see the sketch, maybe we saw him somewhere before, considering he's been watching Claire for quite sometime." Nathan spoke.

"Sure." The officer agreed and handed them the copy of the sketch.

"According to Miss Amanda, she only knew him by the name of Ben Connors, we will still verify if the name is real. Any of you knows someone whose name is like that?"

All of them shook their head as an answer to the question, as well as when they saw the sketch. When it was Beatriz's turn to see the picture of the man, they heard her gasp which made their heads turn towards her.

"Do you know him?" He asked.

"Yes. He used to work at the store until about a month ago when he suddenly said that he will tender his resignation because he is going to live with his daughter." Beatriz answered.

"I didn't saw him when I worked there before." Lucas said bewildered.

"He started after you left and we know him by Thomas Davidson or Old Tom."

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Why do you think Old Tom took Claire? 🤔

Type in your comments, please. Kindly vote as well. Next set of chapters will be uploaded next week.

Thank you for reading!

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