Although the Steele Family had only several hours ago celebrated what people would call a 'happy occasion', the Steele mansion was currently ablaze with an invisible fire.
Fiery darts were emanating from the eyes of the patriarch of the Steele household as he stared at his wife with intent, anger burning in his eyes.
"Anything yet?" His cold steel voice soared across the room.
"No, sir." The young man sitting across from him nervously replied. Cold chills coursed up his spine when the angry-looking man narrowed his gaze at him.
"Then what are you doing?" Mr Steele snarled.
"I'm sorry, sir," The Young Man quivered in fear as he fumbled with the keyboard of his laptop. Jacob Steele was a very humble and quiet man who always carried a smile on his face. His smile had turned a descriptive landmark in his life, which made the young man wonder what had turned the once calm man into an angry monster. This has never happened before!
"Jacob-" Mrs Steele tried to speak, but the cold glare from his eyes as he halted her with his hand clamped her mouth shut. She let out an exasperated sigh and began dialling the number, which had been unreachable for hours.
She knew she had done wrong. And her husband's anger towards her had hastened that realisation. She shouldn't have asked Neveah to take such a risk for them. She was the guardian, and as such, it was her duty to protect her child and not the other round.
She had been so scared and helpless, and she didn't seem to have an option at the time. Maybe it wasn't just the fact that she was scared that had pushed her into throwing her daughter into the lion's den, but also the fact that her family was in deep trouble and were at the brink of losing all they had.
She hissed out when she realised her thoughts. There was no room for regret. All she needed to do was to look for a possible solution out of this mess which she had created. She had promised Nevaeh a quick return, and crying over spilt milk wasn't going to achieve that.
She paid her husband one last look before dialling Elle's number once more.
Jacob had the urge to reach for her phone and smash it against the wall, but he couldn't let his anger get hold of him.
How had repeatedly dialling that number helped in any way?
He watched as she turned towards him with a distressed look on her face, "She's still not picking." She said in a defeated tone, but Jacob ignored her and looked away.
For someone bold and brilliant enough to come up with such a devilish idea, he didn't expect her to look that way.
"Honey, please, I'm sorry." She apologised as she slowly and carefully approached him. "I know my actions were stupid and can never be justified, but I was only thinking about the family."
"Family?" He asked in a derisive tone. "Family is that helpless child which you tossed into this deceitful game of yours!" He roared at her, making everyone in the room shiver in fear.
"I-I'm sorry."
"No, you're not! And even if you are, you're apologising to the wrong person. Nevaeh is the one who needs an apology for getting a selfish mother. You were supposed to protect our child, not sacrifice her!"
"I know!" Mrs Steele couldn't help but snap back at her husband, not minding the fact that there was a stranger in sitted among them.
"I know I shouldn't have done that." She said in a shaky voice as her eyes welled up.
"I was just desperate. I didn't know what to do." Her voice was utterly broken and low.
Mr Steele sighed when he saw her like that, "Desperation and hardship shouldn't bring the worst of us. If at all, it's the one time when we must be more rational because every decision made at such times can never be unmade." He said and looked away. He wasn't going to let her emotions get to him right now. She should reflect a bit more on her actions.
The young man who has been opportune and at the same time shocked to see this lovely and enviable family quarrel didn't know if he should beckon on his boss attention to what he had just found.
"What is it?" Jacob asked when he saw the boy's contemplative gaze.
"Eh...sir, I think you should see this." He said as he turned his laptop towards the man.
Mr Steele sat upright and pulled up his glasses to look at what he was expected to see.
But the moment he did, he was left in utter shock.
What was Elle doing?
Who were those people with her and why were they kidnapping Francis?
...
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