Chapter 1808:


    “Do it. I’ll search the surrounding area for any other signs,” Alban replied, his jaw tight.


    A few minutester, Alban returned to find Bain looking even grimmer than before.


    “Anything on the recording?” Alban asked.


    Bain shook his head. “Nothing. Someone switched the camera off.”


    “So we have no image of the kidnappers?”


    Bain’s expression shifted, confusionyering over his worry. “That’s the thing — it looks like the women turned it off themselves.”


    “The street cameras showed they were the only ones in the car the entire way here.” Alban’s voice dropped. “Did theye out here deliberately?”


    He didn’t want to think poorly of Christina, but the evidence was pointing squarely at her. He couldn’t make sense of why she would bring Gillian to the outskirts of the city only for both of them to vanish. He was certain Christina wouldn’t harm Gillian — she had no motive, and it wasn’t in her nature. Most likely, they hade here for a reason of their own and found themselves in danger.


    “I don’t care whether they came here on purpose or not,” Bain said. “We find them now. Get more people out here. We search every inch of this area until we locate them.”


    Alban nodded, and both men immediately began calling in their teams.


    Hours passed. The sun sank below the horizon. Still nothing — not a trace, not a lead.


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    Just as frustration was beginning to tip toward despair, Alban’s phone rang.


    “It’s your sister,” he told Bain, and answered at once.


    “Alban, where are you right now?” Christina’s voice came through clearly.


    “Where are you? Is Gillian with you? Where did the two of you go?” His voice was tight with controlled panic.


    “We’re at the hospital. Come immediately.” She gave him the address.


    “The hospital? Did something happen to Gillian?” The fear hit him like a wave — his mind shed to blood, to harm, to worst-case images he couldn’t suppress. He could barely breathe.


    “She’s alright. King just finished her surgery, and she’s still under. I wanted to tell you now so you could be there when she wakes up,” Christina said calmly.


    Gillian had only asked Christina to look after Adide if the surgery went wrong. She had never asked her to keep it secret from Alban. Christina had simply stayed silent earlier because she hadn’t wanted anyone to discover King’s identity just yet.


    “Thank God you’re safe, Bonnie. You nearly gave me a heart attack,” Bain said, exhaling a long, shuddering breath of relief.


    “Just get to the hospital. There’s too much to exin over the phone. Drive carefully — Gillian’s surgery went perfectly, and she’ll be fine once she wakes up,” Christina said, and ended the call.


    The crushing weight lifted from Alban’s chest all at once. Without a word to Bain, he got into his car and started the engine.


    Bain watched him go, then pulled away just as quickly. Now that he knew Christina was safe, nothing else in the world mattered.


    Alban drove to the hospital as fast as he dared. He found Christina waiting outside the main entrance, herposure remarkably steady given the circumstances.


    “How is Gillian? Why did you wait so long to tell me about the surgery?” he asked the moment he reached her.


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