His Hope [Zayn][Completed]

Chapter 26-Hercules

"We've got a problem. The staff were dismissed for the day." Luke notified him immediately after barging in his office.

Zayn stares at him for a split second then his eyes narrow.

"Where is Colin?" He heard himself ask despite the ringing in his ears.

"He went out for a couple of hours but the surveillance team confirmed he is back at the manor."

"And Hope?" Zayn asked.

"She never left the premises."

A chilling wave washed over him listening to the hard pounding of his heart in his ears. That meant Hope was alone with Colin.

"I want a detailed list of where he went and question whoever he was in contact with in those places."

"This may alert Colin of our existence, Sir. So far we have not been conspicuous."

"It doesn't matter now. Dismissing the staff and returning to an empty house except for Hope inside means something. I want to know what he is planning. "

"Yes sir. I will reroute the team this instant." Luke reached for his smartphone and left the room.

"That seems unusual. Dismissing the staff. What is this clown planning?" Brett asked, steeping his fingers together.

"I wish I knew." He replied, massaging his temples.

"I wish I was Mary-fucking-Poppins! I'd use that bitches umbrella and poof, we'd be gone already and scope out what the hell is going on!" Sammy exclaims.

Uncle Brett and Sammy were seated in his now tidy office witnessing the sequence of events unraveling. Coincidentally, they'd been discussing how they were to proceed with Hope and Colin.

Their original plan for Hope and Sammy to meet at a salon for manicures failed. Sammy never had the chance to connect with her. The cellular phone Zayn gifted Hope was inactive.

Which meant one of two things–it was switched off or destroyed.

Luke's undercover surveillance team kept close watch for anyone arriving or leaving the manor. Hope never stepped outside the grounds for the past two weeks.

Brett arriving at the manor in a delivery truck, disguised, to deliver flowers also failed. Insisting he was instructed to hand deliver the flowers to the lady of the manor was denied by the attending staff, on Colin's orders. Brett and the flowers returned without success much to Zayn's growing frustration.

Incorporating undercover personnel under Colin's roof also failed. The female they sent seeking work at the manor was informed the manor was fully staffed and they did not require additional employees.

It was as if he was keeping her enclosed, refusing her contact with the outside world.

Colin, on the other hand, had gone out alone on two different occasions only to run a few errands, one place involving the bank, and another to his lawyers offices.

While Colin and Hope were on the top of his priorities, It had been one hell of a week at work. On top of his problems, Zayn's employees checks bounced. According to the bank, nonsufficient funds were available due to issues with their company account. After a two-day investigation, it was revealed a substantial amount of money was missing–millions of dollars worth. It was untraceable and they were still working non-stop to locate and track the disappearance.

It was obvious fraud. But who would steal from him? No one but Daniel, Zayn, Jasmine and his father Julien had exclusive access to the corporate account.