The Alpha and Me

96. Inquiring about Nandini

96. Inquiring about Nandini

Manik's POV

I shook hands absent-mindedly with people when they approached to congratulate me for adopting a daughter. My mind was elsewhere. It was not in this room containing famous businessmen to legendary celebrities and philanthropists. I faked a smile to the group of people I was standing with and beat a retreat.

Coming to a corner behind one of the poles, I heaved and ran a hand to my face. I tried to keep my frustration intact but it was reflecting in my body language and how I handled glasses of my drink. I've already broken three in my tight hold and blamed my happiness for feeling so energetic today.

But the truth is, my girlfriend and her sudden disappearance was causing an avalanche of panic to rise within me.

'It's all your fault!' my wolf muttered.

I don't know how it was my fault when actually he deserves all the blame. He became a miserable Romeo over Gianna's death. And way before that he affected my emotions. He didn't let me think of anyone or anything else other than Gianna. But now that she's gone, he's composed his senses but I've lost mine.

My wolf growled, 'I admit behaving weirdly after we found Gianna. But I never told you to avoid Nandini. It was your decision to keep her in the dark.'

I blew another breath and sagged against the pole. My heart throbbed weirdly in my chest as I thought about Nandini. She's not in the mansion. She's nowhere.

Before dad cut the cake, I went to call her to join us before the cake cutting . But her room was still silent and devoid of her fragrance. I also asked Navya and Jenna, but no one seemed to know anything about her. The last time anyone saw her was yesterday, at night, while she was sitting outside by the pool.

I will find you soon, Nandini. Wherever you are hiding, I'll come get you. You can't be mad at me like this. Your absence is a torture.

Wearing a cool expression— like a happy son should on his father's birthday— I joined the party again. Not really a good time provided that music had become louder and the lights more dim. Couples came in the center of the room as they grooved along to the rhythm of soft music.

"Jay," I found Lelah whining in her Grandma's arms.

She was with dad before he was taken away by his friends to dance. I went to her and immediately she jumped into my arms.

"She is obsessed with you. God! I can't believe you recently met her. She behaves like she's known you forever." Her grandma chuckled, watching her granddaughter play with my light stubble.

I pecked her small mouth and hugged her possessively to my chest, "My daughter knows who's going to spoil her in this house after grandpa."

I excused myself and came out in the garden with Lelah. She insisted that I leave her on the ground. I happily did and watched her run around. The luminous garden became her playground and she ran after a small frog that jumped out of nowhere.

"I will give it to gwanny." I laughed listening to her cute soothing voice.

I watched her jump and chase after the frog before striding towards the watchman's cabinet. He was keenly observing the CCTV footage in a few dozen televisions filling the wall across from him above his desk. He got up instantly as he observed me and bowed.

"I want to ask about Nandini. Have you seen her around?" I hope he does.

"Yes, Alpha. Miss Murthy left the mansion in the morning. She seemed to be in a hurry and hired a cab. Although I insisted that she should wait while I called her driver with the car, she left while turning deaf ear to me."

"Can you show me the clip of when she left?"

"Sure, Alpha." He turned to the keyboard and typed like a tally expert.

Taking a step back he eyed at me, "Here it is, alpha, the clip when Miss Murthy left."

Misery swam through me as I watched her in the footage. She had developed dark circles around her puffy eyes— definitely from lack of sleep and constant crying— that even her makeup couldn't hide. She had a small purse that she looked through before boarding a cab and leaving.

"Okay, thanks." I gulped a breath of uncertainty as I nodded at the watchman and left.

"Alpha," He called me when I was hardly three steps gone.

As I looked over my shoulder, he came to the main door of the cabin and said, "Miss Murthy's bodyguard may have something of importance to share with you. I once witnessed Joel and Seth bickering with each other about being a little bit more stern around Miss Murthy."

The need to know what was that about rushed through me. I patted the guard on his shoulder, "Thanks, Dale. I appreciate your help." And hurried away to pick up my little bundle of joy.

"The frog ran away, Jay."

"No problem, sweetie. I'll buy you many frogs to give to your grandma."

I left Lelah in mom's custody after coming back to the party. Since everyone was inside, including the guards and wardens, I didn't have to go look around for them in another place.

Our mansion was backed with a super-tech system and there were firing weapons installed along the walls under every light that radiated on the mansion. They can be operated through a control room which is behind one of the walls in dad's fancy walk-in closet. Henceforth, the usual guards that watched the mansion at night were stationed for the mansion's safety.

"Seth, I need to talk." I found him at the bar, drinking with a young girl.

"Yes, Alpha."

"Any idea where I will find Joel?" I asked as we wore a fake mask of happiness.

"He went with a girl to the library." I resisted from yelling in disappointment as I imagined him fucking against the shelves of the library I was hoping to have Lelah spend most of her time in.

"Come with me," Good for him that we met in the passageway outside the library.

Judging from the strong smell of cum, I can say they didn't do it inside. Again, good for them, or else I would have prohibited him from having sex for a year or two.

They stared at me expectantly as I took them in a dark corner. This was to make sure nobody disturbed me while I interrogated them. There were many wandering around, touring the mansion and seemed in the mood to waste time indulging in boring conversation.

"Dale told me about you two talking about limiting Nandini and where she goes a week or two ago?" I asked, coming straight to the point.

Joel seemed to recall something and said, "I think I remember something."

"Good. Tell me what it is?"

"It was about Stanley Archibald."

"Archibald?" I almost yelled the name.

My body lit up with uncertainty and a sense of possessiveness ran over me. I pulled him by the front of his shirt and gritted in his face.

"I want to know everything that happened. Everything."

Tbc.... 

The awaited Manik's POV is here 😋 but ik it's not the desired one becoz Manik has gotten on your nerves 😅

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No target for this one!