Captivated Desires

31

His gaze held mine, his face stern and serious. "I've uncovered a plot," he revealed, his words blunt and to the point. "Someone has been planning something. Something big and dangerous."

"Something to do with Josh?" Azar's expression darkened at the mention of Josh's name, and he gave a brief nod. "Yes," he confirmed, his tone grave. "It's connected to him. The details are still unclear, but I can say with certainty that the plans are not good. Not good at all."

"Does Reign know?" I looked at him. Azar sighed, the lines on his face deepening with concern. "No," he confirmed. "I haven't told him yet. These developments are too serious, and I wanted to inform you and the children first, for your safety."

"You know Josh is innocent in all of this,".

Azar nodded slowly, a hint of resignation in his expression. "I know," he said, his voice solemn. "But that doesn't change the fact that he's involved, whether purposefully or not. Whatever is brewing is dangerous, and all the pieces are tied back to him, one way or another."

"Or maybe it was his dead wife,". Azar paused at my words, considering my theory. "It's possible," he admitted. "But we can't jump to conclusions until we have more information. We need all the facts before we start accusing the dead."

"Oh come on, there was something sketchy about her," I said firmly.

Azar nodded a tight frown on his face. "You're not wrong," he agreed, his voice holding a hint of reluctant agreement. "There was something off about her. But we can't let that influence our judgment. We have to stay objective, and follow where the evidence takes us."

"I'm going to call Reign, he purposely left this morning because he was mad with you," I stood up and Azar watched as I reached for my phone, his expression a mix of understanding and warning. "Be careful," he said, his voice quiet. "We can't be sure what Reign will do upon hearing this information."

"He is the leader of this company, he should know," I said firmly as the phone rang a few times before Reign picked up, the sound of his voice gruff and brusque. "What is it?" he asked, the irritation in his tone evident.

"Reign, you need to come back to the villa. Azar is here with news," I said to him. There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, Reign taken off guard by the urgency in my voice. "What kind of news?" he finally asked, his tone less hostile but still suspicious.

"Something bad, you need to come back," I replied. There was another brief pause before Reign's voice came through the phone. "I'll be there as soon as possible," he said, his tone now serious and intent. "Stay put. Don't open the door for anyone except me."

A little over an hour later, the sound of a car pulling up outside signalled Reign's arrival. He had driven back to the villa as fast as he could, Azar's news weighing heavily on his mind. He walked briskly through the front door, the tense energy in his body palpable. He spotted Azar in the living room and walked straight up to him, his eyes hard and unyielding. "What's the news?" he demanded, his tone leaving no room for discussion.

Before Azar could answer, the sound of small footsteps echoed through the corridor, and the kids came rushing into the living room. "Dad, you're back!" Lionel exclaimed, a big smile on his face. Willow and Levi, not to be outdone, also ran towards their father, their little arms reaching out for a hug.

Reign's stern expression softened momentarily as he saw his children's joyous faces. A hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he knelt to their level, opening his arms to gather them in a tight embrace. "Hey, guys," he said, his voice warm and gentle as he held them close. "I missed you too." He stood up, lifting them off the floor with a strong arm under their bottoms. They giggled and wrapped their tiny arms around his neck, happy to be so close to their father.

A rare moment of softness passed through the room, the love and joy of a father with his children briefly taking precedence over the tense conversation waiting to be had. Reign looked up from the kids and fixed his gaze on Azar, the sternness returning to his expression. "Now," he said, his voice still firm but slightly softer. "Explain."

"Reign the kids can't be here," I said gently. Reign looked at me briefly before nodding in agreement. He placed the kids back on the floor. "Alright, kids," he said, a hint of command in his tone. "Go back to your rooms for a bit. We have some grown-up stuff to talk about."

The kids, despite their disappointment at being sent away, knew better than to argue with their father's tone. They slowly made their way back to their rooms, glancing back a few times before disappearing down the corridor. Once they were out of earshot, Reign's expression grew serious again, his eyes locking onto Azar. "Now," he repeated, his tone hard. "Start talking."

Azar wasted no time in getting to the point. "I've obtained some information," he said, his voice low and serious. "Information that concerns the safety of ourselves and your family." 

Reign's eyes darkened at the words. "What kind of information?" he asked, his jaw clenching slightly.

"We have reason to believe there is a threat against us," Azar continued, his tone grave. "Someone is planning something, and based on the intel I gathered, the scope is much larger than we initially thought."

Reign's eyes narrowed, his body growing taut with anger. "Who?" he demanded, his voice barely above a growl.

Azar's expression remained solemn as he replied. "I don't have a name yet," he admitted. "But what we do know is that whoever is behind this is powerful and well-connected. They have resources, and they're not afraid to use them."

"I thought we got the snitch, three years ago. Jack wasn't it?" I asked.