Fate's Unwritten Path

Chapter Thirty

Lucas's POV:

The evening had been going so well. I was just finishing up a conversation with a few guests when I noticed that Sasha and Ashley hadn't returned from the ladies' room. I tried to push away the growing unease that was creeping into my thoughts.

"Have you seen Sasha or Ashley?" I asked Ryan, who was surveying the crowd.

"No, I haven't," Ryan replied, his brow furrowing. "Should we check on them?"

Before I could respond, Ashley approached us with a worried look. "Sasha's been in the bathroom for a while now. She told me she was just fixing her makeup, but she hasn't come back."

That sparked immediate concern. Ryan and I exchanged glances, and we made our way towards the bathrooms. Ashley led the way, her heels clicking anxiously against the marble floor.

When we entered the ladies' room, the sight that greeted us was unsettling. Sasha's purse and items were still sitting on the counter, but Sasha herself was nowhere to be seen. I could feel a growing pit of dread in my stomach.

"Where is she?" I muttered, my voice tight with worry.

Ashley grabbed Sasha's things, clutching them as if they were a lifeline. "We need to find her. Something's wrong."

Ryan and I began to search the area, looking for any sign of her. I noticed the absence of Sasha's phone and quickly realized the gravity of the situation. This wasn't just a matter of her being late; something had happened.

"Let's go," I said firmly. "We need to find her."

We rushed out of the bathroom and headed straight for the event's organizer, my father. He was overseeing everything with his usual air of authority. I could see the concern etched on his face as we approached him.

"Dad, Sasha's missing," I said urgently. "She was last seen in the ladies' room, and now she's gone."

His face tightened. "What? How? Let's get the guest list."

We huddled around the guest list as my father flipped through the pages. The list was long, filled with names from various factions, but one name stood out to me. It was a name I recognized from the recent case Sasha had been working on—a client we had dealt with, someone who had always given off an unsettling vibe.

"That's it," I said, my voice laced with tension. "It's him. He's the one who took her."

My father's expression darkened. "We need to get the authorities involved."

"No time for that," I snapped. "We need to act fast. Ryan, gather the men. We need to inform everyone and get everyone searching immediately."

"Got it," Ryan replied, his face set in grim determination.

We moved quickly, gathering the heads of the various mafias who had attended the event. I explained the situation, emphasizing the urgency. "We need everyone's help. All women and children should be sent home. The rest of us need to stay and search for Sasha. We'll split up and cover as much ground as possible."

The men nodded, and soon enough, the women and children were being escorted home. The remaining men prepared to search the city. My father stayed with Ashley to keep her company and provide support.

"Stay with Dad," I instructed Ashley. "We'll find her. Just stay safe."

With that, Ryan and I began our search. We started by revisiting the area around the event. I knew there were security cameras outside, and if we could find the footage, it might give us a lead.

We rushed to the security office of the venue. The staff, alerted by the urgency in our voices, quickly pulled up the footage. I watched the screens intently, my heart pounding with every passing second.

Finally, there it was—Sasha's abduction. The footage was grainy and dark, but I could make out the car that had taken her. The license plate was partially visible, and I jotted it down quickly. The image of Sasha being forced into the trunk of the car was horrifying. I could see enough to know that the man in the car was the same one from the case, but his face remained obscured.

"We've got the license plate," I said to Ryan, my voice determined. "We need to get this out to everyone."

Ryan relayed the information to the gathered men, and they began their search in earnest. We had a lead now, a crucial piece of information that might help us find Sasha.

I couldn't shake the feeling of panic and desperation. Sasha was out there, and we had to find her before it was too late. The city was vast, and the search would be grueling, but we couldn't afford to stop. Not until we had her back safe and sound.

As I moved through the crowd of searchers, my mind was focused solely on one thing: finding Sasha. The weight of responsibility felt heavy, but it was a burden I was determined to bear. We would find her. We had to.