Reclaimed By My Ex-husband-Chapter 60: Zara was taken

The sharp crack of the slap echoed off the stained concrete walls.

"Ah—" The cry escaped her lips before Zara could stop it.

Pain exploded along her jaw, and a bitter, metallic taste filled her mouth. Her head snapped to the side, and for a terrifying moment, she thought something in her jaw had broken. Her tongue brushed against the inside of her torn, bleeding cheek.

Before she could brace herself, the man seized her chin in a bruising grip and struck her again. Once. Twice. A third time.

Each blow landed with brutal force.

Zara’s world spun. Her cheeks throbbed, burning with agony, her vision swimming in and out of focus. Her ears rang, and hot tears rolled silently down her face.

The man stepped back, smirking, then held up his phone.

"Look at you," he sneered. "Swollen cheeks, blood in your mouth—you look pathetic."

He snapped a few photos, then leaned in, gripping her arm so tightly she let out a sharp, involuntary whimper. He let out a cruel and condescending laugh and started recording a video.

"Say something to your husband," he grunted, shoving the phone closer to her battered face. "Beg him to come save you."

Zara didn’t flinch. She lifted her chin slightly, blood on her lips, her eyes burning with quiet defiance. She stayed silent.

The man’s hand tightened around her arm until pain surged through her body.

"Ahh..." she cried out, unable to stop the sound. Her face contorted in pain.

"Look at her." He grinned into the camera. "Crying, helpless, terrified. And this is just the beginning. Her pain will only get worse. If you want her back alive, bring ten million within an hour, or we’ll send what’s left of her in a body bag."

He ended the recording with a smirk.

On the other end, Nathaniel tapped Bree’s name and raised the phone to his ear. The line rang longer than he liked, and with every passing second, the knot in his chest tightened.

Finally, her groggy voice crackled through.

"Hello?"

"Bree, it’s Nathaniel," he blurted. "Is Zara with you? Do you know where she is? Can you call her?"

There was a pause on the line, then Bree’s voice, still raspy from sleep, replied in confusion, "Why would she be with me? She left the office early yesterday. Said she was taking Zane out for dinner. Why? What’s going on?"

Nathaniel’s heart sank further. The sliver of hope he had been clinging to hear Zara’s voice vanished. "She never came home," he said. "She hasn’t called. Her phone has been off. No one has heard from her. I thought maybe she got hurt again..."

Bree’s tone changed in an instant. "Wait—what?" she snapped, fully alert now. "She didn’t come home? Are you serious? Where could she have gone?"

Nathaniel didn’t answer. He didn’t know what to say, his restlessness growing.

"I’ll call you later," he muttered.

"Wait, Nathaniel—" Bree tried to stop him, but the call had already disconnected.

She sat up in bed, staring at the phone, her thoughts spiraling. "What the hell is going on? Where did Zara go? Is she in danger? And when did Nathaniel even get back from his trip?"

A storm of questions swirled in her mind, and a cold sense of unease settled deep in her gut. Something was very, very wrong.

The moment Nathaniel ended the call with Bree, he dialed Roberto’s number. The phone rang a few times before it was answered.

"Hello?"

"Roberto," Nathaniel said, his tone urgent and clipped. "I know you are probably exhausted from the flight, but I need you to act immediately. Zara is missing. Her phone is off, and no one has seen her since yesterday. Something is wrong. I need her last known location, find out who she met, and where she went."

Roberto’s voice straightened, suddenly sharp with focus. "I’ll get on it right away, sir."

"Also," Nathaniel added, "pull her phone records. Check who she last talked to."

"Understood. I’ll call back as soon as I have something."

The call ended with that.

Nathaniel shoved the phone into his pocket and strode down the hallway, his steps fast and resolute.

"Nathaniel," Riya’s voice rang out behind him. She hurried toward him. "Where are you going? You just got back. Sit down, eat something first—"

He turned sharply, eyes blazing, cutting her off mid-sentence.

"Do you even understand what’s happening?" he snapped. "Zara has been missing since yesterday. Her phone has been off. And you want me to rest?"

Riya’s expression froze. Her lips parted, but no words came out.

"No one checked on her," Nathaniel continued, his voice rising with fury. "No one thought she could be in trouble. You all were too busy blaming her for not taking Zane out. But did any of you stop to think why she didn’t show up?"

His voice echoed through the quiet hallway like thunder. Riya flinched, stunned, unable to respond. Her lips trembled, and tears welled in her eyes as she tried to speak.

"I-I didn’t mean it like that," she stammered. "I was only worried about you..."

Before Nathaniel could reply, a small voice cut through the tension.

"Daddy?"

He turned quickly to see Zane running toward him, his eyes wide and anxious. Nathaniel dropped to one knee and pulled his son into his arms, holding him tight.

Zane clung to him, his little arms wrapping tightly around his neck. "Is Mommy okay?" he asked worriedly.

Nathaniel’s chest tightened. He gently stroked Zane’s hair. "She is fine, love. Absolutely fine," he said, trying to steady his voice for the boy’s sake.

Zane pulled back slightly, looking up at him with searching eyes. "But... you said she might be in danger."

Nathaniel felt his heart twist at the fear in his son’s face. He gave him a soft, reassuring smile. "Don’t worry. I’ll bring her home. I promise."

Zane’s expression softened, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Can I come with you?"

Nathaniel shook his head, gently holding Zane’s tiny hands in his. "No, love. Stay here and wait for us. We’ll be back before you know it."

Zane nodded slowly. Nathaniel rubbed Zane’s hair, his resolve sharper than ever. Nothing would stop him. He was bringing Zara home.

In the meantime, Nathaniel’s phone buzzed in his pocket, and he instinctively reached for it, his entire body going rigid the moment he saw Roberto’s name on the screen.

His heart jumped with anticipation and anxiety. With a quick swipe, he answered.

"Hello?"

"I checked, sir," Roberto’s voice came through. "Madam Zara was last seen leaving the office building. But..." He trailed off.

"But what?" Nathaniel demanded.

"She was taken," Roberto said grimly, "by her father. He hit her from behind and dragged her into his car."

For a moment, the words didn’t register. Then fury twisted Nathaniel’s face. "What did you say?" he growled with disbelief.

"I reviewed the surveillance footage outside the building," Roberto continued. "It’s clear. He attacked her and dragged her off. I’ve already started tracking his location."

Nathaniel didn’t waste another second. "Meet me at my villa," he ordered and ended the call.

Without sparing a glance behind, he strode out.

Riya stood frozen in place, watching him leave. She opened her mouth to stop him, but the words died before they formed. Her hands slowly curled into tight fists.

’Zara,’ she thought bitterly, ’if you are really in danger, maybe it’s better you don’t come back. Just disappear and let me finally have peace.’

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