The Devil's Contractual Bride-Chapter 38: Hunger Games

Lucian’s POV

The sirens exploded right outside the warehouse walls,the red and blue lights of their vans slashing through the high, narrow windows of the warehouse.

My heart began to but unsteadily fast due to panic hit, but I advised myself against such weakness and crushed it.

"Mike—grab Victor! Back door! Now!"

Mike was already moving. He hauled Victor up by the arm, sliced the zip ties in one motion with his knife and dragged the stumbling man toward the rear exit. Victor’s legs buckled as gasped for air but Mike paid no heed to his frail body.

"Drag that bastard through the floor if you have to!" I barked again.

Mike didn’t hold back. He shoved Victor through the rusted metal door,Victor stumbled into the alley, Mike right behind him,then he clanged the door shut.

As I turned toward the front entrance,the front door crashed open.

"Police! Keep your hands where I can see them!" 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Six officers burst in with shotguns and handguns raised, their flashlights sweeping left and right, their voices overlapping.

"Put your hands up now!"

"On your knees!"

"Show us your hands!"

I raised both my palms slowly."I don’t get why you’re harassing me, officer," I said calmly. "This is my property and you’re invading my privacy."

The lead officer kept his shotgun trained on my chest."Hands on your head and turn around slowly!"

I complied. I put my palms on the back of my skull and turned in place. Two officers moved in fast, patted me down roughly and my knees scratched the floor. They searched the warehouse for long minutes but they found nothing.

"Clear," one said.

The lead officer lowered his shotgun slightly but kept it ready.

"Stay right there," he ordered. "We received a credible tip that this location is being used for kidnapping and human trafficking Mr Voss.What were you doing here?."

I kept my hands up.

"You’ve got the wrong place," I replied. "This is a storage warehouse. My company owns it and I’m just here to inspect it.You can check the deed if you want and you need a warrant for this kind of entry. This against the law"

The lead officer’s jaw tightened. "We have exigent circumstances and credible threat to a life so we don’t need a damn warrant." He turned to the other officers "Continue searching."

I protested verbally but they ignored every word I said.

The team fanned out flashlights sweeping corners, kicking over empty crates, opening rusted lockers, checking behind pallets and stacks of old tin containers. Boots echoed on concrete. They were all acting as if they had just busted a drug peddling ring.

"Clear left side."

"Nothing in the back."

"The storage area is empty as well sir."

"Still checking the office nook."

Minutes dragged. Five. Ten.

I knelt there with my hands on my head, breathing slowly as I tried to calm the first that was building inside. I watched them tear apart my empty warehouse. Every overturned crate, every kicked pallet, every flashlight beam hitting dust motes felt like another second of Mia and Ethan stepping on my intelligence.

Finally, the lead officer lowered his weapon completely. The others followed suit, holstering or slinging.

He approached, expression shifting from aggressive to uncomfortable.

"Sir... we’re going to need to see some ID."

I slowly lowered my hands, pulled my wallet, and handed over my driver’s license.

He studied it, then the warehouse again before looking at me.

"You can put your hands down now sir" he said, almost apologetically. "The anonymous caller said there was a high-profile kidnapping in progress here.And the direction he provided matches with previous places used as trafficking."

I raised an eyebrow as I got on my feet. "And you found...?"

He exhaled through his nose. "Nothing sir."

The other officers milled around, looking embarrassed, flashlights off now.

"Look," the lead officer continued, "we have to follow up on tips like that especially when they mention kidnapping. We’re sorry for the intrusion.You can go about your business now,we’re done here."

I stared at him for a long second.

"I’m going to fuck’n sue you guys," I said with a firm voice. "You have bridged a lot of my rights and all you can say is sorry?."

The officer’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue.

"If you feel your rights have been abused,you can go ahead and sue.That’s your right, sir."

I brushed past them shoulder clipping one officer’s vest on purpose and strode toward my car which was parked in the shadows outside.

I slid into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and pulled out of the lot. The cruisers stayed behind, lights still flashing while officers stood around the empty warehouse like children in a circus.

I merged onto the main boulevard, then the freeway.

My hands shook on the wheel—not from fear, but from pure boiling rage.

That fucking bitch Mia had set this up.I had just confirmed Aria’s doubt,she was still working for Ethan and was part of everything that happened to Aria.

But one thing gladdens my heart though, Ethan and Mia’s stupidity has just opened the pathway to my next plan.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Clara.

She answered on the first ring. "Mr. Voss?"

"Clara, I want you to send out a notice for an emergency board meeting in seven days. Circulate it to every director immediately including Ethan Caldwell."

There was a pause. "Sir, the bylaws require fourteen days unless—"

"I know the bylaws. Invoke the emergency clause which permits seven days notice if there is a material threat to the company’s financial stability. Say the meeting is something about the stock markets.With that no one can object or they’ll lose fifty percent of their stock."

Another pause. "Understood. I’ll draft it now and have legal sign off."

"Good. Make sure Ethan Caldwell gets it in hand today."

"Alright sir, I’ll get to it."

I ended the call and let out a breath of satisfaction. The hunger games had just begun.