King of the Empire ✓| #2 |

42 - Resurfaced

"Liam-"

"If you don't feel safe, go back to the car." She shook her head before she walked out of my sight. She might have been afraid but I knew she had it in her to fight back. I'd made sure she was trained enough to do so.

I took a deep breath and opened my bedroom door. To my surprise, the room looked exactly the same as I had left it. Some furniture was broken but other than that, everything else was the same.

I stepped inside, making sure I closed the door as quietly as possible. I walked over to my bed, carefully eyeing out my surroundings. The closet door was opened and so was the bathroom. I looked at the bed, a small piece of folded paper catching my eye. I looked around one more time, my gun raised at my shoulder height and moved around the corners of the room.

I was alone. But I suspected that since it would've been a dumb idea for him to hide in my bedroom. That was the first room I'd check. Unless he wanted to be found. Unless he wanted to catch me when I least expected it.

I grabbed the paper from the bed and unfolded it, holding the gun in my hand.

Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.

It was my mother's handwriting.

She wrote it.

She left a note.

What dies inside us while we live.

What could've possible died inside her? Was it the torture she went through living with her husband that led her to lose this something?

My head jerked towards the door once something crashed in the hallway. The paper slipped out of my hand as I rushed to the door and opened it, aiming my gun at the end of the hall.

But... nothing. Something did shatter. But there were no remnants of anything that could've crashed.

"What the..." Alex came into my view as I move forward. I looked at him, meeting his eyes. "You heard that, right?" I nodded before I turned my eyes to where Audrey had gone.

We walked forward, eyeing the hall as we moved. The paintings and decorations were basically untouched here. As if he hadn't stepped place into the wing during his rage explosion.

"Liam!" A piercing scream tore through the walls, making my heart race. "Help!"

"Audrey," I ran towards the stairs and skipped many as I got down them and ran towards the chambers.

"Liam, hold on!" Alex tried to catch up to me but once I reached the basement, letting the humid air touch my skin, I saw the dim light in the very back.

How the hell did they make her get down there this fast?

I ran as fast as I could, hearing her cries and mumbles as I got closer. I could hear Alex's movements behind me as I reached the room. My entire body caught on fire from the sight of Francesco, pressing a gun against her temple, one arm wrapped around her throat.

"Finally. I would've hated to kill her with no audience." I frowned as I held the gun raised at him. His right eye to be precise. Alex's hand collided with my shoulder once he reached me.

"Let her go," Francesco's evil grin touched his face as he shook his head, glancing at the side of her face. Audrey tried pulling his arm away with her hands but the difference in size was against her. "She's your fucking daughter, you moron!" I yelled out, making him laugh as he pressed the muzzle of the gun harder to her temple. I fought hard to stay in place.

"As far as I'm concerned, I don't have children. Whatever you might mean that she's my daughter, I'd suggest you check the papers there," I frowned as I looked to the side where on top of a metal table lay a black envelope. I looked up at him.