It's early in the morning when we arrive in New York. What time in the morning, I'm not sure. None of us are. Our main objective was to get what we needed from our houses and make it to the airport for our flight which was nearing almost ten o'clock at night by the time we made it to the airport.
That was the last time any of us checked the time.
Now we're here, it seems somewhat quiet despite New York being known as 'The City That Never Sleeps'. The only sound we're met with when we get off the plane is Luca's bodyguards giving out instructions so everyone knows where we stand in terms of what's to be done. Fredrick and Jade will be driven back to their home with their security team. Luca and I will be driven to his parent's home with his security team.
I'm almost falling asleep in the back of the car as we drive to Nick and Jane's house. The time difference has messed up my system despite the fact that I had a sleep on the plane journey over here. Luca couldn't sleep, though, and no one can blame him. I tried to get him to rest for a little bit but he wouldn't. Fredrick and Jade even tried to get him to rest which only resulted in an argument starting up.
It got no one anywhere.
The drive from the airport to Nick and Jane's house is quick, something I didn't expect it to be. However, it is Carlo who is driving so I'm surprised. The car pulls up outside a townhouse, the outside lights turned on at either side of the double black front door with the number 336 clearly visible on the door on the right in gold. You can faintly make out the red bricks of the house surrounding the lights, as well as the black framed windows on the second floor where all the lights are turned on.
Luca gets out the car first and I follow him closely. The front door opens and a man comes out. He rushes down the steps and takes the car keys from Carlo before hopping into the car and driving away. Carlo ushers us up the polished steps and we are greeted with a wide-alert Jane.
"I thought you'd never get here," she addresses. She steps aside and lets us in. "Your father is in the office with Ivan and all of our security teams."
The small lobby is rather spacious with the pale grey walls and white wainscoting flowing through into the flawlessly laid out living room. We take a step down into the living room and Carlo and Jones walk on ahead of us, walking swiftly across the room and down a set of stairs to the floor below.
"Louisa is sleeping in her room on the fourth floor," Jane tells Luca.
"Thank you," Luca replies.
He gives her a tight hug before walking off to see his daughter.
"Kaylee," Jane breathes loudly, closing the front door and locking it. She beckons for me to follow her. "Come with me."
I follow her across the living room and down the stairs to the kitchen on the floor below. She firmly closes the back door that's to the left at the bottom of the stairs and mentions for me to have a seat at the island. I don't question her movements and just go with it.
"The office in the outbuilding," she explains when I'm sitting comfortably at the island. "It means neither of us is disturbed when we're doing business. Plus, they won't disturb us."
I don't respond.
She walks behind me to the built-in fridge freezer door. "Water, juice, or something stronger?"
"Eh, water is fine." I answer.
She pulls two bottles of water from the fridge and comes to stand in front of me, placing one in front of me.
I open the bottle and take a drink. "Thank you."
She nods.
"I know what you're thinking and what you want to say to me. I'll save you the time and say it for you." She takes a step back and holds her arms out to the side before spinning on the spot. "Yes, I am wearing worn out mom jeans. Yes, I am wearing a very ill-fitted balloon-sleeved shirt. And yes, I have no make-up on and I haven't done my hair."
"Jane, I wasn't-" I start defending but she holds her hand up and I stop speaking.
"I don't care what anyone thinks of me when they look at me right now. As of this very moment in time, I am a mother and a grandmother worried about her son and granddaughter. I don't give a fucking damn about what people think of my look because my thoughts are on my family and their safety. Is that understood?"
She stares intensely at me.
I blink once.
She's even scarier without any make-up on than she is with it on.
She raises a brow at me.
"Understood," I finally answer, my voice hoarse.
"Good." She places both hands on the white worktop and shakes her head while looking down at the floor. "Of all the times for something like this to happen, they pick now." She straightens up. "They pick the moment that my son's mind is focused on saving his company and keeping his one true love safe."
She turns quickly and swipes her bottle of water off the worktop, sending it flying across the room and hitting off the staircase.
"I could actually scream!" She half yells in frustration.
"It's because you don't have control over it," I point out.
She looks at me over her shoulder.
I swallow hard and sit up straight. "You're that used to having control when it comes to your family but because this is something you can't control because you didn't see it coming, you feel like you're losing the plot."
She stares at me long and hard, and I suddenly wish I never opened my mouth.
The last time we were alone together was in Luca's house in London before Louisa and Luca came in and joined us unexpectedly. We fine back then but that's because that was a happier day. None of what has happened had come to light. None of this abruptness of flying to a different country was even a thought in anyone's head.
Oh, how the tables have turned.
"Hmm," she scoffs. She turns and smirks. "Look who has finally grown a pair and is starting to think like a strong woman."
"I must have learned from the best," I grin.
She smiles and the back door opens, Nick leading the way with the different security teams closely behind him. Luca comes down the stairs quickly and looks at his father, his arms folding across his chest as he waits patiently for him to say something.
"First thing in the morning, I want you outside waiting on us. Jane hasn't got work so she will be staying here with Louisa. Xavier, you'll be here for Louisa as well as two of my guys and one of Jane's. The rest will come with Luca, Kaylee, and myself to the apartment."
"We'll be here for the crack of dawn, Mr. Madden." Carlo confirms.
"Good."
Carlo excuses himself and the other bodyguards. They walk up the stairs and we all wait until the sound of the front door opening and closing before anyone moves. Luca moves to stand behind me, his hands falling onto my shoulders. Nick locks the back door and stands next to Jane.
"What'sournext step?" Jane probes.
She stares at Nick until he looks at her.
"Our next step is for everyone in this house to get some sort of sleep and when it comes morning, we'll go from there." Nick says firmly.
"You can't be-" Luca starts.
Nick shakes his head. "No questions asked. We've been over this. You need to get some sleep because who knows where your mind will be tomorrow morning when we go to your apartment."
"Fine," Luca groans.
"Your room is already set up for you on the third floor," Jane notifies.
Luca nods. He steps to the side and slides a hand down my arm to take my hand. He gently pulls on it and we walk out of the kitchen. We walk across the polished dark wooden floor and up the light coloured carpeted stairs to the third floor, all of which is done in silence.
At the top of the stairs on the third floor, we take a sharp left and step into the bedroom. As soon as the bedroom door is closed and the lights are on, Luca pulls me into his arms. He holds me tight and buries his head in the crook of my neck. He doesn't care that he's having to crouch to do so. That doesn't matter as long as he can have me in his embrace.
He inhales deeply. "I love you so much."
"I love you, too." My fingers play with a few strands of his hair at the back of his head. "How was Louisa?"
"Sleeping peacefully like nothing is wrong." He sighs heavily then lets me go, moving to sit on the end of the bed. He leans forward, elbows on his knees, and puts his head in his hands. "I don't even want to think of what may have happened if she was there. I know my parents would be there, too, but they would know what to do. Louisa wouldn't other than to go to them."
I move to stand next to him. I place a hand on his shoulder and rub it soothingly. "I know it's easier said than done to say to you to stop thinking of the worst."
"I don't know what I would do if they had taken her," he voices, his voice cracking at the end of the sentence. He lifts his head and blinks up at me. "She's my little girl who has been through so much already. She-"
"Luca, don't."
I sit next to him and clasp one of his hands in mine. I rest my head against his.
"It just goes to show you that having all the money in the world doesn't make you immune to things like this. It just makes you a target. An even bigger one at that."
"You weren't to know this would happen. You couldn't have predicted this happening, either." I whisper.
His eyes close and he breathes deeply.
I know he's hurting, it's obvious. Everybody would act the same way, even more so if it involved their child. Fair dos, it was just cosmetic damage done to the apartment and the worst didn't happen, but it doesn't stop your brain from going to the worst. All the thoughts of what happened combined with what could have happened start merging together and become one. It gets harder and harder with every passing moment to determine what is real and what isn't.
"Carlo will be the one to drive us to the apartment first thing in the morning," Luca finally says after a long moment of silence. "Jones will also be there with us and I'll get Trent to come, too."
I nod. "We really should get some sleep, then."
"Even if it will only be for a couple of hours."
"What time is it, anyway?" I ask, pulling back from him.
"Going onto about two in the morning," he answers, glancing down at his watch with a frown. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep, though."
"You won't know until you try."
I get up off the bed and tenderly pull at his hand so he does the same. He gets up off the bed easily, lets go of my hand, and walks to the other side. He turns the lights off and we slip our shoes off and get into the bed, electing to sleep closer together in the middle of the bed facing each other rather than apart and on our usual sides.
"Thank you for being here, Kaylee." Luca utters after a while. I don't respond, knowing fine well that he's not done talking. "I know I said you shouldn't come but I'm glad you didn't listen to me. I need you here more than I thought I did." He places a kiss on the top of my head. "Goodnight, baby. I love you."
The police presence at Luca's apartment is substantial. From the moment we draw up at the entrance to the building, police cars are already parked up with officers vetting those who are coming and going from the building. Inside the building is more of the same procedure. We have a police escort up to the apartment where we're greeted by more police officers who lead us into the apartment, telling us to brace ourselves for what we are about to see.
"I've given my son a rough idea as to what to expect when we enter," Nick tells the officer before the door is opened.
Just like Luca had said, pictures, article printings, and newspaper cuttings are pinned all over the walls to our left. There isn't one wall that's left clear of papers or pictures as we walk in the direction of the kitchen and Luca's office. Everywhere you look, there's something either stuck onto the wall or written in both red and black paint – all of which is taped off so we don't get too close.
Luca and I move closer to inspect some of the pictures and printings, our entwined fingers never leaving each others despite the distance between each other. I look from one picture to another, then to the news articles, my head tilting to the side as I inspect each of them closely.
The news articles and printings are of Luca and every time he's appeared in the news, whether it be online or in a magazine or in a newspaper. The articles start from the beginning when he first started his company, to this day, as well as his personal life. The pictures are much the same; a mixture of him out and about, then change to professional photos taken for work, then onto personal photos.
We turn the final corner leading to the bedrooms and that's when everything changes. Luca's hold on my hand tightens and he draws me in closer to him. I can hear Nick gasp at the sight and for all Carlo and Jones don't usually show their emotions in front of us, I can faintly hear them blow out a long breath of air and mutter something unspeakable.
The personal photos on the left aren't just from Luca's childhood or from family events. They're a mixture of Luca's personal photos and mine. They start off as Luca and I together nine years ago, change to Luca and I during the time we were apart, then back to photos of us together now. As creeped out as we both are, those photos aren't the ones that really capture our attention.
It's the ones on the right of Luca with his numerous flings before they change to one steady person with him for a significant time before it turns back to random women than to me. It's the ones with a woman with long brown hair and piercing ice-blue eyes that captures our attention. It's the ones with a woman scantily dressed with those eyes staring back at us that has me cringing inside.
How can someone find dressing like that acceptable on any occasion? Heck, there doesn't even need to be an occasion for that to be deemed acceptable. I don't know anyone who would even dare think to dress like that, celebrities included and they do raise a lot of eyebrows with what they wear.
I look up at Luca whose lips are pursed together with his eyes never settling on a single picture for long. If he wasn't uncomfortable before, he is now. He doesn't know what to say or do other than look at the wall before us with not only photos and various news articles stuck to it, but words that sum everything up.
WOMANIZER.
PLAYER.
MAN WHORE.
SLEAZE.
DOUCHEBAG.
DICK.
Just some of the words to name a few that are scrolled across the walls repeatedly, along with unmentionable drawings on some of the pictures. Clearly, this is someone from Luca's past who is trying to scare him and quite possibly try to shake our relationship. They don't want to see him happy because they're most likely still hung up on him and aren't happy themselves.
Luca walks ahead of me and looks at the wall closest to his bedroom door. He comes to a stop and points to one picture that catches his attention.
"Can I?" He asks the nearest officer, not taking his eyes off the picture.
I look at the police officer and Nick who are standing beside each other. Nick is staring at his son with his hands in his light grey trouser pockets. He knows what this specific picture means and why his son has asked to take it off the wall.
"We would rather you not," the officer tells him bluntly. "It's evidence."
"Please," Luca all but begs.
He looks at the officer who I can see straighten up instantly at the sight of Luca looking at him. His hands grip his duty belt tighter and his chest rises before he swiftly nods.
"Alright."
Luca reaches out with his free hand, grips the picture, and pulls it free from where it's pinned to the wall. He stares down at it for a long moment then holds it up for the two of us to see.
"This . . ." He says through a loud sigh. ". . . this is Nadia."
I look at him then back to the picture.
I knew that.
He didn't need to tell me who it was. I knew all too well who it was just by her eyes and from the fact being that she has been in most of the pictures up to this point. Her eyes, unfortunately, are the clear giveaway as to who it is. Poor Louisa even looks like her mother to some extent when you look hard enough at the picture for a long time.
I feel so sorry for her most of all.
"This was the day that Louisa was born," Luca informs.
I can see his hand begin to shake and I give his other hand a small squeeze for reassurance.
"We were happy and my little girl was none the wiser as to how much of an impact she already had on my life. Everything I did until that moment was all for me then that day came and it changed. Everything in my life changed for her.
"She would never have to ask for anything or beg for something. She would never go through life having money worries or worries about what university to pick because of the price. She would get anything and everything she asked me for and I would give it all to her. She wouldn't need to worry about paying for her first car because I'd buy her one and give to her as a gift just because I can. I would gift to her an apartment or house anywhere in the world and even if she said she wanted one somewhere else in the world, I'd buy one in that place for her, too.
"She changed everything for not only me but my whole family. She changed all of our lives for the better but little did she know, she would face the biggest test of her young life only weeks later when her mother walked out."
"It's why that's the only photo any of us have of Nadia," Nick adds.
"It's the only photo I can't bring myself to get rid of," Luca mutters. "It doesn't matter how much I look at it; I can't see any signs as to what clicked in Nadia's head for her to do what she did. My mother can't even see any signs and she's paid to do this kind of thing."
"She must have been a very good actress," I say quietly.
"A very very good actress," Nick agrees.
"Louisa was only . . . what . . . I'd say . . . three hours old in this photo." Luca sniffs and holds the picture tighter, his knuckles turning white. "You can see how much Nadia tried to do her hair and make-up in that time but she was too tired. God, she really did hate people seeing her without at least some make-up on and her hair done."
"Superficial," Nick comments.
"Needless to say, I became a better man because of our daughter which is the only thing that I'm thankful to her for. The rest . . . I don't give a damn about. Louisa was and is the only good thing to come out of that whole relationship."
"Mr. Madden," Trent's voice suddenly calls.
"What?" Luca responds without looking away from the picture.
"Detective Patrick Jenkins is here to speak to you," he informs.
"Where is he?"
"In the kitchen."
"Fine." Luca snaps out of his stare at the picture and turns to look at Trent. "Lead the way."
Trent turns on the spot and leads the way to the kitchen. Luca hands the picture to his dad on the way past and Nick slips it into his suit jacket pocket. We walk past Luca's office, the door of which is left open just no more.
Just by the small gap, you can clearly see all the pieces of paper that are scattered about on the floor. Everything that was on the shelves is now on the floor. Remnants of broken glass glistens in the morning light on top of the papers. I look away from the room and a shiver runs down my back.
If that's what that the office looks like, I don't want to even think of what the bedrooms and playroom look like. The mere fact that someone would go to all the trouble to do this and lay everything out the way it is on the walls leaves only one question to be answered; which one of Luca's exes is behind all of this?
We walk into the kitchen and Trent comes to an abrupt stop next to a man who is smaller than he is. His dark blue suit matches the Barbour quilted jacket he has which is left unbuttoned. His hands are in his trouser pockets and he's waiting patiently for Luca's arrival, turning on the spot while taking in the room.
"Detective Jenkins," Trent starts, getting the mans attention. The man turns and his eyebrows rise and fall quickly when he sees Luca. His jet black hair is slicked back and merges with his neatly trimmed black beard. "This is Luca Madden, his girlfriend Kaylee Fletcher, and his father Nick Madden."
"Detective Jenkins," Luca welcomes.
I let go of his hand so he can shake the detective's outstretched hand.
"Mr. Madden, a pleasure to meet you." Detective Jenkins says. His green eyes move to me and he offers his hand for me to shake. "Miss. Fletcher. Thank you for getting here quickly despite the unfortunate circumstances."
"It's my family who are the targets." Luca urges me to move to the table to sit down. He doesn't sit with me. Instead, he moves to stand at the opposite side with his dad to his right and Trent to his left. "I wouldn't be anywhere else."
"Of course not, Mr. Madden." Detective Jenkins moves to stand close to me and reaches into his jacket pocket for a notepad and pen. "First thing I have to ask is whether or not you have any idea as to who would do something like this to your home."
Luca rolls his eyes. "Whoever it is has focused their attention mainly on my ex-girlfriend and mother of my child."
"That would be-" He looks down at his notepad and taps his pen to the paper a few times. "-Nadia Holt?"
"Yes."
"It would be beneficial to us if we could get in touch with Nadia, Mr. Madden."
Luca scoffs and Nick shakes his head with a grin.
"Good luck with that one," Nick tells him.
"No one has seen or heard from Nadia since the day she signed over all parental rights to me." Luca enlightens. "And trust me when I tell you that I have had people looking for her since she walked out of my daughter's life and each one of their leads have ended at a dead-end."
"She doesn't want to be found and she's done a damn good job at making sure no one knows where she is."
"What about her family? Surely they'll know where she is." Detective Jenkins frowns.
"Tried that. Her parents don't want to know her after what she did and they have also had nothing to do with my daughter since they found our Nadia was pregnant with her. They saw us being separated and not married but having a child together as a sin and not something they could accept."
"What about other relatives?"
"She had two uncles, one of which never married, and one aunt. All of which haven't seen or heard from her since they found out she was pregnant. They, much like her mother and father, don't want to know her after all her sins."
"I take it her family are very religious?"
"Not necessarily. They just hated the fact that we weren't married when Louisa was conceived and that we weren't planning on getting back together despite having a baby together."
"It sounds more like they were extremely religious," Detective Jenkins validates.
"If they were, I never saw it."
"Can we get their addresses so we can contact them? We need to rule out not only Nadia but her family members as being suspects of this."
"Of course." Luca looks at Trent who scrolls through the iPad in his hands for the names and last known contact information needed for Nadia and her family. "Trent will give all the information you need for her and her family, as well as all my exes who may have done this."
"Does this include your current girlfriend, Miss. Fletcher, here?"
The detective points down to me and I raise my brows at him before looking back to Luca. He shakes his head and holds a hand up to stop the officer from attempting to write my name down.
"Miss. Fletcher was with me in London when all of this happened. She can be ruled out straight away." Luca defends, looking the detective straight in the eye as he speaks. "Also, she would never do something like this. It's not something that would be in her nature to do."
I don't know if I should be insulted or grateful for Luca's comment. Either way, I'm happy I don't need to speak to the police about this matter. I've been surrounded by enough police today to last me a lifetime.
"Alright." The sound of him scoring something off his notepad fills my ears. I can breathe a sigh of relief I didn't know I was holding since he mentioned my name. "Can you send a copy of all of this information to our station?"
"I can print it all off and bring it down if that will help?" Trent asks.
"That would be great, thanks." Detective Jenkins puts his notepad and pen away into his suit jacket pocket. "We will take our leave, for now, Mr. Madden, but there will be a police officer stationed just at the elevator lobby at your front door until this matter is resolved."
"Of course," Luca approves.
"As well as ones stationed in the lobby downstairs and outside at the entrance."
"I wouldn't expect anything less."
"Anything you need or anything you think may be helpful, don't hesitate to call us."
"I will do. Thank you."
The detective nods and steps out of the kitchen, Trent following him closely and closing the door behind him.
"So what do you want to do now?" Nick asks.
"We send out the private investigators to find Nadia, that's what." Luca tells him, his arms folding over his chest.
"We've tried this before, Luca, and look where it's gotten us."
"I don't care." Luca stands up straight and stares at his dad. "It's gotten waytoo personal for all of us, now. She needs to be found and I don't give a damn how long it will take to find her. If she has had something to do with this, she's going to wish she'd hidden better under whatever rock she's been under all this time."