Chapter 170

Evelyn's phone!

She had almost forgotten about that. Grabbing her device, she immediately dialed Nathan's number, but the call failed to connect.

Waylon was probably wearing his smartwatch. With trembling fingers, she tried his contact next, but again - nothing.

Panic clawed at her throat. Had something terrible happened to them?

"Oliver's here!" Chloe's voice cut through her thoughts just as the personal assistant and several security personnel appeared.

"Where are Mr. Goldmann and Liam?" Evelyn demanded, her voice sharper than intended.

"I take full responsibility," Chloe admitted, her military-trained posture rigid with tension. "Liam vanished suddenly. Mr. Goldmann and I split up to search, but then I lost contact with both of them."

This marked Chloe's first major failure. Despite her extensive knowledge of the area's terrain, she'd managed to lose a child right under her nose - an unforgivable lapse for someone of her training.

"If Nathan went searching for Liam, they might be in the wilderness," Evelyn reasoned aloud, her mind racing. Kidnappers wouldn't stay in crowded areas; they'd head somewhere isolated.

"Then what are we waiting for? Move out!" Chloe didn't wait for Oliver's orders before sprinting toward the tree line.

If she failed this mission, she might as well say goodbye to her military career.

At the forest's edge...

Liam darted between the trees, peeking out from behind a massive oak. He knew his grandfather's security detail was tracking him, so safety wasn't his primary concern.

Guilt twisted in his stomach about worrying his father, but this was the only way to test whether his mother truly cared about Nathan!

"Liam!"

Hearing Nathan's voice, Liam pressed himself against the rough bark, holding his breath.

Nathan had followed suspicious figures heading this direction - he needed to investigate.

Who were these people?

If they meant harm to his son, they'd regret ever being born.

Just as Liam prepared to spring his trap, a terrifying sound froze him in place.

Slowly turning, his blood ran cold at the sight of a coiled viper mere feet away, its forked tongue flicking the air.

He edged backward, but the snake reared up, ready to strike.

"Ah!" Liam's foot caught on a gnarled root as he tried to flee. The world tilted as he fell, his terrified eyes watching the serpent launch toward him.

Snatching up a fallen branch, he saw a blur of movement as Nathan threw himself between them. The viper's fangs sank deep into his forearm.

With a snarl, Nathan grabbed the snake and hurled it into the underbrush. Drawing a knife from his boot, he made quick work of the reptile, its death throes stilling within seconds.

"Daddy?" Liam stared in shock from the forest floor.

Attempting to stand, his legs buckled from fear. The sudden movement sent him tumbling down the steep incline - yet he felt no impact.

Opening his eyes, he realized Nathan had wrapped himself around Liam like a human shield.

Nathan's head had struck a tree during their fall. Blood oozed from the snakebite on his arm, and thorny vines had shredded his once-pristine shirt.

Despite his injuries, he managed a weak smile at seeing Liam unharmed. "Thank... God... you're... safe..."

"DADDY!"

"Mr. Goldmann! Liam!"

At the town hospital...

When Oliver's call came through, Evelyn raced to find Liam sitting on a waiting room bench. The boy looked utterly wrecked - clothes torn, face smeared with dirt, his small frame shaking with residual fear.