CHAPTER 141: CLAIRE’S NOT HERE!

"We need to move, now," Damian growled as they headed toward the private rooms. His steps were quick and purposeful, his mind racing with worst-case scenarios.

Evander nodded, his expression grim. "If anything happens to her, I will—"

"It won’t," Damian cut him off, his voice steely.

"Yes, not as long as I am breathing." Evander muttered.

The two men exchanged a determined glance before pushing forward, ready to face whatever awaited them behind that door.

"Evan, you go ahead! I don’t think I should be going inside for her safety’s sake," Damian said, his voice low but firm.

Evander shot him a glare, his frustration evident. "Fine. Just stay out of the way," he snapped before punching the key card into the lock and stepping inside the room.

As he entered, his sharp eyes scanned every corner. The room was eerily quiet; the faint scent of perfume or something pungent lingered in the air. But the room was empty. Completely empty.

"What the hell!?" Evander muttered under his breath, his fists clenching. His heart pounded as dread clawed at his chest. Where is she? He thought, his voice growing louder as he called out, "Claire! Where are you?"

He tore through the room, searching every inch— the closet, the bathroom, even under the bed —but there was no sign of her. It was as if she had vanished into thin air.

Meanwhile, Damian stood outside, pacing near the door, anxiety etched across his face. He glanced nervously down the hallway when, to his shock, he spotted Harris stumbling toward the room. The man reeked of alcohol, his steps were unsteady, and his face flushed with drunken stupor.

"Hey, Dammy! You are here for her too?" Harris slurred, his lips curling into a disgusting grin as he staggered closer. "It would be a bang to have her together!" he added, throwing an arm around Damian’s shoulder.

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Damian snapped, roughly shrugging Harris’s arm off. His expression darkened, a mixture of anger and disgust. "Speak!" He grabbed Harris by the collar, his voice sharp and demanding.

Harris laughed, a sloppy, drunken sound that grated on Damian’s nerves. "I... Are you not here for the Reed girl?" he said, his words slurred as he leaned against the wall for support. "She is a beauty, isn’t she? Diana told me..."

Damian’s blood ran cold. His grip on Harris’s collar tightened as his rage boiled over. "What did Diana tell you? What the hell did you do to her?" he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

Harris tried to laugh again but choked on his words. "I didn’t do anything yet... but Diana said she would... make it happen."

At that moment, Evander emerged from the room, his expression thunderous. "She is not here," he said as he breathed heavily, his sharp gaze landing on Harris. "What’s this drunk idiot babbling about?"

Damian threw Harris forward, making him stumble. "He knows something about Claire. He mentioned Diana," Damian said, his voice tight with fury.

Evander’s eyes narrowed, and he stepped closer to Harris, who shrank back against the wall. "You’d better start talking," Evander said coldly, his presence radiating menace. "Because if anything’s happened to Claire, you won’t walk out of here alive."

Harris’s drunken bravado began to crumble under the weight of their combined fury. "I... I don’t know where she is," he stammered, his voice shaking. "But Diana... Diana said she’d take care of it..."

"Take care of what?" Damian barked, his patience wearing thin.

"Diana wanted her out of the way," Harris confessed, his eyes darting nervously between them. "She said I could have her all for myself tonight and... I am here to find her in this room!"

Evander and Damian exchanged a tense glance, their worst fears beginning to solidify. "We are wasting time," Evander said, his voice cold and clipped. "We need to find Diana—now."

Without another word, they dragged Harris, who was still slumped against the wall, toward them. "Bring this man with us!" Evander commanded, his voice hard as Damian’s grip tightening around Harris as he took a step forward. But then something strange happened. A sudden heaviness settled in Evander’s head.

"Fuck!" he cursed under his breath, stumbling slightly as a wave of dizziness washed over him.

"What happened?" Damian asked, his eyes narrowing in concern. He had been preoccupied with keeping the drunken Harris in check, but now his focus shifted to Evander’s unusual behavior.

"I don’t know! I think I am..." Evander’s voice trailed off, his words faltering as he stopped mid-sentence, his body momentarily frozen.

"What’s wrong!?" Damian snapped, his frustration boiling over, barely keeping his temper in check while dealing with Harris.

"You go look for Diana," Evander said, shaking off the fogginess in his mind. "I think I I have found Claire."

Evander abruptly walked toward a nearby door and knocked with urgency. Damian stood frozen, confusion and worry twisting in his chest. "What the hell is wrong with you? How did you know she was here?"

"I have a feeling," Evander said, his voice steady now, despite the odd sensation lingering in his head. Images of the balcony flashed in his mind—the way it seemed to stretch out beyond the room. It seemed someone could have easily slipped out that way. He had briefly checked the balcony earlier but then encountered the drunken Harris, which diverted his attention.

"It makes sense," Evander muttered, more to himself than Damian. "Someone might have crossed over through the balcony." His instincts were sharp, and they had led him here. It wasn’t just chance that brought him to this door.

Damian stood behind him, silent momentarily as he pieced everything together. "I’ll find Diana," he said, his voice tense. "You go ahead." He gestured toward the door where Evander stood, his eyes still suspicious.

Evander nodded and told him he’d call if he found Claire. He turned back to the door and knocked once more. His gut told him Claire was inside, and he wasn’t going to waste any more time. Whatever happened was ready to face it, but he needed to be sure. The sound of the door unlocking echoed in his mind as his heart raced in anticipation.

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Why do you think Claire was not in Room 007