CHAPTER 276: NATHANIEL HAS GONE MISSING

Liam’s expression remained tense as he continued driving. His mind wouldn’t stop churning. The image of Zara being dragged out of the hospital replayed again and again, tightening his chest. If he had arrived even a minute later, she would have been taken straight to the police station. The thought alone made his skin crawl.

He had promised Nathaniel to keep their plan confidential—but after witnessing Zara’s desperation, he began to doubt whether secrecy was the right choice. He had managed to intercept and rescue her today, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to protect her every time.

Zara would never stop worrying about the Grants, no matter how many times she was warned. And that worry would keep pushing her into danger. Liam realized he had to talk to her—she deserved to know what Nathaniel was preparing.

"There is something I need to tell you," he said, breaking the long-held silence.

Zara, lost in her own anxious thoughts, blinked and turned to him. "Did you say something?" she asked, clearly having missed his words.

Liam glanced at her, then back at the road, his hesitation obvious. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, torn between the promise he had made and the responsibility he felt toward her. As he took the last turn and stopped the car in front of the Moore mansion, his decision solidified.

Keeping quiet would only worsen things.

Nathaniel had pushed Zara away, thinking it would protect her. But her fear for the Grant family and her determination to expose Riya hadn’t faded at all. If she kept provoking Riya, Liam feared she would end up in real, irreversible danger.

When he looked at her again, he found her already watching him, confusion and concern written on her face.

"You were saying something," Zara pressed gently. "What is it? Why do you look so shaken?"

"I... it’s," Liam began, but his phone suddenly rang, cutting him off. He froze for a second, then checked the screen. The number made his stomach drop.

"I need to take this," he muttered and quickly answered.

The moment he heard the voice on the other end, all color drained from his face. His fingers tightened around the phone, and his eyes instinctively flicked toward Zara. His heart hammered against his ribs as the man on the other end continued to speak, but he forced himself to remain outwardly calm.

"Where is it?" he asked in a low, controlled tone. "Send me the location. I’m coming."

He hung up and exhaled shakily. "I... I have to go. Something urgent just came up."

Zara nodded, but her brows furrowed. Beneath Liam’s calm expression, she could sense a storm. Something wasn’t right.

"Is everything okay?" she asked carefully.

Liam hesitated. He didn’t know if he should tell her—whether revealing it would help or only send her running into danger. In the end, he chose silence.

"It’s work," he lied. "There is a sudden emergency at the office. I’ll call you later. Just... stay safe, alright? And don’t go back to the hospital."

Zara sighed softly. "I know."

"Stay home until I return. Please." His voice was tight with worry. "We’ll talk later."

"I’ll wait for you," she promised, stepping out of the car.

Liam drove off almost immediately, tension coiling tighter with every passing second. Nathaniel had met with an accident—something he had never imagined hearing. But what terrified him most was the rest of the report:

Nathaniel wasn’t at the scene.

His car was found damaged, but he had vanished.

"Where could he have gone?" Liam muttered, his scowl deepening.

He had no clue what exactly had happened to Nathaniel—or whether he was even alive. Had someone found him and rushed him to a hospital? Or had Zachary orchestrated the crash and taken him away?

Anything was possible.

"I have to see it myself," he muttered, pressing harder on the accelerator.

He reached the accident site quickly, but what greeted him made his heart drop.

There was nothing.

The skid marks on the asphalt proved that something had happened, but there was no sign of wreckage. No sign of Nathaniel’s car. No Ian.

"What the hell is this?" Liam whispered, completely thrown off. "Ian said Nathaniel crashed and went missing. Did the car just vanish?"

He immediately called Ian. "If this is some sick joke, I swear I’ll kill you."

He held the phone to his ear, anxiety twisting tighter with each ring.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Ian answered. "Hello?"

"What the hell are you doing?" Liam exploded. "You told me there was an accident. But there is nothing here. No car, no Nathaniel—nothing. What’s happening?"

"I don’t know where he is," Ian shot back, just as tense. "I’m still searching. But we can’t let anyone find out he is missing. If word gets out, people will swoop in and strip everything from him."

"So your solution is to cover it up?" Liam asked in disbelief.

"For now—yes. Keep it a secret until I find him," Ian said firmly.

Liam’s expression twisted with fury, suspicion knotting tight in his chest. "Are you playing both sides? Did you hand him over to Zachary? If I find even a hint of betrayal, I swear you’ll regret the day you were born."

His trust in Ian had completely crumbled. Ian had become close to Nathaniel in a very short time, close enough to know every secret about him and the business. It had even been Ian’s suggestion to send Nathaniel to meet Zachary, promising it would be safe. And now Nathaniel had vanished.

Liam couldn’t shake the fear that Ian might have switched sides and was now working with Zachary.

"This is a critical moment," Ian replied evenly. "We need a clear head. If we start doubting each other, we’ll only make things worse."

"Things are already worse," Liam muttered, cutting him off. "And right now, I don’t trust anyone."

He hung up, his face hardening. "I can’t depend on him. I’ll find Nathaniel myself." With that, he drove off.

Ian’s fingers tightened around his phone, frustration and helplessness crashing over him. He was just as confused—he had no clue where Nathaniel had disappeared to.

"Ian..." a voice called from behind.

He turned to see one of the directors approaching. "Yes, Mr. Hardy? Do you need something?" he asked, forcing a polite smile to mask the turmoil inside.

"I’ve been waiting for Mr. Grant about the overseas project," Mr. Hardy said. "Is he not coming?"

"I’m afraid the boss had to leave urgently for a business trip," Ian lied smoothly. "If you’d like, you can tell me the details. I’ll update him."

"A sudden business trip?" Mr. Hardy blinked, puzzled. "When did he leave?"

"This morning," Ian said without the slightest pause.

"And you didn’t go with him?" The man’s eyes narrowed, curiosity and a flicker of suspicion sharpening his gaze.

"Given everything happening in his family right now, he asked me to stay behind and manage things," Ian replied smoothly.

"I see." Mr. Hardy nodded, accepting the explanation. "Then I’ll wait till he returns."

"Of course."

The moment Mr. Hardy walked away, Ian’s posture collapsed, and the anxiety he had been holding back finally spilled over. "Damn it," he hissed under his breath. "How long can I keep this up? Where are you, Nathaniel? Just give me something."

He quickly dialed Nathaniel’s number.

’The number you have dialed is unavailable.’

"Shit," Ian snapped, barely resisting the urge to fling his phone. He had been calling him ever since the earlier call was cut off abruptly. At first, it rang with no response—now it wasn’t reachable at all.

Someone had taken Nathaniel. Ian felt it in his gut. And who else could it be but Zachary?

If that was true, their entire plan to trap Zachary had blown up in their faces.

Panic surged next as his thoughts shifted to Kelvin. ’Is he safe?’

Just then, his phone buzzed. An unknown number.

Could it be Nathaniel?

He swiped to answer. "Hello?"

"Where is Nathaniel?" Kelvin’s urgent voice shot through the line. "He was supposed to arrive on time. He is late, Zachary is already here, and this is our chance to corner him, but we can’t do anything without Nathaniel. Where is he?"

Ian went still. His breath caught in his throat. He had assumed Zachary had already taken Nathaniel and that Kelvin’s operation had fallen apart. But Kelvin’s tone... he didn’t sound like someone who knew anything. Which meant this was worse than Ian imagined.

If Zachary really had Nathaniel and was pretending to be waiting for him, then he was baiting Kelvin. Kelvin was walking straight into a trap.

Ian’s gut twisted painfully. "Listen to me—leave that place right now," he said, urgency sharpening every word. "I’ll tell you everything later. Just leave. Immediately."

"What the hell is happening?" Kelvin snapped, irritation laced with growing unease.

"Nathaniel has gone missing. I’m trying to track him down. Now get out of there before something happens."

Before Ian could say more, the call cut off.

He stared at the phone, dread creeping through him. "Please be safe," he muttered under his breath, worry darkening his eyes.