CHAPTER 58: KEPT IN THE DARK

"What did you just say? Are you dismissing the search for Gabriel?"

Rome asked in disbelief, eyes fixed on his friend Alfonso.

"N-no! We didn’t say we’re dismissing the search. We just think it’s best if you take a break for now. Let us handle it from here. We promise—first thing in the morning, we’ll bring Gabriel back safe and sound."

Rome stared hard at Alfonso, suspicion flickering in his eyes. He couldn’t quite explain it, but something felt off. His gut was screaming that they were hiding something from him.

It was like they had launched their own investigation—and purposely kept him in the dark.

Not only had the urgency in their search efforts dwindled, but even some of the agents and trackers who used to feed him updates had gone silent.

They weren’t answering his calls anymore.

Did someone tell them to stop?

Did one of his friends shut the operation down behind his back?

"Are you hiding something from me?" Rome asked coldly.

Alfonso couldn’t hold his gaze. And it wasn’t just him—Alpheus and Dave also avoided eye contact, both of them suddenly quiet. Only Calyx looked genuinely confused, as if he had no idea what was going on.

"B-bro... why would I hide something from you?" Alfonso replied, forcing a nervous laugh. "I’m serious—we’ll help you. I promise, by tomorrow, you’ll see Gabriel again, safe and sound. It’s not like I said anything wrong that would make you suspicious of me..h-haha..."

He’s lying.

Rome’s eyes narrowed further, watching him closely. There was something they weren’t telling him—he was sure of it now.

Even Alpheus, who had been panicking earlier, was suddenly calm.

Too calm. As if... they already knew where Gabriel was but had no intention of telling him where.

Rome clenched his fists under the table. If Gabriel was truly safe... then why hide it from him?

And what were they so afraid he’d do if he found out?

Rome clenched his jaw.

There was no way he’d find the answers if he kept relying on them to tell him the truth. He had to accept it—they weren’t going to give him answers, no matter how hard he pressed.

He stood abruptly from his seat and made his way to the door.

"W-where are you going, Rome?" Alfonso called after him, clearly panicking.

"I’m going home" he replied coldly, without even glancing back.

It felt like they were all conspiring behind his back, and that frustrated him more than anything.

What kind of secret could be so serious that they’d choose to turn their backs on their friendship just to keep it from him?

And if they truly didn’t want him to know, then that gave him all the more reason to find out on his own.

"Y-you sure?" Alfonso asked again, uncertain.

Rome’s brows furrowed. "Tsk. What other reason do you need? You told me earlier to get some rest and let you guys handle everything, didn’t you? So why are you stopping me now?"

Alfonso scratched the back of his head nervously. "A-ahaha... yeah, you’re right. You should go home and rest... calm yourself down a bit. Me and Alpheus will pull an all-nighter just to make sure Gabriel’s safe."

He avoided Rome’s eyes as he said it.

Tsk. What a lame excuse.

Neither Alfonso nor Alpheus was good at lying—and judging by the way they kept exchanging glances, Rome could tell they already knew Gabriel was safe.

They just weren’t telling him.

The moment Rome stepped out of the office, he rushed into the elevator and pressed the button to the parking lot.

As soon as the doors closed, he pulled out his phone from his pocket and scrolled through his contacts, searching for the one person he knew might give him the truth.

There was no way he’d let his friends lie to his face and get away with it.

He hit the call button.

Ring...

"Hello, Sir Rome. What can I do for you?" a voice on the other end of the line greeted casually.

"I need you to do something for me. Right now."

There was a brief pause on the other end.

"Whoa, wait—do you even know what time it is? It’s almost midnight! You should’ve called earlier—back when I wasn’t already half-asleep—"

"Name your price."

That shut the man up instantly.

"A-ahaha... you should’ve led with that, boss. You know you’re my number one VIP. There’s no way I’d say no to you. So, who is it this time? Let me guess—your son, Gabriel?"

Rome soon heard the rapid clacking of a keyboard in the background.

"If you already knew, why act surprised earlier?" Rome snapped.

"Haha. Just a guess, really. You wouldn’t be calling me at this hour unless it was something big. And your son’s disappearance? It’s already making headlines—even though it hasn’t even been 24 hours."

"Tsk. Then don’t act clueless next time."

"Yes, yes. Got it. So, what do you want me to do with your missing little boy, my precious VIP boss?" the man replied sarcastically.

"What else? I want you to find out exactly where he is right now. As soon as possible. I already sent you the details—use them."

"Alright, alright... Honestly, I didn’t expect you to call me about this. I heard your friends already hired every available tracker in town. I figured it was a done deal by now. Didn’t realize it was dragging out like this."

Rome clenched his jaw.

"Tsk. That’s exactly why I called you. My friends already know where Gabriel is—but for some reason, they’re keeping it from me. I want you to find his exact location... and figure out what the hell they’re hiding."

His grip on the phone tightened.

The memory of his friends’ suspicious behavior still lingered in his mind.

Ever since Alpheus and Alfonso stepped out earlier to call someone—supposedly someone who could help them find Gabriel, or so they claimed—something had felt off.

And this wasn’t the first time it had happened.

For the past few weeks, they’d all been acting strange—disappearing without telling him where they were going.

Of course, they weren’t obligated to tell him everything. They all had their own lives, after all. But something about it just didn’t sit right with him.

He wouldn’t care if the secret had nothing to do with him—but with each passing day, it felt more and more like whatever they were hiding was specifically being kept from him.

And now, he was starting to believe that their secret might be connected to Gabriel’s location.

"Owss. So your friends are hiding something from you, huh? What juicy gossip—even I’m getting curious now. But don’t worry. I’ll find your son tonight. I’ll call you back once I’ve got the info."

Before Rome could respond, Gio ended the call with a casual beep.

Rome stood still for a second, his phone still pressed to his ear even after the line went dead.

A sigh escaped his lips as he shoved the phone back into his pocket and strode toward the parking lot to get into his car.

His fingers drummed anxiously against the steering wheel.

Only minutes had passed before his phone rang again.

The caller ID flashed: Gio Calling...

He snatched it up without hesitation. "So? What did you find?"

"Hehe. I’ve got something for you," Gio replied, the smugness practically dripping from his tone. "I know where your son is—and he’s not far from where you are now."

Rome leaned forward in his seat, his heartbeat quickening. "And?"

"And I think I’ve also figured out why your friends have been keeping it from you..."

Rome’s brows furrowed. "Then tell me. Now."

"Ehem... but before that—aren’t you forgetting something?" Gio’s playful tone returned. "Information like this doesn’t come for free, remember?"

Rome’s grip on the steering wheel tightened until his knuckles turned white.

"Damn it. Name your price. I’ll send it right now."

"Haha, chill, my dear VIP. I’m not asking for much. Just a few hundred thousand dollars will do—because, you know, life’s been hard lately, and opportunities like this don’t just come along every day—"

"Tsk. Check your account. I already sent it."

Rome cut him off sharply, having just transferred a million dollars to Gio’s encrypted offshore account.

There was a brief pause, followed by a startled laugh. "Oh? That was fast—but wait, I see a lot of zeroes. Am I dreaming?!"

"Tsk. Spill it now before I change my mind and never call you again."

"Hahaha! Chill, my dearest, most beloved customer! I will forever be loyal to you. I shall dedicate my—"

"Just shut up and tell me where Gabriel is. Before I leak your location to the NBI."

That sobered Gio quickly. "Okay, okay, easy now. No need to make threats—we’re friends here. I’ll talk. Your son is in the back city—just a few kilometers from where you are now. He’s closer than you think."

Rome’s eyes narrowed. "Who’s with him?"

"Ah, ah—I only promised you the location. If you want more details, that’s another transaction—"

"Don’t push it." Rome’s voice dropped to a dangerous low.

There was a nervous chuckle on the other end. "Alright, alright. I’m just saying... you’re not gonna like what you find when you get there."