No Strings Attached

Chapter 426

The attendant who had been assisting Clara with her wedding dress lay unconscious on the floor, and Clara herself had vanished without a trace. Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

Ian immediately called Clara, but was met with the harsh, digital tone signaling that her phone was switched off. His fingers clenched the phone until they turned a cold white, and his gaze was filled with a predatory crimson. Never in his wildest thoughts had he imagined that the enemy would reach into a bridal boutique.

He had fortified their home to the point where not even a fly could buzz through, and on the drive over, both front and rear were flanked by top-notch bodyguards.

He thought they were impregnable. Yet, he had underestimated the adversary’s cunning, able to trace the threads back to the very place they had ordered the custom-made gown.

Ian immediately called Dawson. “Clara’s gone missing. Bring in the team.”

In less than ten seconds, a dozen bodyguards stormed into the dressing room in search of clues.

Suddenly, a voice rang out, “Mr. Hayes, there’s a hidden passage behind this panel. Mrs. Hayes must’ve been chloroformed and taken through here.”

“Chase them down, now!”

The group poured into the secret passage one after the other. The bridal shop was nestled in the bustling heart of Northbridge, surrounded by shopping centers on either side.

The concealed tunnel twisted and turned, spilling out into an underground parking lot of a nearby mall.

Standing in the parking lot, Ian watched the constant flow of cars. His fist tightened in frustration. He knew Clara had been whisked away in one of those vehicles.

The very thought of her, pregnant and possibly losing their child in a struggle with the kidnappers, gripped Ian’s heart with an invisible, ferocious claw.

Blood seemed to surge from the deepest recesses of his being. His voice emerged like a demon straight from hell, fierce and brutal. “Heidi, if you hurt Clara, I swear I will tear you limb from limb!”

Soon enough, the Hayes, York, Campbell, and Bell families formed a search coalition, joined by the ace detective Brodie. All gathered at the Hayes family estate, their faces etched with undeniable tension.

“Mr. Hayes, we’ve tracked Mrs. Hayes’ phone signal to the underground garage of the mall. Our team has found her phone in a trash can,” someone reported.

Ian, standing in the living room with his shirt dampened by cold sweat, kept his fists clenched tightly, forcing his mind to stay sharp. He reminded himself not to lose his cool. Clara and their child were counting on him.

With a steely voice, he demanded, “The prison watch was strict, so where did Heidi get the blade to attempt suicide? There must be an accomplice on the outside.”

His statement resonated with everyone present. Edwin quickly responded, “I’ve already dispatched people to track my father’s whereabouts to see if he’s met with Heidi.”

Hearing this, Ian’s icy gaze turned towards him. His voice was a hoarse whisper. “If he’s involved, don’t you dare plead with me on his behalf!”

Edwin nodded grimly. “Don’t worry. I won’t.”

It was then that Brodie suddenly spoke up, “Got something. Clara was taken in a white van, but the license plate was obscured.”

Ian rushed over to the computer screen, and when he saw Clara being carried over someone’s shoulder, still clad in her pristine white wedding gown, he couldn’t help but shout, “Clara!”

The footage was crystal clear. Clara lay there, completely unconscious, without a sign of struggle. The wedding dress, costing millions to customize, was still intact on her.

Ian painfully closed his eyes for a moment. He had imagined Clara in that dress a thousand times, wondering if her beauty in it would floor him. But never had he imagined that his first glimpse of Clara in her wedding gown would be under such harrowing circumstances.

He fixed his eyes on the video, commanding, “They’ll switch cars en route. Track all traffic cameras. Look for any trace.”