"Mr. Archibald arrived and ordered Justine to take her! Justine took Regina to New York, Presbyterian Hospital! That is all I know, Young Master Louis! I do not dare say anything more!"
Elsa's voice trembled violently over the phone, echoing through the frantic bustle of the airport terminal. Louis gripped his phone until his knuckles turned white. His breath came in ragged gasps, creating thin plumes of mist in the cold morning air.
"Justine Ekanath? Why didn't Father let Mother go along? Elsa, do you know what is actually happening at the house?"
"No, sir Louis! I'm so sorry. I only saw Miss Regina lying weak on the sofa with blood staining her entire skirt! Justine arrived with the car and took her away immediately! Your mother was weeping, wanting to go, but Mr. Archibald forbade her sternly!"
Louis closed his eyes, imagining his younger sister fighting for her life in their own living room. Rage ignited in his chest, incinerating the last remnants of his patience. He could feel the stares of strangers in the airport, but he did not care.
"Dear God, Regina. Elsa, look after Mother! I am heading to that hospital right now!"
Louis terminated the call without waiting for a reply. He sprinted through the throngs of people toward the airport exit. His usually composed face was distorted by overflowing anxiety and a grudge that was beginning to take root.
"Regina, please wait for me. Do not leave me now, sist."
***
Louis scribbled Justine's number on a ragged scrap of paper while continuing his run toward the taxi stand. A yellow sedan had just pulled over to pick up a well, dressed, middle, aged male passenger. Without hesitation, Louis lunged for the car door before it could close.
"Get out! I need this taxi now!"
"Hey, what is this? I called it first!" The man protested, his face turning beet red.
Louis did not waste time on a verbal debate. He grabbed the man's bag and suitcase from the back seat and tossed them onto the wet sidewalk. The heavy thud of the belongings drew the attention of everyone nearby.
"Here is your luggage! Get out this instant, or I will level your face!"
The passenger scrambled out to gather his scattered items. "Curse you! You crazy bastard!"
Shouts and curses exchanged in the noisy, open air. Louis could no longer contain himself. He delivered a swift kick to the man's leg until he tumbled onto the pavement. With a lithe movement, Louis slammed the taxi door and locked it from the inside.
"Drive! Straight to New York, Presbyterian Hospital!"
The taxi driver, having witnessed the violence, could only nod tremulously. He floored the gas, making the tires screech against the asphalt. The vehicle surged forward, cutting through the thickening Manhattan traffic.
Inside the stifling cabin, Louis's emotions reached their zenith. He opened his contact list and searched for Ezra, his right, hand man in security. His fingers danced across the phone screen with a speed that made his skin feel hot.
"Ezra, have you found him?"
his phone vibrated only a few seconds later. A reply appeared on the cracked screen.
"Not yet, Young Master Louis. He moved from his last location right as we arrived. Vanished without a trace. I am checking the terminals, stations, and airports now."
"Keep looking. Report the second you find him. He cannot escape again this time."
"Understood, sir. I will find him even if I have to chase him to the ends of the earth."
***
Meanwhile, inside another taxi crawling through a different part of the city, Czarina Aurelia sat upright. She listened to her superior's instructions through a wireless earpiece hidden beneath her long hair. The man's voice on the other end was heavy and full of manipulation.
"Czarina, do you hear me? Lorenzo's lover is at New York, Presbyterian Hospital."
"Yes, sir. What are your orders?" Czarina answered with a cold, professional tone.
"Retrieve a DNA sample from the child who is supposedly his flesh and blood. We will use that baby to lure Lorenzo out of hiding."
"Understood, sir. It will be done immediately."
Upon arriving at the hospital, Czarina moved with the agility of a trained agent. She headed for an unguarded staff locker room, slipped inside, and donned a white nurse's uniform. A micro camera was hidden in her breast pocket, disguised as a simple silver pen.
She walked toward the administration desk with calm, measured steps. Her eyes scanned the patient list appearing on the computer screen while the administrator was distracted. Her heart beat a little faster when she found a familiar name.
"Regina Fleur? Louis Xander's sister? So Lorenzo's lover is Regina? That is impossible!"
The information hit her like a hammer. The connection between these families was far more complicated and dangerous than she had previously suspected. Czarina grabbed a DNA collection kit and immediately headed toward Regina's treatment room.
Czarina's footsteps stopped right at the threshold when a large, tall figure blocked her path. Louis Xander stood there with eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep and unextinguished rage.
"Who are you? What are you doing here, Miss?"