Chapter 284

Serena's POV

"What about Stella? Where is she now?"

"She's still at school."

"Protect her immediately and escort her home. If anything happens to her, you'll face my wrath."

I watched Lucas's face darken terribly. My heart sank, a foreboding feeling washing over me.

"Understood!" Lucas slammed down the phone.

I quickly asked, "Is he with Rachel?" I watched the murderous glint flickering in his eyes, already dreading the worst outcome.

Lucas's Adam's apple bobbed as he slowly nodded.

That moment felt like a thunderbolt striking on a clear day. I felt as though the sky had collapsed. An unprecedented fear and despair consumed me. I would rather everything be directed at me instead. I couldn't imagine what Rachel might do to Milo, if she actually did something... I dared not continue that train of thought.

"Don't be afraid." Lucas took my hand, and though his own fingers trembled, he still tried to comfort me. "Rachel won't hurt Milo. She'll only use him to threaten us, and since she hasn't called yet, it means Milo is definitely safe."

I couldn't accept this comfort. Fear and anxiety made it impossible for me to maintain my rationality.

"But what if?" I challenged Lucas, my voice filled with trembling desperation. "Someone as clever as her surely knows how to hurt us the most, doesn't she? She knows Milo is my weakness. She knows Milo matters most!"

Just thinking about the worst possible outcome made it impossible for me to calm down; the fear was nearly suffocating.

"She won't," Lucas stated with certainty. "Rachel knows you're what matters most."

My heart skipped a beat as I stared directly at Lucas, hardly believing what I'd heard.

"Trust me," he continued. "In Rachel's mind, you matter more than Milo. She's never been a parent; she doesn't understand how important children are to their parents. Coming from a family like the Thornes where affection is thin and relationships are based on interest, she doesn't comprehend deep emotional bonds. She'll think that even without Milo, we could have other children to replace him. Without Milo, we'd suffer temporarily, but if I lost you, I'd suffer for a lifetime! If she wants revenge against me, she'll absolutely use you, not Milo."

Lucas spoke quickly and urgently. I wasn't sure if he was trying to convince me or himself. But I had to try to believe him, for the child's sake and for my own.

I bit my lip hard, struggling to calm myself and trust what Lucas was saying. I took a deep breath, steadying my emotions.

"So what do we do now? Just wait for Rachel to contact us?" I asked, trying to keep the desperation out of my voice.

"Rachel is probably already being sought by authorities. She won't show herself easily or contact us right away. She's smart-she knows the longer we wait, the more our emotions will spiral out of control, making it easier for her to get what she wants. We can't sit and wait. Let's try to track down her hiding place and see if we can find her before she contacts us."

"Yes," I nodded, feeling a glimmer of hope. At least we were taking action rather than helplessly waiting.

After his analysis, Lucas wasted no time. He picked up my phone again and began making calls, issuing instructions.

"Get me the surveillance footage starting from nine this morning..."

"Track the current location of Rachel's car..."

"Find the latest IP address from Rachel's phone number..."

The car stopped in my building's garage. Throughout the journey, Lucas had been constantly on the phone, even filing a police report, emphasizing caution in apprehending Rachel since she had a hostage.

After doing everything possible, we went to my apartment together.

As soon as we arrived, the surveillance footage was transmitted. My heart raced as I quickly grabbed my laptop and opened the video. The footage began playing at four times the normal speed until, in the school entrance monitoring frame, I spotted Milo.

Lucas and I both stared tensely at the screen. I saw Milo being led out by a teacher. When he spotted Rachel, he showed clear reluctance, obviously not wanting to leave with her. My heart both ached and felt proud seeing the child's resistance. But Rachel swiftly picked Milo up, and when he struggled, she handed him directly to a black-suited bodyguard behind her.

The teacher, witnessing this, seemed to notice something amiss. But Rachel said something to her, and the teacher's doubts apparently vanished.

This happened around nine-thirty in the morning, before Lucas's case had begun and before anyone knew about the trouble with the Thorne family. Naturally, the teacher wouldn't be suspicious. Moreover, Rachel had attended the school sports day with Lucas previously. In the teacher's mind, even if Rachel and Lucas were no longer engaged, following media rumors, she would still believe Rachel was Milo's biological mother.

Handing a child to his birth mother seemed perfectly reasonable. More importantly, given Rachel's status and position at that time, the teacher wouldn't dare oppose her anyway.

I watched as Milo was constrained by the bodyguard and forced into the car. Seeing his small body clearly fighting but helpless, my entire heart constricted with pain. Tears welled in my eyes, but I couldn't break down. I couldn't collapse now. To find my child, I had to stay strong.

I wiped away the tears threatening to fall and looked at Lucas. His jaw was clenched so tight I could see the muscle jumping beneath his skin.

"Every second counts," he said, his voice low and controlled despite the fury in his eyes. "The first few hours are critical. I've contacted everyone I know in law enforcement."

Watching him take charge calmed me slightly.

"Did she leave any message?" I asked, scanning the footage again. "Any hint about where she might take him?"

Lucas shook his head. "Not yet. But she will. This is a power play for her. She wants us to know she's in control."