Forty Seven.

Two days later...

I sit next to Aydem at his large conference table as he addresses his staff and goes over the new design of his shoe.

These past two days have gone by quickly in a blur. If someone was to ask me what I had eaten for dinner last night, I wouldn't be able to answer them because I don't remember.

Shit...

I can't even remember if I did eat.

[My love?] "Askim?" Aydems honey-coated voice breaks through my trance and pulls me back to my demise of a reality.

I tilt my head to the side as I look up at him. His eyes are full of concern as he frowns.

"Are you alright?" He asks me discreetly, placing his large hand on my upper thigh and giving it a light squeeze.

I sniffle, "Yes," I lie through the skin of my teeth.

His eyes narrow into thin slits along with his desirable lips. "Everyone leave, now." He says in a rough tone not to be questioned with.

Everyone that sits at the table quickly scrambles to their feet and they take all their belongings with them before I can rap the alphabet.

He turns my chair around, so my body is facing him and he places his hands on the armrests on either side of my body.

Caging me in.

I swallow thickly, "I think I might know where they are keeping Ace and Sandro."

I peer up to meet his intense gaze, his facial expression changes from concerned to intrigued, eager and his jaw ticks.

"Where?" He demands in a clipped tone that has me wincing before him.

"There is a bach the family has that no one is supposed to know about. But this morning as we were listening to the weather forecast, it triggered a vivid memory of a conversation I heard between Trent and Castello." My voice quivers as my bottom lip quivers too.

I sniffle, taking a moment to try and gather myself together. "The bach is based in Piha, two kilometres from the beach and they only use the bach when they are required to go into hiding as it is off the map."

Aydem nods his head curtly, "I will get Neriman to scout the area and if they are there, what do you want to be done, askim?" He asks me in a tense tone.

"I want my eyes to be the last set of eyes Trent Esposito stares into right before he takes his final breath," I say with honesty and hatred lacing my words. "I want him to see that he hasn't broken me and he will be nothing but a bad nightmare I'll eventually get over."

The sound of my heart thumping against my ribcage slowly starts to drown out my surroundings.

I'm not a fighter, I like to think that I am a lover, but, when I hear the name Trent, my blood boils with a vengeance that is almost blinding.

Not because of the abuse he has put me through.

He has taken my son from me and that is unforgivable, inexcusable and outright disgusting.

Aydem rises from his chair, "Tell Akira, to ring Gerald and get him to bring the SUV to the front of the building." He says in a nonchalant voice as he helps me to my feet. "We will go back to the villa and I will speak with Neriman." He leans in and kisses my cheek. "I'll meet you downstairs, there are a few things I need to grab from my office."

I nod my head in silence and brush past him as I exit the conference room.

I feel like an idiot.

If I had disclosed this information earlier, Sandro could be in my arms right at this moment. I could be smelling his baby scent and suffocating him with my love and kisses.

I place a hand over my chest, feeling my heart beating erratically beneath my fingertips.

"Hey darl," Akira says in a sing-song voice as she hums while her fingers sweep across her keyboard.

She doesn't bother to look at me as I reach her desk and I am grateful because I won't have to try and make up some lame excuse as to why my eyes are watery.

"Hey, hon. Can you inform Gerald to bring the SUV around the front, please?"

"Sure," She states as she presses the button on the side of her headset. "Hello, Gerald. You are being summoned to the front." She hums with a scowl on her face as she continues to tap away on her keyboard. "Uh-huh, sure. I would love one, thank you!" She says, pressing the button on her headset once again.

My face lights up briefly as I observe the joy Gerald gives to people's lives without even realising it.

He is a great man with an enormous heart, and I hope there are many more men like him out there making a difference in other people's lives.

"He should be there shortly."

"Thanks, hon," I say as I wait for her to buzz me through the glass doors.

I exit the elevator car on the ground level. I pass the guards sitting at their desk and as I wave to them I instantly freeze.

I can feel the blood drain from my face as I continue to stare into Jacob's eyes. He is wearing the black armour guards uniform, looking like he's been working in the building for a while now.

He can't have, surely I would have noticed him as I walked past the desk on a daily.

The cruel emotions of being shell shocked, dumbfounded and horrified slam into me. My body trembles as he marches straight towards me with a sinister grin staining his face.

[Hello, beautiful.] "Ciao, bello." He says in a deep voice that makes me cringe with fear.

"What are you doing here?" I hiss as I frantically take in my surroundings.

"I have come for you. If you desire to see your son and pathetic excuse of an amante. [lover.] I suggest you come with me without causing a scene." He takes a hold of my upper arm and starts to escort me out of the building through the back entrance used for the guards only.

And like a frightened little girl being led a stray,  I willingly let him and pray that Aydem will somehow magically find me.

Us.