Husband With Benefits-Chapter 779: Kidnappers (2)

"Sir, we’ve combed the entire premises—from the officers’ quarters to the administrative offices. We even went through every container, both the ones prepped for shipment and those marked for return. We’ve even checked the ships that arrived today and were meant to leave. The same process was completed for the other dock too," the officer reported, his tone careful, yet edged with uncertainty. He hesitated, glancing at Kael before adding, "Could it be that the Princess was mistaken? After all, she had been unconscious when she was brought here. Or perhaps... there was some misunderstanding in the way the details were conveyed. Maybe she was not really trying to pass on a message and only been threatening the kidnappers?

Kael shook his head firmly, "No. She specifically mentioned the ships—she was clear about that. And of course she was making threats to him but she wouldn’t have specifically used that way." He turned to face the man, and edged out, "You were there when she said it. Call the patrollers and supervisors. I need to question them myself. Have everyone look all over again, if need be."

Within minutes, the dock supervisors and patrolling officers had assembled. Kael wasted no time. "You oversee these docks every day. You know every corner, every dark spot. Could there be any area we haven’t checked thoroughly yet? Any place we’ve overlooked? I need you to think, and I need you to be thorough."

"Sir, Your men have already searched every visible part of the docks. But..."

Kael’s patience was wearing thin. "But what?"

The man cleared his throat nervously. "There’s... well, there’s the old part of the docks, sir. Undergoing reconstruction for months now. Everything’s broken down there. It’s practically a wasteland of debris and half-built structures. I doubt anyone would use it for anything right now. It’s a mess." ƒгeewebnovёl.com

Kael’s eyes sharpened. "Why wasn’t that mentioned earlier?" he asked, barely containing his frustration.

The supervisor seemed to falter, stumbling over his words. "Well, with the construction going on, we didn’t think—"

"You didn’t think," Kael repeated coldly. "That area could be exactly where they’re keeping her. It’s isolated, it’s broken down, and it’s the last place anyone would think to search thoroughly. If they’ve hidden her anywhere, it’s there."

"Get your men ready," Kael ordered, his tone sharp and urgent. "We’re heading to the old docks. Now."

Without waiting for a reply, Kael had already started to walk towards the old docks, knowing in his heart that he was probably closer to her than he could have imagined. She’d been missing too long, almost ten hours now and each second felt like an eternity to him. The group of officers and dock supervisors followed close behind, their flashlights cutting through the shadows as they neared the old section of the docks.

Kael scanned the area as they reached the construction zone, his senses heightened. Debris littered the ground—shattered concrete, twisted metal beams, and piles of unused materials. The place looked like a forgotten wasteland, as the supervisor had said, but Kael knew better than to trust appearances. This was exactly the kind of place kidnappers would use. Hidden, isolated, and out of the way.

"Spread out," Kael ordered, his voice cutting through the thick tension. "We check every corner, every structure, every container. If anything seems off, I want to know immediately. And if you find anything... call me."

He then questioned the supervisor, "Which structure is probably the most untouched one?"

The supervisor shook his head," Your highness, the old place was already crumbling. And only recently, Prince Rafe ordered that it be cleaned up and prepared for use. So, the only strucutre that would remain standing at most is the old warehouse at the other end. The engineer had been using it as an office previously. I’ll take you there."

Even though the supervisor wanted to point out that it was probably useless and they might have brought down the building, he knew now that only once the Prince had made sure would he be satisfied. So, he simply started to walk quickly towards the place.

The old warehouse was at the far end of the site. It looked dilapidated, its metal walls rusted and crumbling, but the massive structure loomed ominously in the dim light.

As they approached, the sound of metal groaning filled the air. Kael glanced toward the officers, who were prying open a rusted door to one of the smaller storage units nearby. Dust billowed out as the door creaked open, but inside, it was empty—just more rubble.

"We’ll have to keep looking," one of the officers muttered as he moved forward, shining his light into another dark corner.

Moving forward, they finally reached the warehouse and the supervisor looked shocked," Why is it locked?"

Kael’s jaw clenched as his eyes settled on the large padlock securing the door to the old warehouse. It didn’t make sense for it to be locked, especially if this part of the docks had been abandoned during reconstruction. Without a word, he stepped forward and checked the door hinges. They were already weakened... he could simply break down the door with a little force.

He looked around and immediately honed in on the crowbar. Wedging it into the small gap between the hinges, he applied force and pushed at the tool. Almost immediately, the hinges gave way and the door shattered onto the ground with a loud crash.

Kael stepped forward, his flashlight casting long beams across the dusty, empty warehouse. His gut tightened as he scanned the interior. The place looked as deserted as the rest of the docks... which meant No Dora.

His chest tightened with disappointment as he stepped further in. His mind raced- could he really have been wrong?

Kael felt the weight of defeat slowly pressing down on him. His hopes, which had flared the moment they entered the warehouse, were beginning to flicker out. He clenched his fists, trying to keep himself from slumping in defeat.

Just as he was about to give up, to increase the aread of the search, his light caught something—something small, barely visible, lying underneath a pile of debris near the entrance. There, half-hidden beneath the twisted metal and dust, was a single shoe. Small, delicate, and unmistakably hers.