CEO Plus-Size Ex-Wife

Chapter 135: I Will Take My Leave

As Andrea caught sight of the unfolding scene, panic took hold and she sprinted into the house, her expression lined with worry and her demeanor exuding extreme nervousness.

Valentine Anderson's jaw tensed as he hunched forward, frantically calling Anne Gate, only to be met with her switched-off phone. In desperation, he tried Margret Willow's number, but was greeted with the same unsettling silence.

Sweat soaked through his shirt at his back, his features twisted in anxiety. The horrifying thought that he had orchestrated his own son's disappearance sent shivers coursing through him.

Andrea emerged from the house, her voice piercing the air with a scream, "What did you do to my son?" She was the picture of frustration and anxiety, her eyes blazing as she confronted Valentine, tears streaming down her clenched face.

Just then, Mrs. Anderson, Lucas Anderson, Benita with Tony, and a few others arrived, only to witness Andrea's rage directed at a visibly shaken Valentine.

"Andrea, I am sorry. Nothing will happen to Pete. I'll make sure of it," Valentine stammered, his voice quivering, hands trembling so violently that his phone nearly slipped from his grasp.

"Andrea, what's happened? Where's Pete?" Mrs. Anderson approached, her own face etched with concern.

Between sobs, Andrea managed to reveal the harrowing truth, "Mom, Pete is missing."

"What?!" Shocked, Mrs. Anderson and Benita gasped, their attention shifting to the staff and bodyguards of the mansion who were just beginning to recover their senses, piecing together the gravity of the situation.

Lucas Anderson cast a forlorn look at Valentine, and without a word, bowed his head. Despite his anger at the thought of Valentine's possible involvement in his nephew's kidnapping, he felt it wasn't his place to confront him directly.

Andrea, with a cold and determined look, locked eyes with Valentine and warned, "If anything happens to my son, I will never forgive you, Val."

Valentine's face crumpled under the weight of his guilt. He watched as Andrea wept even harder, his own eyes reddening, his hands clenched in resolve as he vowed, "I will bring our son back safe and sound."

With that, he turned on his heel, strode to his parked car, and drove off towards the house he had previously purchased with Margret Willow.

Valentine slammed on the brakes at the gate, his voice erupting in a thunderous shout, "Margret!" The force of his anger propelled him forward as he kicked the gate, sending it clattering open.

Just hours before, the mansion had been bustling with servants, but now a daunting silence hung over it. Valentine Anderson, however, paid no mind to the quiet as he stormed toward the mansion, a scowl etched deep into his features.

Feelings of betrayal, deception, and shattered trust fueled his rage as he approached the front door. With a powerful kick, the door swung open violently, and he stormed in, shouting once more, "Margret Willow!"

His call reverberated through the halls, his scowl deepening. He ascended the staircase two steps at a time, kicking open doors in his search, but found no one. The mansion was desolately empty.

"Margret Willow!" Valentine's voice rose to the ceiling as he paced, his frustration palpable. His fingers tugged at his hair as he dialed her number again, only to be met with the same result: her phone was off.

Defeated and dejected, he collapsed in the silence of the empty house. Lighting a cigarette, he took a drag, his eyes bloodshot and weary.

"I am sorry, Andrea, Pete. I don't deserve to be your father," he murmured, his voice breaking as he fought back tears.

He remained in the mansion until the clock struck 11 pm. Reluctantly, he returned to his car and drove back to the Singers Mansion. There, he sat behind the wheel, hesitating, the weight of his emotions keeping him from driving in.

Valentine Anderson spent a full twenty minutes hesitating before finally pulling into the mansion. As he parked and exited his car, he was met by a visibly distressed Andrea, who immediately demanded to know the whereabouts of her son.

"Where is my son?" she asked with a cold urgency.

"Pete is okay, Andrea. I'll head to Cardiff right away and bring him back. Trust me," Valentine reassured her, though his own confidence waned.

Andrea, consumed by fear, began to pound on Valentine's chest with her fists, her wails filling the air. "Where is my son? Bring my son to me!"

"I'm sorry, Andrea," Valentine replied, his expression mirroring her despair.

Unable to witness the heartbreaking scene any longer, Lucas Anderson intervened, pulling Andrea into a comforting embrace as she sobbed, "Lucas, he took my son away, Pete is gone."

"Don't cry, Andrea," Lucas consoled her. "Pete will be fine. Valentine will surely bring him back."

However, Valentine's sight of Andrea in his brother's arms ignited a fierce jealousy within him. Clenching his fists to contain the urge to strike, he nevertheless stepped forward and shoved Lucas away. "Don't touch her with your filthy hands. If you hadn't been involved in the bombing, none of this would be happening!"

Lucas stood frozen, shocked by the accusation, while Mrs. Anderson frowned and admonished Valentine. "What nonsense are you talking about, Valentine?"

"I'm not speaking nonsense, Mom. Lucas is part of the organization that planted the bomb and nearly killed me," Valentine spat out angrily, his gaze fixed on Lucas with unbridled fury.

Mrs. Anderson and Benita looked at Lucas with suspicion, but Lucas, instead of denying the allegation, admitted, "Mom, sister, Valentine, I was indeed part of that organization, but only because they forced me when I was a child. I had no role in the bombing that almost took Valentine's life. I wasn't involved in that plan at all."

"Liar! You're the one who ordered it!" Valentine roared before letting his anger take over, delivering a heavy punch to Lucas's face.

Lucas stumbled backward from the blow, blood trickling from his nose, but he didn't fight back or further defend himself. Valentine, fueled by rage, continued to land more punches.

"Stop, Valentine, don't hit your brother! Please stop!" Mrs. Anderson cried out in panic.

Amidst the chaos, Andrea had a moment of clarity. She got to her feet, ran towards Valentine, and slapped him across the face, her voice sharp with disappointment. "Do you even care about our son? Instead of searching for Pete, you're here assaulting your twin brother. You've let me down."

Realizing the futility of the argument and the pain it was causing everyone, Lucas wiped the blood from his nose and calmly announced, "I'll take my leave, brother. I'm sorry."

With those final words, Lucas turned and walked away, not looking back.