Before he could explain it, Sam's voice rang out. "She was with you but you lost her."
All eyes turned to him. The blame was set, and Vanessa was gone.
Chapter Seventeen
Diversion
MAKROS’S POV
I stood dead center inside my club, weaving as chaos unraveled around me. The ambassador was furious, pacing like a caged lion. His voice, sharp with barely restrained fury, cut through the bass-heavy beats.
"How the hell do you lose my daughter?"
Dan stiffened, his brow slick with sweat despite the cool air that whipped through the club. His lips parted to search for words that wouldn't come.
"I–I thought she came back inside," he finally said with a stutter.
"Thought?" The ambassador's anger was a palpable thing now, his hands clenched into fists. "You thought? My daughter has been missing for twenty minutes, and all you can tell me is that you thought she was here?"
Dan was done for, he had no friends here.
I sighed, stepping forward, playing my role perfectly.The concerned host.The respectable businessman who would never allow such carelessness in his territory.
"Mr. Ambassador," I said smoothly, placing a hand over my chest like I actually gave a damn. "I take full responsibility for this unfortunate incident. We will not rest until Vanessa is found."
The ambassador's wild eyes locked onto me. "I want the whole city searched! I don't care what it takes. Find her!"
I nodded solemnly. "My men are already on it. But you should have the police looking too."
Stefanos and another guard stepped forward, making a show of barking orders into their radios. Useless, of course, but it kept the ambassador satisfied.
Dan's shoulders sagged in relief, the fool mistaking my intervention as kindness.
I turned to him with a stern expression. "This was your responsibility, was it not?"
Dan swallowed heavily. "Yes."
The ambassador snorted at him. "He's done. Useless."
I nodded again, for the sake of appearances, pretending to weigh the options. "I'll handle Dan."
The ambassador did not spare more than a moment's glance his way. It was all I needed.
I snapped my fingers. Two of my men stepped forward and grabbed Dan by the arm.
"Hey, what the hell?" Dan protested, struggling as they yanked him toward the back halls.
I smiled, slow and cold. "Relax, Dan. We only need to have a little chat."
The real search for Vanessa wasn't going on. My men had already locked her away in a location I had yet to disclose. But for now, the illusion had to hold.
While my men continued their melodramatic search through the club, I made my way into the communications room and locked the door behind me.
Dragon was already waiting on the other end. "Update," I said.
"The guns are moving as we speak," Dragon replied in his gravelly voice. "Your timing was perfect. The ambassador's got the police searching in the wrong places."
I smirked, watching the security feeds. The police outside were interviewing panicked guests, checking corners and alleys that led nowhere.
