Twisted Kingdom (Royal Elite 3)

Like an Italian politician once said, it’s better to be feared than loved.

Fear brings efficiency and gets things done.

Love is for masochistic fools.

I was in love once. It’s irrational and out of control.

Perhaps that’s why I’m trapped in my own head, scheming one revenge plot after the other.

I know full well it won’t bring Alicia back, but I go on with it anyway.

Why?

Because it’s irrational and out of fucking control.

If I focus on revenge I won’t feel the emptiness. If I focus on revenge, I direct the pain outwards instead of inwards.

I was at the airport, ready to put Aiden back in his lane when Ethan’s number flashed across my screen. I thought we were back to playing our old games. However, everything changed when he told me Aiden and Elsa are missing.

It’s been fifty-five hours since they were last seen.

Aiden is a little fuck, but he’s my son and the only thing I have left of Alicia. I have to bring him back.

Ethan’s security team and mine have been going through all the places Aiden and Elsa could disappear to.

We interrogated their friends and came up with nothing.

Ethan and I sit in the back of a van speeding to where the signal of their phones was last detected, somewhere near Northampton.

“The bank?” Ethan asks. His composure is a mere mask just like mine.

“Negative. He hasn’t used his credit card.”

He sighs. “Neither did Elsa.”

Aiden is smart enough not to use credit cards if he wanted to escape. However, neither Ethan nor I are considering that option.

One. Elsa would never leave her father after their reunion, even for Aiden.

Two. If Aiden planned to escape, he would’ve made small withdrawals from his bank account over the past few months so they’d have cash handy.

Which means they were taken against their will.

“Aiden took her,” Ethan grits out. “If he didn’t, none of this would’ve happened.”

“She went with him.” I rub my temple. “Stop pretending as if your daughter is a saint. She was glued to his side all this time no matter what I did.”

He glares at me but says nothing.

I go back to reading the text from my security team. Aiden’s car hasn’t been located yet.

Fucking brilliant.

“Where’s your dog?” I poke Ethan. “Have you lost the leash?”

“Watch it, Jonathan. I won’t allow you to disrespect Agnus.”

“Touchy, aren’t we?”