Maxwell quickly handed over his car keys to the valet already waiting in the parking lounge.
"Just move it to the side. I'll be heading out in a few minutes," he instructed the man in the black shirt before striding into the hotel with three of his men at his side.
"Mr. Salvador gave the orders, Boss," Divian said, causing Maxwell to halt abruptly.
Divian stepped back and calmly slid his right hand into his trouser pocket, waiting to see what command would come next.
"He's lucky he's her father," Maxwell muttered darkly. "I was ready to shoot whoever gave that ridiculous order in the leg before even asking questions. He escaped that fate once again."
His tone was sharp with irritation. The situation clearly hadn't gone the way he intended.
"You said over the phone that Enzo's men were behind the abduction," Maxwell continued, his voice low and laced with anger. "He must be desperate to recover his stolen goods if he's willing to provoke me this far, knowing the consequences."
As he stepped into the hotel's main lobby, he motioned for two of his guards near the door to follow. Divian kept close, trying to keep pace while relaying updates.
"We received a call from Enzo. He said he'll only speak directly with you about the negotiation."
"Then get him on the phone now," Maxwell growled, his jaw clenched and his eyes cold. "I swear, if he so much as breathes wrong around my goddaughter, I'll blow his head off."
"Understood, Boss," Divian said, already dialing Enzo's direct number, the same one used earlier that day.
"The line isn't connecting, Boss," he reported after his second attempt.
"Enzo is a cunning, sneaky bastard," Maxwell snapped. "Call our men. I want them ready."
The elevator stopped on the third floor. A hotel staff member tried to enter, but Divian quickly asked the girl to wait for the next one. Once the doors closed again, Maxwell resumed his orders.
"As soon as you get the location for the exchange, have our men quietly surround the place. If Enzo tries anything stupid, I want eyes everywhere."
Moments later, the elevator arrived at the floor Maxwell's team was occupying. He stepped out, Divian and the others close behind.
"Assemble everyone in your room. I need to speak to them once I'm done with Sal," Maxwell instructed.
After a short walk, he arrived at Salvador's suite, which was directly opposite his. He entered and immediately spotted Salvador lounging on the couch. His eyes were open, fixed on nothing, and a half-empty bottle of whiskey sat on the center table in front of him.
The man looked rough. His face was drawn and pale, with dark circles under his eyes. His cracked lips made it clear he hadn't had a sip of water all day.
"I heard you were the one who gave the order not to report Cami's abduction to me," Maxwell said coolly as he came to a stop behind the couch. His eyes locked onto Salvador's weary face.
He didn't bother acknowledging the man's worn-out state. That could wait.
"Before I found out it was you, the plan was to shoot the person who gave that command. Of course, I can't exactly shoot you in the leg since you're her father," he added, letting the sentence hang in the air.
Still, Salvador didn't move or respond.
"But that doesn't mean I won't slap the sense back into you if you don't give me a solid reason," Maxwell warned, frowning deeply.
When no response came, he watched as Salvador reached for the whiskey bottle. Maxwell snatched it from his hand before he could take a sip.
"If you think I won't do it, you're wrong. Start talking," he ordered coldly.
"I'm sure you already know why. So why ask?" Salvador snapped, suddenly standing. He avoided Maxwell's gaze as he turned away.
"Ever since that woman came back, you've been obsessed with her. You made her your whole world and forgot about everything else. You can't even take your eyes off her for a second. So tell me, what difference would it have made if I had told you our enemies took my daughter?" Salvador's voice cracked with frustration as he moved toward the glass wall overlooking the city.
The view was breathtaking, but Salvador's eyes were distant.
"We both know what those bastards will ask for in exchange," he added, his voice quieter now. "It's something we can't afford to give. That's why I tried handling it my way."
He swallowed hard, refusing to break down.
Deep down, he knew what Enzo would demand was nearly impossible to give up. That reality left him feeling cornered.
"I know what that scumbag wants," Maxwell growled as he walked over to him. "But who says the truck of ammunition is something we can't part with?"
The indifference in Maxwell's voice left Salvador speechless. For a moment, he questioned whether Maxwell had lost his mind.
"Are you even listening to yourself, Max?" he asked sharply. "We already informed our clients the shipment is ready. If we go back on that, we'll suffer massive losses."
"And who cares if we lose some money and a few connections?" Maxwell shot back.
He stopped directly in front of Salvador, who stared at him in disbelief. Maxwell had always been ruthless, but never careless when it came to business. Salvador suddenly wasn't so sure anymore.
"I may not be Cami's biological father, but I've watched her grow since the day she was born. We raised her together. She's my responsibility too," Maxwell said, his tone softening as he spoke.
His eyes held a rare sincerity that made Salvador pause.
"And don't forget, even though you're her father, she declared me her favorite person in the world. I need to live up to that title," he added with a slight smirk.
Salvador let out a small, reluctant chuckle.
"You're insane," he muttered, shaking his head.
"And about Jennie… yes, I can't take my eyes off her. But that's only because I've missed her more than I can say," Maxwell admitted without shame. "That doesn't mean I'm ignoring my goddaughter's safety. My men are more than capable of keeping tabs on her. That's what they're paid for, isn't it?"
Salvador gave a slight nod, his expression softening.
"Maybe Jennie hasn't stolen all your senses like I thought. At least you're still one percent sane," he replied.
"I didn't expect anything less," Maxwell said.
The room fell silent for a moment.
"If you're done wallowing, go freshen up and get dressed. We're leaving to get my goddaughter back. I can't imagine what she's endured being in that hellhole with those monsters overnight."
"Thank God we didn't raise her to be weak," Salvador muttered.
"Says the same guy who nearly punished her into tears for play-fighting with the boys at training," Maxwell teased, his smile returning.
"That was~"
"I'll be in Divian's room giving orders," Maxwell interrupted, his tone snapping back to its usual coldness. "Join us when you're ready."
…
Fifteen minutes later ☆☆
Back at the salon, Rebecca took one last, careful look at the woman now disguised as her.
From the slightly wavy black hair to the clothing and shoes, the resemblance was striking. It was almost as if Rebecca had been training for this her entire life.
"It's just perfect," Rebecca said softly, nodding in approval as she examined the reflection in the dressing mirror.
"Miss Reb… are you really sure this will work?" Joey's trembling voice cut through the moment like a blade.
The smile vanished from Rebecca's face.
Joey anxiously rubbed her damp palms together, her unease barely concealed as she stared at Rebecca through the mirror.