Delete My Love for You novel Chapter 85

Darren’s breath caught, his dark eyes locked on her face, searching for answers, as if trying to bore straight through her.

She lifted her hand and pointed at the now-cold hearth at their feet, her voice light and unruffled. “The Charlotte you’re looking for… she’s right there.”

He blinked, confused. “What?”

Something inside Darren seemed to snap, exploding in his chest. In a flash, he closed the distance between them.

Charlotte hardly had time to react before his hand closed around her slender throat.

His words hissed in her ear, low and dangerous. “You dare play games with me? My patience is gone. Tell me—where is she?”

Forced to look up at him, Charlotte managed to choke out, “Charlotte’s dead. Ten minutes ago, she was burned to ash.”

Darren’s grip tightened, his knuckles white. “Lottie, you really do have a death wish.”

She stared back, unflinching. “Go ahead. Try me.”

“You—!”

The air between them froze, a breath from shattering.

But Charlotte knew Darren. For all his brutality, he wasn’t the type to actually kill her. No matter how hard he squeezed, she refused to give in. Then—

A shrill ringtone shattered the standoff.

He shoved her aside and fished his phone out of his pocket. Charlotte caught a glimpse of the caller ID: [Xena].

He answered, and Xena’s trembling voice spilled through the line. “Mr. Harrington—Noah… he’s gone…”

“What did you say?”

The shock on Darren’s face was plain to see.

Charlotte couldn’t make out the rest of the call. She coughed, clutching her sore neck, a wry smile tugging at her lips. “Looks like Mr. Harrington has more pressing matters. I’ll excuse myself.”

Darren steadied her, his tone gentle. “Xena, tell me what happened.”

“After you left, I convinced Noah to come to school with me to clear his head. But this afternoon, the principal said Noah disappeared. We’ve searched everywhere—he’s just gone. What if something’s happened to him? I’m so scared…”

“Xena, don’t worry. Leave the rest to me.”

“But… weren’t you on your way to find your ex-wife?” Xena’s gaze flickered to Charlotte, her lips trembling with hurt.

Darren smoothed the furrow from her brow, reassuring her. “I just had something to confirm with her, that’s all. You and Noah are the most important people in my life.”

Charlotte let out a cold laugh at that.

Her son was missing, and he still had the time to comfort his woman?

She shot them a frosty glance, then turned her attention to the prestigious school. Little Acorn Academy was the largest preschool in Astra, sprawling over nearly four acres. Finding a single child here would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Beside her, Darren was already barking orders to his security detail. “Send in a hundred trusted men—work with the staff to find Noah. Now!”