The Kiss that Sparked it All

Nolan couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache whenever he thought of how innocent Regina seemed.

Suddenly, Domingo flashed through his mind as a key player. The last time around, Domingo had taken quite a fall in the situation involving him and Regina. After years of hustling in the streets, would he really just swallow his pride?

“It better not have been you who pulled this stunt.”

After escaping the last predicament, Nolan had been keeping tabs on Domingo, thinking if it really was him, there would have been some noise.

But Domingo had been unusually quiet since then, barely even showing up in his own turf. Nolan couldn’t let this lead slip. Just then, Lucy called.

“Mr. Harris, we’ve tracked Domingo’s movements today. He went to his usual spot at the Joy Center, and we didn’t spot him anywhere near the Tanner Mansion.”

But after hearing her report, Nolan’s suspicions only deepened. If not Domingo, he couldn’t fathom who else Regina might have crossed recently.

To resort to such drastic measures, daring enough to kidnap someone in broad daylight without fear of surveillance, it had to be someone with a deep grudge against Regina. Otherwise, Nolan couldn’t see who else would go to such lengths.

Imogen and Madeline were also within Nolan’s considerations, but those two were still holed up at the Tanner Mansion.

That’s when Francis called.

Nolan really didn’t want to answer but feared there might be some leads on Francis’s end.

“Speak.”

Francis had hoped for a bit of small talk, but was met with Nolan’s icy response. Disdainfully, he pulled the phone away slightly, ensuring Madeline and Imogen wouldn’t overhear and cost him his dignity. Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

“I was wondering what your plan is. Since no one has contacted us, this isn’t a simple kidnapping. They’re not after money.”

“So, what’s your point? Are you trying to prove you’ve finally caught on? Someone’s after your daughter’s life, do I need to spell it out for you?”

Regina was missing, and her father seemed clueless, fueling Nolan’s frustration.

“How dare you speak to me like that? I’m your father-in-law, for heaven’s sake. Regina’s my daughter, yet you seem more frantic than I, her own father. What’s your act? When I wanted my daughter to marry you, weren’t you the one resisting? She faced so much humiliation!”

Nolan cut him off, “Our issues are none of your concern. If you don’t have any leads, stop calling. I don’t have time to waste on you.”

Nolan hung up on Francis again, the abrupt dismissal catching him off guard.

Staring at the disconnected call, Francis was left gasping for air.

Imogen sensed something was amiss but hesitated to approach. It was clear he had been chewed out by Nolan.

Madeline moved to ask but was stopped by Imogen, who shook her head and silently gestured for her not to.

After a while, Francis managed to muster a weak smile and approached them, explaining, “Nolan’s just as clueless, like an ant on a hot pan. Asking him is pointless. Let’s just wait for the kidnappers to contact us.”