Ice and Fire novel Chapter 574

"Sweetheart, Cherry, my sweetheart," Jackson shouted with immense concern, as he looked everywhere in the room. However, he couldn't find her there. 'Where are you, my darling? Has something happened to you?' As he thought about it, increasingly worse scenarios spelling where she had gone ran through his mind.

Jackson's uneasiness increased. 'What has happened at home? Where is Cherry? She is pregnant, so she couldn't have gone very far. Where could she go?' His mind was overflowing with many questions.

After coming out of the bedroom, he went straight to Joe's room, trying to find Cherry there. However, she wasn't there as well. By now, if she were in the house, she would've heard his frantic screaming. So, it meant that she wasn't anywhere.

Derek ran upstairs hastily and found Jackson anxiously searching all the rooms. "Haven't you found Cherry yet?" Derek asked, looking worried.

"She isn't here. I don't know where she has gone. I am very worried about her," Jackson answered blankly.

"I looked everywhere downstairs and don't see Lily either," Derek said.

Jackson froze and stood still, stared blankly ahead. He was going into shock. 'Cherry is missing. She is gone. Will she disappear from my life again like she did five years ago? I finally got her back and we were leading a happy, peaceful life. I can't let her vanish from my life. I can't let her leave me again. I must find her at all costs, ' he thought, overpowered by anxiety and flurry.

Derek guessed that Jackson was entering paranoia after learning that Lily wasn't a common maid and discovering neither Cherry nor Lily was at home. He grabbed Jackson's arm and they entered his bedroom. He then seated Jackson on the couch to comfort him.

"Cherry might have gone out with Lily. Perhaps they will come home later," Derek pacified Jackson while thinking, 'This is such a lame excuse. Even I'm not convinced by it, let alone Jackson.'

Jackson sat still on the couch, paralyzed. He was speechless with worry. His mind was so blank that he did not know what to do next.

Looking at Jackson's troubled expression, Derek didn't know how to comfort him. Nothing he could say would actually make a difference. 'Did anything happen to them? Did Lily notice that I investigated her privately and then kidnap Cherry?' He was overwhelmed by doubts. It could have been anybody.

"No, I must go out to look for her," Jackson murmured. 'Cherry is gone. How can I sit here still doing nothing?' he thought. He stood up and rushed out of room. He would find his beloved. He had to.

Derek followed behind and struggled to keep up with his pace.

Derek came downstairs while asking,"Where are you going? You have no idea where they are. It is foolish to go anywhere before making inquiries."

"I will find her even if I have to look in every corner, shop, street of this city. I will beat up anybody who has her. I will do whatever it takes to get her back," Jackson answered emotionally, struggling to say the words. A sob caught in his throat. 'I can't lose Cherry. I can't, ' he repeated in his mind.

As they reached the hall, Derek grasped Jackson's arm to stop him.

"Jackson, calm down first. Let's see if there is some other way," Derek suggested.

"I can't," Jackson howled at him. "My woman is missing. How could I possibly compose myself?"

Jackson shook off Derek's hand without heeding any of his words.

Seeing that Jackson was walking on, Derek dashed forward to stop him. "Shouldn't you analyze what happened here first before going out to search for them? Perhaps Cherry has just gone to the market to buy some food with Lily. They might return soon, you never know," he said, trying to appease him.

Jackson didn't believe Derek's words, obviously. "Derek, do you think that I'm an idiot who will believe your words?" he yelled at Derek.

Jackson didn't believe anything Derek was saying. In fact, he was getting more annoyed by the minute. Derek should be helping him instead of feeding him lies. 'Something must have happened to Cherry. Perhaps Eric and Jonson kidnapped her. Or Lily did this. She took Cherry with her because her identity was exposed, ' he said to himself.

After carefully watching the footage, they knew what had happened.

"It looked like Lily had been protecting Cherry," Derek remarked. 'Judging from the video, Lily doesn't side with Bobby. Instead, she tried to protect Cherry. Looks like she is good, after all, ' he thought to himself in relief.

"Derek," Jackson called, his calm voice reflecting the fact that he was restless on the inside.

"Um," Derek answered, knowing what orders he would receive from Jackson. 'I can read his mind through observing his expression and judging from his tone only. After working with him for so long, it is not that hard, ' he said to himself.

"You go to the school to pick up Joe and protect him from getting injured," Jackson commanded. Although he was slightly envious of Joe because Cherry had always been partial to him, he was worried about his safety and didn't want him to get hurt.

"Okay, I will," Derek returned. He understood why Jackson asked him to protect Joe. 'Now that Eric and Jonson have dared to kidnap Cherry, they might lay their hands on Joe too. They must have investigated Jackson and learnt he has a wife and a son who are important to him. I will do everything in my power to protect him from danger.'

Derek asked,"What are you going to do?"

"I will go to Eric, and you go to the school to protect Joe. Let's split up," Jackson replied.

"Got it. Be careful. Eric and Jonson are difficult to handle. They have many goons at their disposal," Derek reminded.

"I know," Jackson responded. He was planning to take it easy, and not be aggressive towards them. Aggression never worked in negotiations.

They then left the villa to fulfil their individual missions.