Exposed to the CEO Behind the Mafia Mask (by Silver Spoon) novel Chapter 162

Chapter 162: Chapter 162 Vanished from Compound

Caleb’s POV

When I stepped off the rooftop of our compound, my mind had finally cleared. Those minutes alone under the night sky, wrestling with my thoughts and begging whatever higher power existed to keep my son safe, had given me the steel I needed. Walking back into the main operations room of our family headquarters, I immediately barked at the first soldato I saw.

"Any updates?"

"Nothing yet, Don," came the reply.

I needed to check on Ivy. After everything that had happened with the family war brewing, she deserved my attention. I strode toward Xavier’s office, expecting to find her curled up in a chair behind bulletproof glass, but the room was empty.

"Where the hell is Ivy?" My voice cut through the compound chatter like a blade.

Zoe looked up from her surveillance station, confusion creasing her features. "What do you mean? She told me she was going to spend time with you in the safe room."

"Well, she’s not with me. She’s not in my office, and she sure as hell isn’t at the front security desk." The growl in my voice made every family member freeze. "So where is she?"

"Easy, Caleb," Nora said, rising from her chair near the weapons cache. "Maybe she went to grab coffee from the kitchen or hit the communications room."

Within seconds, the entire compound transformed into a search party. Armed men scattered in every direction, calling Ivy’s name, checking every corner and crevice of our fortress-like headquarters.

I stormed back to the main security station, my heart hammering against my ribs. "Gemma, have you seen Ivy?"

Gemma shook her head, worry etching lines around her eyes. "I’m sorry, Caleb. It’s been absolutely insane here today with all the territory disputes. What’s happening?"

"I can’t find her anywhere." The words tasted like ash in my mouth.

That’s when Nora appeared, her face pale as death. "The emergency exit to the back alley is wide open."

"Fuck. No, no, no." If Ivy had gone through that exit, we were dealing with something far worse than a simple misunderstanding. She knew never to leave the compound without an escort during family conflicts. I sprinted to my office, adrenaline flooding my system. "Felix Hayes, get me the security footage from that emergency exit. Now."

The screens flickered to life, showing Ivy entering the back stairwell. Felix Hayes’s fingers flew across the keyboard, switching between camera feeds without me having to ask. We watched her step into the service elevator, her phone pressed against her ear. Someone had called her out of that building.

The elevator doors opened on the ground floor. Ivy walked out and disappeared through the rear entrance that led to the street. The external cameras caught her for a few more seconds before she vanished completely from view into the maze of back alleys that surrounded our territory.

Damn you, Ivy. What have you gotten yourself into?

My composure shattered like glass hitting concrete. I couldn’t form words, couldn’t think straight. Felix Hayes stepped into the void my panic had created.

Zoe took a deep breath that seemed to fill her with renewed purpose. She stood up, and I could practically see the transformation happening.

"Consider it done. These idiots are about to learn what real military efficiency looks like."

"Show them who runs operations when I’m not around."

Zoe marched into my office with Finn and me trailing behind her, watching her metamorphosis with something approaching awe.

"Listen up, you useless excuses for soldiers. I’m running this operation now, and things are about to get very intense around here. Nobody sits idle for even one second." Her voice carried across the room like a whip crack. Within minutes, she had every family member moving with purpose, searching for Ivy and my son with renewed energy.

Dominic, Finn, and Zoe’s father gathered around me, all wearing expressions of impressed surprise.

"That assistant of mine is absolutely incredible," Dominic said with obvious pride, bringing the first genuine smiles we’d seen all day.

"I think I’m genuinely terrified of that girl," Scott commented as he approached with another man I didn’t recognize. "Caleb, I hate to add to your problems, but there’s something you need to know immediately. It’s not about Ivy."

"Perfect. Because this day clearly wasn’t complicated enough already." I sighed and walked to my desk, picking up the encrypted phone to call Xavier. "Go ahead, Scott. Let’s hear it."