Second Marriage, The Billionaire's Planned Love novel Chapter 162

162 Chapter 162 Vanished from Compound

Caleb’s POVD

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

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162 Chapter 162 Vanished from Compound

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.

“Ivy left the compound a short while ago,” he announced to the room. “Someone contacted her by phone first. We’re going to find her, Caleb. I’m already working on tracking her cell through our underground network.”

The wait felt endless before Felix Hayes delivered the news that made my blood run cold. Ivy’s phone had been found smashed to pieces in a dumpster several blocks from our compound. When the dirty cops on our payroll tried to claim it as evidence, Felix Hayes shut them down with an authority that brooked no argument.

“I don’t give a damn about your evidence protocols. That phone contains the key to finding her. I’m keeping it, and I’m going to recover every piece of data on it.”

The corrupt officer didn’t even attempt to argue.

While Felix Hayes worked his technological magic, time crawled forward and my desperation grew like a living thing inside my chest. The operations room had fallen into a strange paralysis. Ivy’s father was trying to console her mother, whose quiet sobs filled the air. Finn had his arm around Zoe, who kept muttering about how this was all her fault for not watching Ivy more carefully during such dangerous times.

I couldn’t stand seeing Zoe tear herself apart. I walked over and dropped into the chair

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beside her.

“Zoe, look at me. This isn’t you talking. Where’s our favorite chaos–causing soldier?” I managed a smile despite the terror clawing at my insides.

“It’s my fault, Caleb. I should never have let her wander off alone when we’re in the middle of a territory war.”

“Bullshit. You gave her the space she needed, which is exactly what any rational person would do. You’re not to blame here.” I leaned forward, catching her eyes. “You’re Ivy’s guardian angel. You’re my son’s guardian angel. You always know what’s best for them in this life we lead. Right now, I need you to be that for me too, because I’m about to lose my mind.”

“What do you need me to do?” Zoe wiped her eyes and straightened in her chair.

“I need you to be the chaos–causing soldier. Stand up and take control of this room. Be the lieutenant who barks orders and keeps everyone in line. Point fingers, assign tasks,

you do that for me?”

make everyone move, c. 9

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.”

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