Ch. 321..325: Charmed by the Billionaire CEO Chapter 321-325

Chapter 321: You dare to hide things from me

Ace pursed his lips into thin line. Tristan had warned him not to disclose any of the details related to his college life with Dante. They did not want to live a carefree life and with Dante’s constant watch, it wouldn’t have been possible.

Finding Ace silent, Dante raised his brow and leaned back on his seat as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"You dare to hide things from me Ace. Is this how it’s going to be now" Dante was pissed when he learned his most loyal subordinate was being carried away by his grandson’s words.

The boy was still young and didn’t know much about the threats revolving around his life. He had already lost his daughter’s attention a few days ago because of his one selfish decision and now he didn’t want to lose his grandchild.

He agreed on pushing Tristan away because he knew if he didn’t then this middle of violence will only drag him down, without a way out. But he was wrong, Tristan was way ahead of him and had been crafting himself way more intelligently than he expected.

"This boy... Why does he have to be this smart" Dante mumbled rubbing his temple.

Dante used his force to find Alphonse’s son whose identity wasn’t disclosed. Maybe which was why Ace didn’t find the boy suspicious.

He then looked into the envelope and found a bunch of papers. Pulling out he started reading them.

"Why is his name Gabriel Stella mentioned here," he asked pointing at his student profile.

"It’s his mother’s name. Gabriel never used his father’s last name as he didn’t like to acknowledge himself as Moore" Ace answered.

Dante creased as he kept listening to Ace further.

Stella was Alphonse’s beloved mistress who bored Gabriel and died after his birth. Since it was a boy, Alphonse quickly took him to his shelter with the intention of making the next clan leader.

He took care of the child. fulfilling his every need but as the boy grew up he happened to find out about his profession and started distancing himself from him.

He didn’t want a father who liked killing people, so Gabriel asked Alphonse to never force his last name on him and he wanted to carry his mother’s name instead.

Alphonse didn’t want to upset his son so he agreed to his every request and kept himself away from him without disclosing his identity to the outside world.

As years passed by the Sticker clan too expanded, and soon it was counted as one of the most powerful Mafia organizations. He now needed Gabriel to handle half of his business since he couldn’t handle everything on his own. But Gabriel kept ignoring it until a few days back when Alphonse gave him an ultimatum.

By the time Ace finished speaking, Dante’s thoughts began to ponder. "We must be alert. I am not sure, but if Gabriel agrees to Alphonse then there is a possibility of a counter-attack"

Dante was very well aware of Alphonse’s manipulative behavior. He had used many people to gain success and he wouldn’t hold back in corrupting his son’s mind against them.

Ace agreed without hesitation. They have been dealing with Alphonse for years and even after failing multiple times against them, he still kept fighting. His desperate need to become the leader of the entire underworld was making him a monster and he wouldn’t care if he ended up risking his people’s lives to achieve that power.

Dante discussed a few things with Ace and then he left. Once alone, the old man began to miss his grandson once again. He looked at the time and hoped to see Tristan as he did every day.

’Should I call him’ he asked himself as he played with the phone in his hand.

Dante had the urge to talk to Tristan but every time he thought of making a call, he would stop himself, recalling Grace’s words. But now it had been more than two days and now he was finding it hard to stop himself from looking at his grandson.

Looking at the screen, Dante hesitated for a while but soon drop the idea and tossed his phone aside. "You can’t fall weak Dante. It’s better you distance yourself from them" he said to himself and leaned back on his chair and closed his eyes.

He was trying to shove his thoughts aside when suddenly his phone rang, and he snapped open his eyes. He thought it must be Tristan but when he saw the call was from Matt, he signed.

"What is it?" Dante answered lazily. He didn’t want to get teased by his friend at this moment but he also knew if he ignored the call the man will start calling on all the telephones placed inside the mansion.

"Huh. What’s with that boring tone? I thought I would be greeted cheerfully after all we talk after so many days" Matt sounded dejected by Dante’s bored response.

"When have I ever felt happy seeing you? There is no way I will greet you enthusiastically " Dante rolled his eyes and rested his back once again on the backrest of his chair and began rocking it back and forth.

"Can’t you just pretend to be happy listening to me? Boredom has definitely taken a toll on your mind" Matt knew Dante was just trying to tease him keeping a blank tone but deep inside he knew he was happy to hear from him.

"Anyways, how did you remember me after so long" Dante brushed his dramatic words and began speaking. He had tried to reach him but his assistant informed him that Matt was out for some medical seminar and would be returning after a week.

"Linda informed me about your call. Is there something you want to talk about" he asked.

Matt wasn’t just Dante’s friend but also his doctor. He had been monitoring his health way before he started indulging himself in deadly missions after Sera’s departure. There was a time when he had retrieved Dante from losing his life.

"Hmm yes, there is something I wanted to talk about" Dante remembered and quickly told him about the changes he had been feeling about his health.

"Hmm, I think we need to run a test on you before finding the cause. I will send one of my staff members to get you blood samples" he said and Dante agreed to him.

Even now while talking, Dante suddenly felt dizzy but he quickly recovered. He knew something was wrong with him but he wanted Matt to examine him before coming to any conclusion.

*****

[Boys dormitory]

Tristan received a video call from Grace but instead of greeting him she kept checking her surroundings. After finding out his secret, Grace had been more attentive toward her children.

She didn’t want her son to walk the same path her father had chosen. For him, it was a necessity but for Tristan, he wasn’t bound to any legacy.

All her life they had run for their lives. Back in those days, Grace and Serra faced many challenges because of Dante’s line of work, and she almost lost her mother’s life.

It took them years to find a secure place where they wouldn’t have to live a fearful life. She knew how hard it was for them and she didn’t want her children to go through the phase she had faced in her life.

Tristan heaved out a sigh catching Grace’s attention and she quickly cleared her throat." I am inside my room mom" he scowled.

He knew Grace was just being a protective mother just the way she was and guessing if her son was really safe or not.

"I know... you don’t have to tell me" Grace composed herself and looked at the screen.

"I just wanted to see if my child is okay and isn’t trying to trick me" listening to her words a gleam of guilt passed through his heart and he lowered his head.

"I am sorry mom" he had been apologizing to her since the day she witness her son pointing a gun at someone. Those deadpan eyes carved a deep fear in her heart and she feared that Tristan had already chosen that path.

Grace heaved out a defeated sigh. She could feel the regret in his eyes every time she called him still she would act that way. She shouldn’t have agreed with Trevor when he asked her to let Dante meet their children.

She thought it would just be one meet and then they wouldn’t see him again but she was wrong. Trevor always let their children acknowledge her father and didn’t hide anything from them.

It was only she who wasn’t able to accept Dante for who is was but after whatever happened she couldn’t bring herself from forgiving him.

"You know I have never stopped you from meeting your grandfather Tristan, but whatever you did have seriously upset me." Grace wiped off the tears that started to flow down her eyes.

"All my life I have been seeking a peaceful life away from violence and threats but your one move shattered my every struggle" she started expressing her deepest fear that she had been hiding all this while behind a smiling face.

She didn’t want to live thinking when something might happen and her life would change upside down. With Trevor, she found a secure life. He loved her endlessly even after knowing her past. But that doesn’t mean she would let that past walk like a shadow behind the children.

Chapter 322: A spy

"Have you ever tried to understand him mom" Tristan’s sudden words took Grace by surprise and she instantly stopped speaking.

The unshed tears in her eyes glittered like stars but she soon blinked them away.

Tristan noticed her silence and continued speaking, "You have always judged him, but never once tried to step into his shoes and understand what he must be going through when you keep on blaming him for everything"

Tristan had always respected his mother as much as he respected Dante but that didn’t mean he would let her look down on her father for every bad that comes their way.

"It was my decision, grandpa never agreed to it" his words took Grace by surprise as her eyes widely stared at him.

Pursing his lips, Tristan continued," He had no clue that I have been working behind the scenes. I asked him to teach me how to use a gun in return for mending your relationship"

The was a long pause between the two, Grace was trying to grasp his words. She slowly bobbed her head and said," I’ll call you after some time" with that she ended the call and Tristan sighed in defeat.

Everything was a mess. He thought after telling the truth, Grace would finally soften her heart toward Dante, but the reaction he got only left him confused.

He stayed inside his room the entire day and tried to focus on his studies. Even though he was forbidden to meet Dante, Tristan made sure he kept asking about him from Ace.

That old man was just as stubborn as his daughter, but Tristan knew one day Grace will melt her heart and will surely accept Dante.

****

The next morning as Matt said, one of his staff members from the hospital came to get Dante’s blood sample.

Once that person left, Dante had his breakfast and left the mansion heading to Jaguar’s headquarters. Ace had found some leads related to Alphonse and now they were trying to trace them.

Entering the main office Dante took his leader chair and sat down. "Are you sure, this is the same building where Alphonse is being treated?" Dante asked.

"Yes, boss. We tailed the team of doctors who have been monitoring his health. We also got hold of one of the staff. He is held captive in one of our cells" Ace answered.

"Interrogate him and find as many details as possible. We can’t keep him with us or they will get suspicious and will try to flee"

"Yes, boss" Ace agreed and left the main office while Dante stayed in his office.

*****

Inside the cell, the man kept staring at the door anxiously. His body was sweating profoundly with his hands trembling as he quickly clasped them together.

He was hell-scared and tried to keep his cool knowing his one mistake can cost him his life

Averting his gaze he then looked down at the hidden tracker fixed on his shirt’s button and he gulped. He recalled the words Gabriel had muttered before they sent him as a spy.

’Don’t try to act smart or else your entire family will face the consequences of your foolishness’

While his entire body was shivering in fear when the door of the cell flung open and he flinched on his seat snapping his head in the direction as he watched the same man who brought him here walk towards him.

Ace’s piercing eyes were drilling holes into his body and as if he lost the last string of his sanity, the man broke into tears." Please leave me, I don’t know anything" he had been repeating the same words since the moment he was held captive but as the time passed by his fear started to get the best out of him.

Standing right in front of him, Ace bend down to his level and smiled." We will, but for that, you have to cooperate with us on a few things" his cold tone made the man stop speaking but his lips kept trembling watching his deadpan face and he quickly bobbed his head agreeing with his words.

While Ace was busy interrogating the man, Gabriel had already mobilized his men. After whatever happened, he finally came to believe that Tristan was working with his grandfather with the motive of destroying them.

Alphonse’s words had finally managed to corrupt his son’s mind against the people whom he believed to be his true friend. Not only did they try to kill his father, but Tristan also snatched the love of his life and now all he wanted was to follow his father’s words and avenge every one of them.

"You know what you have to do" Gabriel turned his eyes to Max and watched him bob his head.

They were currently inside the main office with Alphonse eyeing his son’s strategies on how they would get Dante into their claws. And to his surprise, Gabriel was much crueler than he was.

’After all, he is my son’ he thought as an evil smile curled on the corner of his lips. He was finally able to get his son by his side and he didn’t care if he used the wrong way to lure him.

"Yes, boss" with that Max excused himself to execute their plan.

The room once again turned silent with Gabriel spacing out. Alphonse sensed the change in his demeanor and asked," You aren’t doing anything wrong Gabriel. You are just being my son" he said proudly.

"This is the only time I am helping you, dad. Once you get your target, I will leave everything to you" Gabriel’s confession dropped Alphonse’s smile and his eyes turned dark.

"What do you mean?" he snapped raising his voice at him.

"I won’t be dirtying my hands by killing them. It had always been your way, not mine and once you get whatever you dreamt of, I’ll be going my way" he declared and got to leave.

"You think, you will be able to leave just like that" Alphonse’s words halt his step, and turned his eyes on him with confusion.

"Everyone has come to learn that you are my son and there is no way they will leave you alone until they come to find me. You have no other way but to join my hand son"

Gabriel was at a loss for words but soon he understood everything. The day he was picked by his men from the mansion was the day his identity was disclosed.

Finding him immobilize Alphonse stood up with the help of his wooden stick and approached his son. "You have no other choice but to lead this clan, Gabriel. You can’t change your fate even if you want to" he said patting his shoulder.

There was no way, he would let Gabriel slip from his hand. He wanted his son to lead his organization, building the same fear inside everyone’s heart until they were scared by them.

He wanted to reach the heights where no one dare to mess with them. He wanted to indulge that kind of authority over everyone and he could see Gabriel had the potential in him to bring anyone to their knees.

He had a mind that would help them reach their goals and all he only had to do was to keep him reminded about the betrayal he faced for being a kind-hearted person.

******

Ace had managed to get every possible detail from the man and was ready to head to Dante but something strange thing happened and he stopped.

His eyes looked carefully at the man and clench his jaw when he found the small button-size tracker attached to his clothes.

The man watched Ace turn ugly and before he could explain a tight punch landed on his face and he instantly passed out on the chair.

"Alert our men. The man we held captive was a spy sent by the Stickers" Ace walked out of the cell alarming the men and rushed towards Dante.

But the moment he reached the corridor of the main office, he saw the guards lying on the floor. The whined in pain and he quickly alerted himself.

They seem to be shot now and he doubted that the intruders were still inside. He recalled checking the man before dragging him to the cell.

"Damnit" he cursed as he tightened his grip around the gun in his hand and slowly started to approach the office door.

Soon the guards rushed to him when they sensed some foul play with the surveillance footage and it only confirmed Ace’s words. The base was under attack but what surprised them was the silence.

Ace motioned them and they understood his signal taking their positions. He then took careful steps before reaching his hand towards the knob and turning it round.

The moment he flung the door open, his eyes widen and his jaw drop in shock.

Dante was still sitting in the same position with his resting down on his palm.

Ace watched him with confusion when he didn’t see Dante lift his head at the sound of his presence.

"Boss.. argh!!" Ace grunted in pain when a bullet passed through his arm and the gun in his hand fell.

"Tsk... tsk... you shouldn’t be here" a voice caught Ace’s attention and he quickly turned to look at it but was again knocked out with a single punch to his head

Chapter 323: Dante abducted.

Max walked towards Ace fallen figure and smirked. He then looked around and saw his comrades marching inside the room after handling the guards outside.

"Everything clear?" he asked one of the men and watched him bob his head.

After tracking the Jaguar base, Ace and his team sneaked into the property secretly and reached the main office where they found Dante. They had their movements cautious but somehow Ace found their trap.

"Let’s get out of here" he instructed and they quickly left taking Dante along.

Meanwhile Ace regained consciousness. Though he was injured and bleeding, he pushed himself up and looked around only to find Dante being taken by them.

Pulling out his phone, he made a call to someone and dragged his frame out of the office before wrapping his bleeding hand with a handkerchief.

*****

[Sticker Secret hideout]

Alphonse’s eyes darkened at the sight of Dante’s unconscious figure being tied to the wooden chair. His men finally got his target and now he wanted to torture him until he begs him to end his life.

Gabriel who stood next to his father eyed the old man for a few seconds and then looked away.

"I don’t think my presence is needed here anymore," he said and was about to leave when Alphonse stopped.

"Don’t you want to witness how I kill my enemy" Gabriel stopped and watched his father with an unexplainable emotion.

’Was he ready to see all this’ he thought to himself.

Alphonse smirked when he didn’t see Gabriel retreat and he continued. "If you have to keep yourself safe, you have to let go of humanity. There is no place for kindness in this field"

Stretching his hand towards Max, he took the small knife from him and walked towards Dante with the help of the stick.

"You have to be cruel enough to watch your prey scream in pain. You know soothing that crying can be" smiling like a maniac he then brought the tip of the knife close to Dante’s face and slowly started to trace it.

Gabriel who watched his father play with the unconscious man felt uneasy but before he could move his eyes away, Alphonse pierced his cheeks with that pointed thing and started laughing like a madman.

"Ah..." Dante hissed in pain but was unable to move because of his helpless state.

Blood started streaming down his cheeks and the sight of redness made Gabriel feel a wave of nausea pass through his body.

Without holding back he turned and dashed out of the room as he couldn’t watch his father torture a man who wasn’t even in the right state.

Reaching his room Gabriel barged into the washroom and puked everything out. He wasn’t used to this thing and now he regretted helping his father. He was blinded by his hate that he didn’t realize what he was trying to get into.

He wasn’t a heartless man like his father and now he felt bad for that old man who he planned to give to his father.

Sliding down the wall next to the sink, Gabriel kneeled and pulled his hair in frustration. He wasn’t able to distinguish between right and wrong. His mind told him to avenge them but his heart stopped him from doing so.

He just wanted to escape but he couldn’t because now his father needed him. He tried to brush off those emotions and follow his father’s words but he couldn’t.

His thoughts were in chaos and he just wanted to stay alone. "Why does it have to be like this" he muttered helplessly as he recalled his happy moments with his friends.

"They all fooled me" Gabriel was so tired that he kept blaming everyone for his situation. He thought he had genuine friends whom he could trust and rely on, but they all approached him with ulterior motives.

Rubbing his face, he pushed himself up and rushed out of his room. He wanted to clear his mind and for that, he had to get out of this place.

Without informing anyone Gabriel left the base, aware of the cops still looking for them, but he didn’t care.

Getting inside the car, he drove away from there. He kept on driving without any destination and right after an hour of speeding, he finally stopped his vehicle.

Holding the steering wheel firmly he looked out of the window and started at Sandra’s house. He remembered stalking her like a secret lover. Her face would calm his anxiousness within a second.

He waited there for so long but didn’t see anyone coming or entering the house and that kind of felt strange to him. He looked at the wristwatch in his hand and frowned.

"Sandra is supposed to bring Tori from school" he mumbled as he looked at the road but found no one and his frown deepened.

Gabriel waited for another ten minutes hoping she must be late but even after the time passed he didn’t see any of them and that was when he decided to check them.

He knew it would be an awkward situation for both of them but he wanted to see Sandra for the last time. He had this feeling that after today, there won’t be a day when he would be able to see her.

Unclutching his seatbelt, Gabriel was about to step out of the car when the door of the house opened and an unknown lady stepped out to dump the garbage in her hand.

"Who is she?" he asked himself and immediately stopped from hopping out of the car.

He wasn’t aware of the fact that Sandra was in prison for killing one of her classmates whereas her family was thrown out of the house by their landlord.

Unable to hold back his curiosity, Gabriel stepped out of the car but now before covering his half face, and rushed to the other side of the road.

Before the woman could get into the house, he stopped her. There was confusion marred on her face watching his covered face but Gabriel chose to ignore it and started asking her about Sandra and her family.

He remembered, they still lived with her when he had last picked her up for her birthday party. The thought itself was depressing but he pushed back his hurt and waited for the woman to speak.

She looked a little skeptical as there had been many people who came looking for the family and she thought the man is also one of them.

Gabriel was shocked when he found Sandra had killed Alexa due to some personal grudge but she had no clue where her sister and mother go.

She even informed him that he wasn’t the only one who came looking for them. There had been few before him too.

Gabriel was still in denial when his eyes caught the sight of a few cops at the corner of the street. Without wasting any second he turned and walked back to his car before driving away from that neighborhood.

*****

After Dante got abducted Ace informed Tristan and he immediately rushed to the base along with Karl and Noah.

Tristan’s eyes watched the surveillance footage and he was surprised at how skillfully Alphonse’s men entered the base and took his grandfather away.

They used some kind of smoke to faint the guards before they executed their plan.

"They had pre-planned everything," Noah said as he watched them easily assassinate their plan.

"What about that spy? Did he open his mouth to speak the truth" Karl asked.

Ace shook his head in disappointment." Before I could interrogate him once again, someone had already killed him" his voice sounded helpless but he still stood strong shoving back his fear.

Ace by now was treated for the wound he received from the gunshot. Ignoring his pain, he was now back with the boys to find his boss. He devoted his life to Dante because the man had helped him out of a mess he thought he wouldn’t be able to get rid of.

Their attention then turned to Tristan who haven’t uttered a word until now, but they very well knew his silence was just a mask to hide the thoughts he had been running in his mind.

For them, Tristan was like a mystery. He appeared like a calm and compose boy but when provoked, he would change into a different person whom no one will be able to understand.

Taping his finger on the surface of the table in front of him Tristan was already scheming on how he would get his grandfather back to them but for that, he had to get a hint.

Buzz...

His fingers stopped moving and his eyes turned to the phone next to his hand. Without any second thought, he answered the call and the moment he heard the person on the other end speak, his lips curled up into a smile.

"Just wait there for me" his voice was void of any emotion and the smile gave everyone around a creepy feeling which lead to confusing them on what was exactly happening.

Chapter 324: None other than Tristan

Dante woke up with a heavy head as a sharp pain passed through the nape of his nape and he hissed. "Ah"

He tried to lift his hand but felt restricted and that was when he realized that his hands were tied.

Blinking his eyes a few times, he raised his head and found Alphonse sitting in front of him.

"Good to see you Dante" his calm tone stopped Dante from moving and his eyes darkened at the sight of the man, who abducted him.

Dante recalled when someone barged into his cabin, but before he could fight them, the man hit him on his head and he lost consciousness that very moment.

Alphonse’s face turned ugly when he saw Dante glaring at him as if he wanted to kill him. "You can’t do anything to me Dante so lower your eyes," he said with a glint of intimidation in his voice.

Dante wasn’t someone he could mess with but after whatever happened to him at the base, Alphonse couldn’t wait to kill this man.

Staring ahead Dante then let out a humorless chuckle.

"You are scared, aren’t you," Dante asked and watched Alphonse’s face turn even sourer.

Anyone could sense the fear in his voice but his ego would never let him accept it.

"You haven’t learned your lesson yet Alphonse and I pity you for that" Dante smiled but that happiness didn’t reach his eyes. He was just observing the changes in Alphonse’s facial expression.

He was lowkey examining the place he was kept. Knowing he was abducted by his men, Dante had no other way but to sneak out on his own.

They had been trying to locate the hideouts where they could find Alphonse but weren’t able to find him anywhere. But with his sudden abduction, he could finally send a lead to his men.

He had to stop this game once and for all and for that he had to play smart.

Moving his eyes around he found a few men guarding the place along with Alphonse. Though he was still in a room, he could hear the honk of the ships every few minutes.

’There is a shipping dockyard nearby’ he thought to himself and turned his eyes back on Alphonse.

He kept fuming with Dante’s remarks. His hand itching to pull out the gun and shoot him right in between his brow but he stopped himself from acting recklessly.

Alphonse didn’t just want Dante but also his grandson who happen to irk him. If not for Tristan’s smartness, he would’ve managed to kill Dante after snatching everything from him.

He underestimated the boy because of his innocent looks, but not anymore. He was way smarter than Dante and he doubted if Tristan would let him win.

Taking a deep breath, Alphonse stood up and walked towards Dante using his stick and stopped in front of him. Bending a little down he looked straight into his eyes and smirked.

"I know what you are trying to do Dante but let me warn you, I won’t repeat the same mistake by trusting you" his words made Dante widen his eyes with surprise but he didn’t let it be visible on his face.

"I won’t just kill you but I will end up killing every one of those who is close to you" Alphonse declared with a gleam of evilness passing through his dark orbs.

Alphonse finally sensed the fear in Dante’s eyes and his lips stretched into a victorious smile. Straightening up Alphonse looked down at Dante and said," I like this look in your eyes and it will soon enhance even more when you will see everything around you getting destroyed"

Both held their gaze on each other, trying to intimidate them when suddenly Max barged in breaking their contact, and Alphonse and to turn to see him rush towards them.

A deep frown marred his forehead as Max leaned closer and whispered something in his ear.

Dante had his eye on the two and could sense something was off but he wasn’t able to hear anything.

"Damnit" cursing Alphonse turned and left the room with the young man tailing him behind.

*****

Gabriel raced his car aimlessly on the road. His mind was a mess with the news he heard from that lady. He couldn’t believe Sandra would do such a thing. Killing someone is something unimaginable. He knew her as a person and has always seen her being kind to everyone, then how come she changed so much?

Screech...

Stopping his car abruptly at the side of the road Gabriel closed his eyes. His breathing turned heavy as he rested his head on the steering wheel and tried to calm himself.

He was still in the process of calming down when suddenly his phone rang and he snapped open his eyes. Straightening on the seat, he looked at the caller’s name and cursed. ’Damnit!’

Alphonse found out about Gabriel’s abrupt departure and the first thing he did was call his son.

Gabriel was hesitating to answer the call as he didn’t want to talk to anyone, especially his father. But he also knew Alphonse wouldn’t stop until he gets him back.

Left with no choice, he slide the answer symbol and heard his father yell from the other end. "Gabriel where the hell are you"

Alphonse’s furious voice made Gabriel purse his lips. He knew his recklessness in stepping out of the hideout could piss his father off.

"Did you forget, the cops are still hunting us? Do you want them to catch us" Alphonse had lost his cool because of his son who was an emotional fool. He was risking their lives because of his unsettled feelings and he feared that someone happens to see him.

Gabriel wanted to decline his father’s command but he couldn’t. He can’t let his father suffer because of his one wrong move.

"Okay, I’ll get back soon," he said after a small pause and ended the call.

Taking a deep breath, Gabriel started the car and drove from there but unknown to him a car slowly tail behind and it was none other than Tristan.

 

Chapter 325: Its a trap

"Keep following him. I am sure he is heading back to the base" Tristan instructed and Ace quickly followed his orders. He made sure Gabriel wouldn’t find anything suspicious and he maintained a distance.

"I never thought Gabriel would turn out to be Alphonse’s son. But, how did you find this?" Noah mumbled in disbelief sitting in the backseat along with Karl. He was still trying to grasp the detail they found out about their best friend.

"I did a background check on his mother’s family background and came to find out about her being Alphonse’s mistress. It didn’t take me long o connect all the dots"

Tristan leaned his back on the passenger seat and closed his eyes. His mind was in a mess when he found out Gabriel’s identity and what turned out to be the worst was him being the one behind Dante’s abduction.

He had been searching for him everywhere, but when he couldn’t find him, Tristan used another way. He looked for his mother whose name he attached to his name in every document he submitted to the faculty and the details he found turned shook his whole self.

"What should we do now? Are we going to fight against him?" Karl asked. He couldn’t bring himself to fight against the boy who was their closest friend.

"I don’t know, but if he tries to go against us then we need to defend ourselves" they heard Tristan and agreed with him.

Tristan never wanted to hurt him but if they had to get Dante out they had to fight against their enemies.

They kept following the car until Gabriel took a turn that lead them to the shipyard.

At first, they didn’t understand why he would bring them this way, but when they carefully looked around, they found it was one of the places where Alphonse exported all the illegal weapons overseas.

"Stop here, we can’t follow him anymore," Tristan said and Ace quickly put on the brakes stopping the car right away.

This hideout wasn’t like the previous one. He had his men everywhere and it wouldn’t be easy for them to sneak in as they did earlier.

"This place is vast Tristan. I don’t think we will be able to get in" Karl eyed outside the windows.

They were just the four of them and here Alphonse had a huge army guiding his empire. It wouldn’t be easy for them to fight against so many people alone.

"What should we do know? Grandpa is still inside. We can’t delay for so long. What if Alphonse tries to harm him" Noah was bombarded with fearful thoughts that kept disturbing him.

Two hours had passed since Dante’s abduction and they had no clue how he was been kept. Every passing second was like a reminder for them to quicken their action. The longer they delayed, the more the chances of Dante being okay slimmer.

They had to come up with a solid plan to get Dante out of this place without getting caught and the rest can be handled by the cops.

"Noah, do you still have the software you were working on for the final year’s project," Tristan asked eyeing Noah through the rare view mirror.

"Yes I do" he answered.

"Good, now quickly install it on our device," he said passing his cell phone and then glanced at Ace meaningfully.

"We both will enter the place and you will guide us in using your application" Tristan tuck his head and watch Noah bob his head.

"And you Karl, inform officer Jacob to send his team here in the Peak shipping yard" Tristan went on discussing a few more things until Noah installed the software in their cellphone before the two stepped out of the car.

Tristan didn’t want to make any mistakes since they didn’t have a backup yet. Until the police team arrives they had to be cautious about their every step.

Noah quickly login to the application and the two devices that had the same software opened. He could locate Tristan and Ace as they stood in the same spot. They were waiting for his orders since the entire blueprint of the Peak shipping yard was monitored by Noah along with the people available at every spot.

An animated human figure along with their clothes and the weapon they carried could also be seen on the screen.

Noah searched every corner of the yard, and he was finally able to locate the place Dante was held captive.

"I found grandpa but-" he spoke on the earphones that were connected to both Ace and Tristan. Listening to the hesitation in his voice Tristan asked," But what Noah? Is he okay?"

"He is but security around is tight" Noah answered biting his lower lip. He feared for them and wanted them to be cautious about their surrounding.

Ace had already injured himself and Tristan, he was the one reckless who wouldn’t stop at anything until he gets what he wants.

Both Tristan and Ace heaved out a sigh of relief. They were content that Dante was still doing fine but that didn’t mean he would be good the entire time.

"Don’t worry about that just lead us to where he is the rest we will handle" Tristan assured.

"Okay"

*****

Meanwhile, Alphonse breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Gabriel returning to the base without causing any suspicious activity. He wanted to question him for his reckless move but the boy simply ignored him and walked to his room.

Sitting on the couch, Alphonse kept thinking about how no one has tried to contact him to release Dante. He remembered Max saying that Ace had seen them taking Dante away and there was no way he couldn’t recognize them.

They had purposely kept their identity open because they wanted to get Tristan here. He was quite impressed with how Tristan efficiently carry his plan. If not for his skills, they wouldn’t have ended up getting trapped in their plan.

Alphonse looked at the surveillance screen ahead. He was wondering why wasn’t there any sneaky act being carried yet.

He by now was sure, the news about Dante’s abduction must have reached Tristan’s ear, yet he wasn’t here to negotiate.

"Boss you have to see this" Max barged into the room and showed Alphonse a footage.

"So he is here" an evil smirk appeared on Alphonse’s face when he saw Tristan stepping out of the car outside the yard.

"He had been following young master" Max further stated catching Alphonse’s attention on him.

"So he found out that Gabriel is my son," he said with a scoff.

Cracking his fingers Alphonse stood up and smirked," Let’s welcome them"

*****

Tristan and Ace managed to get into the base with Noah’s help. They used a secret way without many guards patrolling around while Noah kept them updated about the threats.

There weren’t any surveillance cameras installed where they currently stood, so it was easy for them to enter without any hurdle as for now.

It had been a while since they stepped into Alphonse’s territory, yet they didn’t stumble with any guard. How is that possible? Tristan thought.

Stopping midway, Tristan asked," Noah don’t you find something strange? How can it be possible that we didn’t stumble with any guards here?

Noah who had his eyes fixed on the screen held the mick of his earphone and frowned," You are right. I don’t see any security getting your way. How is this possible?"

Now that he saw carefully, Noah too agreed to Tristan’s doubt. Even if the place was a secret passageway still the place would be guarded, knowing the high chances of intruders.

Tristan turned at Ace. The man also seems to agree with him. Clenching his jaw, Tristan cursed mentally.

’What if it’s a trap’ he thought.

Thinking for a minute he then asked," Noah check the place where Grandpa is kept and inform me about the security"

"Okay" agreeing Noah quickly checked the surrounding Dante’s location and to his surprise, the guards protecting the place declined to two.

"It’s weird. Earlier the place was heavily secured but now there are only two guards.

"Damn, it’s a trap. Our movements are monitored" Tristan concluded after assuming everything.

"But how, the secret passage doesn’t have a camera installed" Noah stated. He had checked everything and there wasn’t any surveillance presence.

"Because they know there is only one way to get in here if not the main entrance and just like every intruder we used the secret way" Tristan was now mentally scolding himself. He should have thought about this before getting in.

"What should we do now?" he heard Ace whisper from behind and for a second he thought everything was sliding down his palm.

"We only have one choice and that is to continue our plan. We need to face them until the cops arrive" they heard Tristan say.

"They are on their way" Karl who was sitting next to Noah assure.

"And so is our team" he further declared.