The Secret Obsession of the CEO
Chapter 73: Lost(V)

Chapter 73: Lost(V)

"Where is Aurora, Derick?" Mrs. Delport asked again. "And where is Billy?"

Derick said nothing and walked in. He doesn’t like his interactions with this woman. She is too smart to be a caregiver.

Only after getting in did he realize that everyone has escaped. Only Lennon’s family and Julia are on the first floor.

Hearing the baby screaming her throat off, Julia picked up Ellie. Ellie was howling in hunger and Claire ran down the stairs.

"What’s going on?" Claire asked and looking at Mrs. Delport, she understood what was happening.

"She has a good pair of lungs on her..." Derick said and walked far away from Ellie rubbing his ears. "Ugh, annoying..." He mumbled.

Julia pinched his arm and he glared at her. "What?" He grumbled. "Babies are annoying!"

"Where is Rory?" Mrs. Delport asked Claire and she explained everything that happened there.

Frank got down the stairs just then and Mrs. Delport looked at him. Frank stared right back at her.

"Give something to soothe the hungry baby!"

Lennon’s powerful voice resonated in the house. Claire was trying to feed Ellie and she was not liking the bottle and was screaming. Her face went red and her throat had gone sore with all the screaming.

Everyone got so worried for Ellie. They tried to contact Rory and Liam but both of them were out of the coverage area.

As time passed, Ellie’s scream only worsened and she was not accepting the bottle to soothe herself. She didn’t even drink water from the bottle and her crying evolved to sobs.

Mrs. Delport tried to get Ellie from Claire but Lennon got her first. He gently rocked her singing an old song.

Ellie immediately stopped screaming. With her eyes wide, she stared at Lennon.

"It’s okay..." Lennon said with a smile and Ellie made no sound. Lennon got the bottle from Claire’s hand and placed the nipple carefully near Ellie’s mouth.

"There...there... It’s not that bad...try it..." Lennon spoke in a soft tone.

Ellie started to suckle on the bottle and everyone in the house let out a collective sigh of relief.

Julia looked at Derick with a smile. Derick shrugged understanding her. In the end, the unfavorable one is the one who could soothe the baby.

Is this the twisted game played by fate?

"We’ll have to find Rory," Mrs. Delport looked at Derick. She got Ellie from Lennon. "Can you ask for help? If we know the last location her phone signal was-"

"They haven’t been gone for more than three hours. Both of them are together. They know the town well. I don’t think we need to panic," Derick scratched the back of his head and walked to the door.

Frank looked out the window and he saw the dark cloud above the woods in the distance. He too found Mrs. Delport’s idea better. "Derick, maybe ask the rangers to have a lookout for them. You know the spot they visit usually, right?"

Derick ran his tongue over his teeth. He did not look impressed. "Tell me, uncle... Which ranger would agree to go on a search for your son and your daughter-in-law in this weather?"

Frank couldn’t say anything. Rory and Liam are in the bad books of every ranger there is as they always trespass in the restricted areas of the woods. If they ask the help of the rangers they will file a complaint against those two for trespassing on federal lands.

"Are you sure they are in the woods?" Lennon asked with concern. "By the looks of it, it should be raining there... What if they are stuck there? We all know Rory. She wouldn’t have stayed away from her baby for this long. The other day she hurried back to see her baby. We should do something."

Derick looked at Mrs. Delport and she bowed her head. His eyes widened with understanding. She had already checked its last known location of Rory. She knew Rory is in the woods. Liam is with her too but if they were fighting, then...

Where can we start?

"Let’s wait for some more time and see if they are returning," Derick said. "It’s Liam and Rory. They’d be fine always."

"Fine?" Mrs. Delport raised her voice. "Your cousin almost stabbed our Aurora, Derick! Aren’t you a great investigator? How many domestic violence cases have you investigated? Can’t you see how Rory’s life might be in danger? Your psychopath of a cousin kidnapped our Aurora and~"

"Mrs. Delport, please watch who you are calling a psychopath!" Frank interjected her. He wanted to shout but seeing Ellie resting on Mrs. Delport’s shoulder he held back. "Liam lost his temper but Rory went with him of her own volition."

Mrs. Delport opened her mouth to say something but Lennon came between her and Frank.

Mrs. Delport let out a scoff and patting Ellie, she took a glance at Derick. She then left the house.

Her hand holding the steering wheel trembled to realize all the scenarios where Rory might be hurt. But she clenched her jaws and took in a deep breath.

Aurora must be found as soon as possible. If she stays in the woods tonight, she will die horribly.

-----

"Who is she to call my son a psychopath?" Frank could not bear it and complained to his mom.

"Calm down, Frank. She must have been worried for Rory and she... Where would they be?" Dorothy sighed. "Derick, why don’t you and Frank drive around the town to check if anyone saw them? The baby... it’s pitiful to hear her cry," she said.

Derick nodded after deep contemplation.

"You two check the town and I will look around the woods. There are only a few places where they could have gone with the truck," Lennon said.

Derick’s face paled. "No need, Uncle. Me and Uncle Frank will check the town first. Why don’t you take a rest with aunt Sidney and Skyla?"

"No, he is right," Dorothy spoke up. "We all should search for them in every place possible. What if they are in danger?"

"But grandma, what does Uncle Lennon know about the woods? Where would he even start searching? At least I know where...wait... I’ll go with Uncle Lennon and Uncle Frank can look around the town. Yeah, let’s do that.!"

Without expecting anyone’s answers Derick walked out. Lennon was surprised by how fast Derick’s attitude changed but he didn’t linger and joined Derick. Frank nodded at Claire and left the house too.

-----

Liam carefully placed Rory’s head on the seat. He knew staying scared won’t help them in any way. And he decided to do what was necessary.

The rain was not slowing down and he used his handkerchief with the rainwater, he washed her wound and tied a clean piece of cloth around her wound.

He still had a feeling that he was being watched but he didn’t let it slow him down. He got the map Rory had and tried to find their location.

Although the rocky terrain served as a good landmark, when he looked over at the map, there were two such places at the north end of the forest and the East.

He couldn’t figure out which area they are in.

He tried to remember the path he took to be here. Slowly he retraced his steps and tried to figure out if he could find another landmark.

"Ugh..."

He heard a grunt and he closed the map and leaned closer to Rory.

"Cherry..."

Without knowing it, his voice started to shake up once more.

Rory woke up with a gasp. It took her a minute to figure out where she is.

"Cherry, you fainted and I brought you..." Liam tried to explain it to her.

Rory was not listening to him. "Ellie..." She mumbled holding her chest. "She’d be looking for me..."

Liam held her hand to stop her from getting out of the truck.

"Cherry, it’s raining heavily. We don’t know where the sun is at and you just recovered from fever not to mention you’re probably having a concussion. It is not a good idea to step out."

Rory let out a scoff massaging her chest. She felt heavy and it hurt. She knew that she was sleeping for a long time.

Ellie would be hungry... I need to get home.

"Don’t ruin your hands by touching me, Mr. Roberts. I would not want you to feel like maggots are crawling all over you," she said.

She patted the back of her head where she felt a sting. She could see that he had tied her wound and she let out a sigh.

"What are you...?" Liam was shocked by what she said but then he remembered that he was the one who said that to her.

"Rory, let’s discuss that later," he tried to hold her hand but she avoided his hands and opened the car door.

A flash of lightning right in front of her eyes blinded her for a few seconds.

"Stop!" Liam grabbed her shirt and pulled her in and locked the door.

He knew she wouldn’t believe it but he thought he saw something behind the trees once again.

"I don’t think we are alone, Cherry. Trust me," he pulled her closer to his chest.

"What?" Rory looked at him. In the flash of lightning, she saw his face. He looked scared and determined at the same time.