When Love is a Question Mark
Chapter 276: Tracking

Chapter 276: Tracking

Zinnia sat on the edge of her chair, tapping her fingers nervously on the desk. "Marcos, how’s the investigation going?" she asked, her voice laced with urgency.

Marcos looked up from his own monitor, his expression focused. "Our people are tracking Frank’s whereabouts. We’ve gathered quite a bit of information already. How about we go to the Investigative Journalism Department? They’ve been digging deeper into this."

Zinnia nodded, standing up quickly. "Yes, let’s go."

Bart and Billy followed quietly as they made their way through the office, walking briskly down the hall to the department. As they entered the room, Zinnia immediately addressed the team. "I’m sorry for keeping you all working so late," she said, her tone apologetic but urgent. "This is an urgent matter."

The team, a mix of journalists and investigators, turned to her and smiled. "It’s okay, Ma’am," one of them said, a young woman with glasses. "We’re glad to help with this."

One of the investigators, a man in his forties, stood up from his chair, excitement in his voice. "I found it! Frank’s whereabouts. He’s currently abroad, in the outskirts."

Zinnia’s heart skipped a beat. "Where exactly?" she asked, hurrying towards his monitor.

The investigator pointed at the screen, and Zinnia’s eyes widened as she saw the map. "He’s in the outskirts of a country... it’s the same place where I spent my high school and college years," she muttered, her voice barely audible.

"Is it safe to assume he’s been there for a while?" Marcos asked, leaning over to look at the screen with her.

"Yes," the investigator replied. "It seems he’s been in that area for the past few hours. We’ve been able to trace his movements using satellite imagery and other sources."

Zinnia pressed her lips together. "So there he is," she whispered, her thoughts racing. "Continue tracking him. We need to find everything about him—any criminal records, any information that could connect him to illegal activity."

Marcos nodded. "Let’s keep digging. We can’t afford to miss anything."

The room grew quieter as everyone shifted into their respective tasks. Zinnia watched the team work, her mind focused on the task at hand. She paced around the room, occasionally glancing at the monitors, as more and more details about Frank’s movements were uncovered.

While Bart and Billy remained silent in the corner, feeling anxious in case Frank called them and asked for any updates.

Hours passed. Zinnia didn’t notice how late it was until she glanced at her phone and saw the screen turn black. She reached for it instinctively, only to realize the battery had died.

"Great," she muttered, realizing she hadn’t checked her phone all night. She had been too absorbed in the investigation.

As the first rays of daylight peeked through the windows, one of the investigators spoke up again. "We’ve got some records now, Ma’am. Frank’s been involved in a series of underground deals. Some of it ties back to criminal organizations overseas."

Zinnia stopped in her tracks, her heart racing. "Is he involved in human trafficking? Or something worse?"

The investigator nodded grimly. "It’s still early, but it looks like he’s been working with some dangerous people. We’re still gathering more details, but we’ll have a full report soon."

Zinnia’s mind was swirling, but she didn’t have time to stop and think. "Keep me posted as soon as you have more," she said, her voice firm.

After some time, the door to the room creaked open, and Zinnia’s attention snapped to it. Her breath caught when she saw Samuel walk in, his eyes searching the room until they landed on her. Without a word, he hurried toward her, his arms wrapping around her tightly.

"Zia, I’m so glad you’re safe," Samuel said, his voice thick with relief. "I’ve been calling you, but it wouldn’t go through."

Zinnia blinked, feeling the weight of his arms around her. "Sam," she murmured, her heart racing at his sudden appearance. "I’m okay. Sorry for making you worry."

They stood there for a long moment, hugging each other in silence. Zinnia could feel the warmth of his embrace, the steady beat of his heart. She had forgotten how much she missed his presence, especially with everything that had been happening.

But as the minutes ticked by, they both became aware of the eyes watching them. The room had gone still, the investigators, Bart, and Billy all staring at them in silence. Zinnia pulled back first, her face flushing with embarrassment. Samuel did the same, his cheeks tinged with a slight pink.

"Uh," Zinnia muttered awkwardly, looking around. "Sorry, I didn’t—"

Samuel cleared his throat, looking sheepish. "Right... didn’t mean to—"

They both glanced around at the silent observers, and Zinnia couldn’t help but feel a little shy. The tension in the room was palpable.

After a moment, Samuel’s eyes shifted to the monitors, and he furrowed his brow. "You guys are investigating Frank?" he asked, his tone serious.

Zinnia nodded. "Yes, we’re trying to track his whereabouts. He’s been involved with some shady dealings overseas. But we’re getting closer to finding him."

Samuel took a deep breath, then smiled faintly. "We’ve already handled the matters about him," he said, his voice calm but firm. "He’s in police custody now. So there’s nothing to worry about anymore. Lily and her team have already submitted all the evidence of his wrongdoings."

At the mention of Lily, Zinnia glanced around the room and noticed her standing by the door with Timmy. Both of them were silently observing the exchange, their expressions unreadable.

Lily offered a small, awkward smile. "Well, let’s talk about that later," she said, not wanting to linger on the subject.

Zinnia smiled back, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders knowing Frank was no longer a threat. But still, there was a part of her that felt uneasy. The whole situation had been a whirlwind, and she needed time to process everything.

Samuel stepped forward, his gaze softening as he looked at Zinnia. "Let’s go home for now," he said gently. "You’ve stayed up all night."

Zinnia hesitated for a moment, then looked back at the investigators. They nodded.

She turned back to Samuel, feeling a sense of relief flood over her. "Okay," she said softly, her voice tired but grateful. "I think I need that."