I watched her leave, taking a deep breath to steady myself before I took off.
I spent the next few hours with my staff searching for Violet. We didn't find her.
As minutes passed and turned into hours, my rage and worry grew until they overwhelmed me. Violet was well and truly gone. My men, the maids, Jasper, and even I had left no stone unturned in our efforts to find her. But Violet had vanished, not leaving a single trace behind.
I called Belle to my study again, and she fidgeted with her apron sitting on the armchair in front of my desk while I paced the room.
"There's nothing else you remember?" I demanded. "She didn't say she wanted to go somewhere?"
"No, Sir," she shook her head firmly. "Nothing like that. Oh, but..." She flushed, looking away. "Oh, it's nothing."
"What is it?" I glared at her, and she fearfully looked away. I knelt down next to her, taking her hands in mine. "Belle, you have to tell me everything you know. I need to find her. Do you understand how important this is to me? She could be in danger."
"Danger?" she repeated, nipping at her bottom lip with her teeth. "Well, Miss Violet did have a visitor today..."
"Who?" Despite trying to reign in my feelings, I barked the question out loud. "Who was the visitor, Belle?"
"Your secretary, Sir. Sally-Mae."
It took me twenty-minutes to arrive to my father's office, and fifteen seconds to pin Sally-Mae against the wall and threaten her.
"My dear boy!" My father raised his arms, chuckling in an effort to calm me down. "What on earth is this about?"
"Why don't you ask your precious little plaything," I hissed, grabbing Sally-Mae by the shoulders. I wasn't rough, but it still made her whimper in fear. "Tell me why you were visiting Violet. Now."
"I-I..." She's struggling to speak, choking on her own words, and I don't give a shit. If she had anything to do with Violet's disappearance she's as good as fucking done in this city. I'll make sure she's unemployable. Undateable. I'll make sure her life is fucking over.
"Answer me!" I demanded, making her cry out in fear.
"Devlin!" My father had turned on his strict fatherly voice, and he approached me, laying a firm hand on my shoulder. Big fucking mistake, old man. "You need to calm down, son."
"I don't need to do anything," I told him. "My property is missing. Either you both answer my questions or I'm calling the fucking cops."
"You know that won't do you any good," my father smirked. He's fucking right. Half the police force in the city worked for my father. There's no way they were going to get him in trouble. Not when his money was paying their bills. "Now, calmly tell us what happened. Sally-Mae, you can go."
"You're not going anywhere," I snarled at her as she tried to sneak past me, and she stood frozen to the spot, bottom lip wobbling. "Not until you tell me why you were at my house earlier."
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk to my employees that way," my father said calmly.
"Your employees?" I let out a bitter laugh. "Got a new name for your little sluts, huh?"
"You're quick to judge," he bit back. "Aren't you doing the same thing?"
"Just... shut the fuck up." I massaged my temples, glaring from one of them to the other. "Where's Violet?"
"I don't know where your newest plaything is," father sighed. "But you were always so careless with your toys, Devlin... I do wonder if she wandered off herself. Probably lack of attention."
"Watch your mouth," I told him.
"No, son," he said firmly. "I suggest you watch yours. Now, I'd recommend leaving my office right. The. Fuck. Now. Before I call security."
I glared at him, hating him with every fibre of my being. I saw him press the panic button under his desk earlier, and I knew guards were on their way. But I still had enough time to take a step forward, jamming my pointer finger into his chest.
"If I find out you had anything to do with this, so help me God, I will fucking destroy you," I told him in a low growl.
"I'd like to see you try." My father clicked his fingers and the room filled with guards. "Please escort my son off the premises, gentlemen."
I shrugged off one of the thugs who grabbed my shoulder, snarling an insult at the bastard. "Get the fuck off me, you fool."
"It's best not to fight this," father said calmly. "Just go and they won't rough you up."
"You've messed up royally this time, father," I told him coolly.
"Oh, you're threatening me now?" He chuckled, rubbing his cufflinks. "Finally grown a pair of balls, have you?"
"The moment I tie you to her disappearance, you're done. So just sit on your ass and count the minutes you have left, old man. Vengeance is fucking coming." One of the guards made a grab for me again, but I slapped his hand away. "Don't you dare fucking touch me. And if any of you got your filthy fucking hands on my girl, consider yourselves dead."