Chapter 689 - 14.85

Clarke was busy searching for his wife and children. He scoured every places possible, hoping he'd find at least a clue about their whereabouts.

But it was to no avail because he couldn't find anything, nothing but desperation as he kept searching. 

He wanted to cry out of his own foolishness, but there was no time to cry right now. Because he was worried that Gaius and the kids might have run out of money and got hungry.

But it was almost impossible to track them down, especially with Hermes' instant teleportation power that would leave no trace whatsoever. 

Just as he continued searching, his phone rang. He thought it might be Gaius, but when he saw the caller's name, he gritted his teeth and turned off his phone instead. He had no time for that woman who kept talking silly about them being together.

Clarke literally hired her out of Reed's recommendation because she is competent, not because of her looks. Although she did get distracted by her look, he had no romantic or sexual attraction to her at all!

He continued searching for the whole day to no avail. He hadn't slept or eaten anything for two days straight, and he wouldn't do that. 

Clarke already told himself that he'd never eat or sleep until he could find his family. He'd rather die searching. 

As he took a bit of rest at dawn before continuing his searching, he checked his phone and got a text hours ago, probably around the same time when Gaia called him.

With annoyance, he checked the text and his body trembled immediately. 

—

Clarke, I know you won't talk to me anymore. 

But Reed Ville, your brother, has abducted your wife and kids!

I'll send you their location. 

—

"This… this doesn't make sense… why would Reed abduct my family? He is my little brother…." Clarke denied it. But he was far more concerned about his family that he called Gaia a few times, hoping she'd pick up and send their location.

"Come on! Pick it up!" Clarke yelled as none of the calls were answered. 

Beep.

"Damn it!" Clarke clenched his phone desperately. Since Gaia didn't pick it up or send any location, he finally called Reed.

Of course, he knew that Reed might be hurt after getting accused out of the blue. But he didn't give a shit about that. All he wanted to know right now was the whereabouts of his family. 

After a few beeps, Reed finally picked up the call and then replied lightly, "Good morning, brother. Why do you call so early?"

"Reed, where are you right now?"

"Huh? I'm in my mansion."

"Are you in your mansion with… someone else?" Clarke asked, full of doubt and hesitation.

…

There was a long silence on Reed's part until Clarke would hear a deep sigh, and Reed replied, "I am, with three people in fact."

"Reed, are you hiding my wife and children?"

…

"Tell me, are you hiding my wife and children right now?"

"What if I did?" Reed replied so carelessly, Clarke thought it was all just a big joke for him. 

"You—!"

"Oh, don't be mad so quickly, brother. You know I'm just protecting them," Reed said.

"Protecting?! You abducted them!"

"I'm not abducting them, brother. They are the ones who came to me first," Reed replied. He yawned and got up from the bed, patting Gaius' head, and left the master bedroom. 

"Did that woman text you stuff?" 

"My god! Reed! Give me back my family now!" Clarke continued yelling. He was impatient, of course. If Reed wasn't his blood brother, Clarke wouldn't be so polite like this.

"I also demand you an explanation, goddamn it!"

"An explanation? It's easy. Your son, Hermes, came to me and begged me to take your wife and daughter. Because he is afraid that his beloved mother might now survive outside."

"He's such a sensible and good kid. I don't even know if there is a young boy as sensible as him," Reed replied. He chuckled full of mockery at Clarke. "But of course, you don't know jackshit about your family at all. You're so busy chasing that stupid work stuff. So they, Hermes and Artemis, prefer me to be their parents instead."

"Don't worry about them. They're safe here," Reed said, and he opened the gallery in his phone. He sent one picture to Clarke, a picture he took yesterday during lunch. 

Clarke got a notification on his phone and checked the picture Reed had just sent. 

His heart dropped when he saw the scene of Gaius busy preparing lunch for the kids in the kitchen. Hermes and Artemis were sitting while eating snacks prepared while waiting for the food to be ready. Reed took this picture from such an angle, that Clarke already imagined himself to be in that position…with his family.

Clarke's body trembled out of the surge of emotion. He didn't know a picture that should reflect his daily life, now turned into something unreachable.

He fell on his knees as tears started pooling in his eyes, "Please, Reed, give me back my family. I can't live without them."

Reed sneered. He thought it was so ridiculous since Clarke ignored his family for so long. Now that they were gone, he said he couldn't live without them? 

"They are the ones who came here, begging me to let them stay because they want to run away from you. I simply fulfilled their wishes," Reed said. "Just forget about them. They're here with me now. Your kids already like me more than you, and soon, Gaius will be mine too."

"You—What did you do to my wife?!" 

"Hm~ I didn't do much, for now, ~" Reed taunted Clarke. There was no need for pretense between them anyway. "But who knows, maybe in the future, Gaius will fall in love with me and completely forgets about you."

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Clarke yelled out loud. He didn't care whether it was his blood brother anymore. "IF YOU DARE TO LAY YOUR HAND ON MY WIFE OR MY KIDS, THEN I WILL KILL YOU, REED!"

"Hoo~ So scary, big brother! Haha, I'd like to see you try," Reed taunted even more. He also got heated by this challenge. 

To be honest, he could literally obliterate Clarke with only one touch. But he wouldn't do it because Gaius would definitely hate him forever. 

"You see, big brother. A man like your male wife is very rare! He is a pure man that can give birth! I'd like to see him giving birth to my children~." 

"YOU! TELL ME WHERE ARE MY FAMILY RIGHT NOW BEFORE I RANSACKED YOUR BUSINESSES, REED!"

"Ahahahahah! Do you really think those small companies matter to me? You don't know the true length of my empire, big brother," Reed continued taunting. "Do you think an idiot like Gaius will continue loving you after what you did to him? Your life with him is over. He will be with me now!"

"Then wake Gaius up and ask him. Just ask him which one of us he loves.. I bet my life that he will say he still loves me, I am sure of it."