Genius Kids' Scheme: Claiming Daddy's Billionaire Empire Chapter 231: Taken

Sunlight poured through the hotel restaurant windows as Thomas leaned in, voice low.

"Dr. Snow took a private jet home last night."

Adam didn't even look up from his tablet, just nodded once. Irene caught his eye across the table, hiding a small smile behind her coffee cup. Neither looked surprised.

By the third morning of their routine—Irene at the hospital with García while Adam handled business before joining her later—Adam's phone buzzed during breakfast.

"Emergency meeting." He frowned at the screen. "Regional integration issues. Can't delegate this one."

Irene gathered her bag. "If today's check goes well, García should be in the clear. Don't worry about it."

"Wait for my message before leaving the hospital," Adam said, his eyes sharper than his casual tone suggested.

"I'm a big girl, you know."

"Promise me." Something in his voice made her pause. "Some areas here aren't tourist-friendly."

The intensity in his gaze sent a flutter through her chest. "Fine. I'll wait."

Minutes later at the hospital, monitors beeped steadily as Irene checked García's latest results, Carmen, his fiancée, hovering nearby.

"Everything looks good," Irene pointed to the screen. "Him still being asleep is actually a good thing—gives his brain time to rest and heal."

Carmen squeezed her shoulders with relief. "What would we have done without you?"

After three days of waiting room conversations and shared coffee, their unexpected friendship felt natural. They'd already swapped numbers with promises to stay in touch.

"Just doing my job," Irene said, packing her equipment. "I should head back now."

"Let me call you a car."

Irene checked her phone. *Meeting running long. Wait for my update. Almost done.*

"Adam's picking me up," she said, tucking the phone away.

Carmen's lips curved knowingly. "Just doctor-patient, right?"

"Exactly," Irene said, heat creeping up her neck.

"Sure, keep telling yourself that." Carmen laughed, then sobered. "Be careful outside, okay? Some areas aren't great, especially for foreigners."

Outside the hospital, the afternoon sun beat down as Irene waited, admiring the glass facade. Her phone buzzed: *Another 30 min. Thomas coming to get you.*

*No rush*, she replied, spotting a café across the street.

She'd barely taken three steps when four guys surrounded her out of nowhere, moving like they'd practiced this. Irene's body tensed as she looked for a way out.

"Dr. Sterling." The leader's accent mangled her name. "You'll come with us now."

"Who the hell are you?" Her voice came out steadier than she felt.

His smile never touched his eyes. "Someone's paying good money to meet you. Don't make this harder than it needs to be."

Heart racing, Irene lunged sideways, but a rough hand clamped over her mouth before she could scream. She fought back, slamming her heel hard into one man's knee. He dropped with a howl.

"Fucking bitch!" he spat, clutching his knee.

The others tightened around her. One twisted her arms into a hold that sent pain shooting up to her shoulders. Her phone slipped from her pocket, clattering to the pavement.

"The phone!" one barked. "Kick it away! No tracking!"

A swift kick sent it skidding toward a storm drain.

Pedestrians noticed but kept their distance, intimidated by the men's professional efficiency. Within seconds, Irene was forced into an unmarked van that peeled away from the curb, tires screaming against asphalt.

The city scenery blurred outside the van windows as they drove. When they finally stopped, Irene saw a run-down apartment building far from downtown. She was yanked outside, the smell of trash hitting her as she stumbled onto broken pavement.

They pushed her up several flights of stairs and into a smelly apartment. The room was nearly empty—just a dirty mattress and a few broken chairs. Dirty windows let in weak light that showed dust floating in the air.

"She's pretty," the leader said, eyeing her like merchandise. "We could have some fun before the delivery."

Irene's stomach knotted, but she kept her face blank, mind racing as she assessed escape routes. The door was blocked by two bulky figures. The window might be her only chance.

One man stepped closer, his smile making her skin crawl. "Don't look so scared, doctor. We just want to be friendly."

Irene sucked in a breath and bolted for the window. A hand snagged her blouse, fabric tearing with a sickening rip as she was yanked backward. She crashed onto the mattress, dust puffing up around her.

"Don't try that again," the man growled, looming over her. "Be good, and maybe we'll let you go when we're done."

Despite her hammering heart, Irene glared up. "You have no idea what you've done. Adam Haven will rip this city apart looking for me."

Laughter circled the room. "The wheelchair guy? What's he gonna do, run us over?"

They moved closer. Irene kicked out, connecting with a shin. "Back off!"

But they were too many, too strong. One pinned her shoulders while another grabbed her ankles.

"Stop fighting," the leader hissed, his face close enough that she could smell stale alcohol. "You're not going anywhere tonight."

As they held her down, Irene's thoughts turned to Adam. The quiet strength behind his eyes. The way his jaw tightened when he was worried. How he'd looked at her that night in the car, like she was something precious he was afraid to name.

*Adam, please. Find me.*

The helplessness crushed her more than the physical threat—being trapped in a foreign country with no one knowing where she was.

She bit her lip, iron filling her mouth as she fought back tears. *If anyone can find me, it's you.*

Back at the hospital, Adam cut his meeting short and checked his watch as the car pulled up to the entrance. It had been less than an hour since his last message to Irene. No sign of her.

"Call Dr. Sterling," he told Thomas, who was already dialing.

A familiar ringtone caught his attention. Thomas followed the sound, fishing Irene's phone from beside a storm drain.

"Sir." His voice tightened. "It's hers."

Adam's fingers dug into his armrests until the metal groaned. "Find anyone who saw something."

Thomas returned minutes later with a young woman who couldn't quite meet Adam's eyes.

"Four men," she said, twisting her hands. "They grabbed her. She fought back—hurt one of them pretty bad in the knee—but they were too strong. Black van, headed east."

Something in Adam snapped. He slammed his fist against the armrest so hard the woman jumped back.

"Whoever touched her," he growled, his voice deadly quiet, "will wish they'd never been born."

Thomas took a small step back, his usual poker face slipping. This wasn't the calculated Adam Haven he knew - this was something raw and dangerous he'd never witnessed before.

Adam closed his eyes, dragging in a breath. When he opened them, they were razor-sharp.

"Get every security person we have. Check all cameras in the area. Call the police and everyone we know here." His words were sharp and fast. "Full search. Now."

He turned to Thomas. "Use everything we have. Money doesn't matter. I want her found in three hours."

Adam picked up Irene's phone, his finger tracing the cracked screen. His next words came out barely audible, "Nobody touches what's mine."

Fury and helplessness crashed over him. He slammed his fist against his legs. "Damn this chair! Damn these useless legs!"

Thomas moved quickly, phone already at his ear. "Local team mobilizing, sir. All personnel converging."

Adam straightened, ice replacing fire. "Prep my helicopter and security team. Grid search of the eastern sector."

He stared down the road where the van had disappeared. For a moment, his face showed everything he usually kept hidden.

"I'm coming for you," he said, knuckles white on his armrests. "Just hold on."