Chapter 10 A Familiar Voice

• Bryan's POV:
• As soon as I returned to Lockwood Manor, I immediately asked Steven, "Have you found Asty yet?"
• Steven came to me worriedly. "No, we haven't seen Miss Astra at all," he said.
• A sense of anxiety welled up within me.
• We had already searched everywhere.
• Where could she possibly have gone?
• Could something bad have happened to her?
• Just the thought of that possibility stirred a rage in me, making me want to destroy everything in my path.
• At that moment, a stunning woman came in. She sounded anxious, "Bryan, I heard Asty is missing. Is it true? Have you found her?"
• It was Whitney, the one I had once thought of as my Luna.
• But now, seeing her made me instantly furious, and I couldn't help but question her, "Not yet! You're here in time, I want to ask you, what exactly did you say to Asty this afternoon? Why would she suddenly run away from home?"
• After Asty was saved, Whitney approached me, saying that a child couldn't be without a mother and that she was willing to be Asty's mother.
• If it had been before, I would have married her immediately and made her my Luna.
• But ever since Yvonne and I broke our mating bond, I began to reject other women, including Whitney, the woman I once thought was my true love.
• Even though Yvonne didn't have a wolf, the searing pain I felt when our bond was severed made me suspect that she was my destined mate, though I had no way to prove it.
• I instinctively kept my distance from Whitney. If she hadn't insisted that a child's growth needs a mother's presence, I wouldn't have allowed her to come and go from Lockwood Manor so freely.
• Over the years, she did take good care of Asty, which is why I felt safe leaving my daughter in her care when I was on business trips.
• But right after I left the Shadow Pack, my daughter ran away from home!
• I know Whitney must have said something to Asty!
• Whitney was stunned by my questioning, looking genuinely surprised. Then her eyes widened in shock, "Bryan, what do you mean? Are you suspecting that I did something to Asty?"
• There was a change in her expression and she looked hurt. "No way! You know me well! All these years, I've treated Asty as my own. No matter how cold she was to me, I always treated her nicely, never even saying a harsh word. How could I possibly do something to make her run away from home?"
• She was so upset that her eyes reddened, appearing extremely innocent.
• I carefully observed her, trying to see if she was lying.
• "I hope you're telling the truth."
• Not seeing any flaws in her story, I turned to Liam, who was waiting on the side, and asked, "Any news from the police?"
• Liam's tone was heavy. "Not yet."
• After speaking, he glanced at me cautiously and said with concern, "Could Miss Astra have been kidnapped?"
• I knew what Liam was worried about.
• Over the years, the Shadow Pack had been constantly expanding, and some rival wolf packs had always been looking for an opportunity to ambush me.
• But they all failed.
• Perhaps they might target my daughter.
• My heart skipped a beat when I thought of that. "Increase manpower, expand the search area. We must find her by the end of today!"
• "Yes!"
• Just as I finished giving the order, my phone rang.
• I wasn't in the mood for a phone call. I was ready to cut the call, but I noticed that it was an unfamiliar number.
• Remembering what Liam had just said, I wondered if it could be the kidnapper calling, so I answered the call solemnly.
• As soon as I picked up, a gentle female voice came through, "Hello."
• That voice made me freeze.
• It sounded similar to that heartless woman.
• My mind flashed to the figure I had glimpsed at the airport.
• "Hello? Is anyone there?"
• The woman's voice snapped me back to reality. To avoid letting her recognize my voice, I responded briefly, "Mhm."
• Immediately, she spoke again, "So, I found a little girl here, and she gave me this number. You must be her father, right? Do you have time to come and pick her up?"
• The more she spoke, the more certain I was. The person on the other side of the line was Yvonne!
• Even after all these years, I still remember this voice!
• Yvonne!
• You're really back, huh?
• I gritted my teeth and asked with a low voice, "Where are you? "
• "We're at Haven's Kitchen. We'll wait here for you. Could you come here to pick her up?"
• "Alright, I'll be there right away."
• I hung up the phone and immediately ordered Liam, "Get the car ready. We're going to Haven's Kitchen!"
• This time, I won't let her escape again!