ALL THAT GLITTERS

DISCLAIMER: STEPHENIE MEYER OWNS IT ALL

Chapter 33

EDWARD

I stepped inside the warm sanctuary of my home, but it somehow felt cold. There was a lot to absorb. Skylar's demanding barks from the Family Room, multiple FBI Agents walking around the hallway, and Emily sobbing by the staircase as she spoke to Demetri. I watched Sam walk over to hug his wife. I took off my wool overcoat before stepping inside the coat closet. I shut the door behind me.

My head rested against the smooth surface of the wood-paneled wall with a deep sigh. I clenched my shaky hands and fell to my knees. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. I took five deep breaths, letting my mind return to the present. Bella's going to be okay. Jack's going to be okay. They will be home soon. Nothing to worry about. My family needs me. I can't let myself spiral again.

I rose, composed myself, and stepped out of the coat closet. I staggered when Emily slammed herself into my arms. "Edward! I'm so sorry! I had no idea! I was out at the grocery—I'm so sorry!" She cried in anguish.

I held in my tears. "Emily, it wasn't your fault. Please don't apologize. We'll find them, alright?"

"I don't know where Polo is either. I searched the rooms around."

Stefan descended the stairs and shook his head. My stomach dropped. "It's okay. We'll find Polo too. But, Sam, why don't you take Emily to the kitchen? Get her some water. My family will start arriving soon."

Emily and Sam left for the kitchen, and Agent Heidi Jones stepped inside the house with a calculating gaze. She nodded at me before following Agent Snyder inside. It would take them more than twenty minutes to sweep the entire house. Demetri was on his way. Seth strode toward me with urgency in his eyes. Fuck. Skylar needed my attention.

"Skylar was locked in her fence when Emily called. She's restless," Seth pointed at the hallway. I excused myself and followed him toward the Family Room. "Edward, I haven't seen her like this before. I don't want to set her free."

"I'll handle it," I ran a hand through my hair.

Skylar had destroyed her entire set-up in the fence. The edge of her dog bed was in shreds, her toys were strewn around, and sizeable damage was done to the lock. Her barks got more aggressive when she watched me enter the room with Seth, Stefan, and an FBI Agent.

"Skylar, calm down," I tried to soothe her. But instead, she locked her paws against the fence and attempted to pull on it. "Sky, no. Don't do that. Calm down, baby."

Skylar stopped barking when I approached the fence. I looked into her big brown eyes and sighed. "Sky, I need you to sit. Daddy can't open this fence unless you are calm. We don't want to scare everyone. Sit, baby."

Like the intelligent dog she was, Skylar patiently took a seat. I unlocked the fence and watched in shock as she pounced out of the cage. My dog jumped onto me, tugging on my clothes. I sat on the floor as she whimpered and whined. Her body was shaking as she sniffed against me. I stroked her head and back, trying to calm her. I had no idea what was going on.

"Sky, what is happening?" I held her close and sighed.

Skylar barked at me before looking at the hallway. I stroked her face and shook my head. Her barks were giving me a cluster headache. I gazed at the people in the room. "Can everyone give us a minute? Clear the room, please. Thank you."

The FBI Agent interjected. "Mr. Cullen, we haven't—"

"Thank you, Agent. Please." I nodded at Stefan, who took the federal agent out of the room. Seth shut the door after him.

I held Skylar on my lap, hugging her close until she stopped barking and growling. After that, there was silence in the room except for her ragged breathing. I kissed her head and shut my eyes. It pained me to see Skylar unable to express her fear and anxiety. She couldn't talk or share what had happened here. I wondered if she saw the kidnapper leave with Bella and Jack. That must have been painful. She was the most protective of them.

Once Skylar realized she was safe, I watched my dog walk toward her bowls. She drank ample water before returning to me. She put her paws on my shoulders and whimpered. I kissed her. "You're fine, baby. We'll find Mommy and Jack. I promise," My voice broke. "They're okay."

Skylar ran to her fence and returned with Bella's sock in her mouth. I stroked her head. "I know, Sky. Mommy needs our help. Did you see Mommy before she was… taken?" I chuckled sadly. "Oh, baby, you can't talk."

It had been almost forty minutes since Bella entered the house and disappeared. Skylar must be locked in her fence the entire time. She looked tired from her meltdown. It was her usual afternoon nap hour too. I grabbed her warm blanket from the dog bed, and Skylar immediately slept sideways before me. I put the blanket over her and watched those big brown eyes staring at me. Her eyes closed as I stroked her head in a soothing gesture. My poor baby. Whoever made my dog cry had no idea what was waiting for them.

Ten minutes later, she was fast asleep. I opened the door to let Seth inside. He stared at her sleeping form with relief. "I'm sure Skylar will be calmer after she wakes up."

I cleared my throat. "Hopefully. Stay with Skylar, please. As much as I want to be here, there are a million things to do. My family will be here any minute. Nobody is coming to this room. I can guarantee that."

"Okay, I'll text you when she wakes up."

"Thanks, Seth."

His gaze turned concerned but reassuring. "And Bella will be fine. She's headstrong. You'll find her."

My lips turned up a little. My headstrong wife who put herself in harm's way. Again. "We'll find her."

I informed the team of FBI Agents to offer some space to Skylar since she was disturbed. One of the agents examined the state of Skylar's mess and did a once-over of the room. They concluded the room was clear, and I shut the door, leaving Seth and Skylar alone. I settled on the couch of my Great Room with my head in my hands. My mind was coming up with a blank explanation for the circumstances.

I heard two pairs of footsteps enter the room. Agent Heidi Jones was talking to Ardy from security.

"Mrs. Cullen arrived on the premises around one. She was in the black Mercedes parked outside that Polo was driving. She entered the house with Jack and Polo, but we didn't see them again. Lex and Lucas were waiting on the porch for quite a while. So, they entered the house but couldn't find them."

"Agent Jared Snyder is taking statements from Lex and Lucas in the foyer. Take him to the security room and give him access to the CCTV footage. I must know how two adults and a child could disappear in broad daylight."

As Ardy left the room, I heard Agent Jones sigh. I lifted my head, and my gaze fell onto the portrait above the fireplace. Bella's joy in that photo always knocked me out of breath. After a rough day at work, it made me relax. It never failed to make me smile. Yet, I was on the verge of tears staring at it today. What had I done? It wasn't just her. Jack was with her. What made her come home? And why wasn't she trusting the FBI? Was she worried our conversation on the phone could be tapped? Bella, help me.

My heart was numb from the pain, but I couldn't lose focus. This situation with Riley needed to be resolved now more than ever. I had to find out who was helping Riley with this. There was a lot to do with very little time on my hands.

A commotion heard in the hallway caught my attention. Emmett barged inside the Great Room, heaving with anger. His eyes were brimming with tears, and his feral look filled me with dread. Agent Jones discreetly slid to the farther end of the room as my family members entered the space. My heart shattered watching Rosalie's uncontrollable sobs. I tried to relax my shaky hands.

"Edward!" Emmett screamed at a deafening volume. "Where is my son?! How can he disappear from your fucking house?! I need him here right fucking now. I swear to god, if something happens to him, I will fucking end you!"

Mom chastised him as Alice came to settle at my side. She held my hand, and her teary blue eyes met mine. "Why did Bella bring Jack here, Edward? We were planning to meet at the FBI bureau."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Bella thought our home would be the safest place for them."

Dad gave me a pointed look, subtly tilting his head toward the side. I met him by the terrace while Agent Jones asked my family routine questions. I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. "What, Dad?"

"Did you figure out who is helping Riley?" He whispered.

"Not yet."

"You sounded sure on the phone that one of the agents is involved."

"Demetri is running his search. We'll have some answers."

He looked at Emmett before focusing on me. "Son, we should tell Emmett everything."

"No, Dad. There is a reason why you are the only person who knows. But, first, we need to figure out what Bella found out before all of us."

"What about Polo? Where is he?"

I shook my head. "We're looking for him. According to the guards, he never left the house."

"Edward!" Emmett demanded my attention from his seat on the couch. His fury had increased ten folds. "Don't you dare keep anything from me! I need my son here!"

My body shook with rage staring at my brother. Dad touched my shoulder to warn me, but I ignored him. I took slow steps toward him. "Do you think this is a joke to me? Do I look like I'm enjoying this? My Bella is with him too! Hasn't she been through enough?" My eyes brimmed with tears. "Do you want your son back? Help me then! You need to figure out why she hurried to pick Jack up from school! My wife does everything for a fucking reason. She knew something that everyone overlooked. Bella was supposed to come straight to the FBI bureau but thought Jack was more important. So she risked her fucking life for him! So stop threatening to hurt me and figure everything out!" I ranted and took a deep breath.

Emmett didn't respond. The FBI Agents awkwardly stood amidst the family drama during critical times. Finally, Sam rushed inside the room, grabbing everyone's attention. He looked straight at me. "We found Polo. He was gagged and locked under Miss. Swan's desk on the third-floor library."

I sighed with relief. "Oh, thank god."

Agent Jones walked toward him. "Is he conscious?"

"A bit disoriented."

"Let me get my bag from the car," Dad volunteered. "I'll perform a routine checkup."

Emmett sat next to Rose and tried to console her. It was hopeless. She wouldn't recover from the shock until Jack was with us. Mom and Alice were at Rosalie's side, lending her support. Jasper walked toward me with a patient look. He touched my shoulder; his gaze was reassuring. He would tell me what everybody else did: We will find Bella and Jack.

"We're going to find them, Ed. Bella will be fine."

I chuckled sadly. "Bella has been through enough, Jazz. But, unfortunately, we can't seem to catch a break."

Our gaze was diverted to the entrance after hearing a piercing cry. The nanny Ula entered the room holding baby Ava in her arms. Rosalie was not in the right mental state to care for the baby. The nanny rocked the baby in her arms until her cries ceased. Ula was staring at the room; her eyes were wide, trying to figure out the status of the situation.

Ula turned her head toward me. Her ears turned pink when she found me looking at her. I noticed a bruise on the side of her head. I frowned. It looked like a fresh wound. Mom saw it too. She rose to her feet. "Ula dear, did you get hurt?"

Ula gulped. "Um, yeah. Emmett called me when I was at Jack's school, saying that Bella had picked him up. Somebody hit me, and I almost passed out."

Emmett snapped his head toward the nanny. "What? Why didn't you say anything? Did you see their face?"

"No, I didn't. It happened out of nowhere."

I ran a hand through my hair. "Alice, can you take Ula to Dad? He'll check the bruise. He's with Polo right now."

Ula cleared her throat uncomfortably. "That's alright. I'm fine."

Mom shook her head as she gathered Ava in her arms. "Ula, go get your bruise checked. It's important. I'll look after Ava."

"S—Sure." She warily followed Alice out of the room.

Jasper put his hands in his pockets. "Did she seem we—"

"Weird, yeah. I thought so, too," I agreed instantly.

"Maybe it's the nerves." He shrugged.

"Maybe."

An FBI Agent entered the room holding Bella's belongings from the car. He put them on the coffee table, and Agent Jones approached the items with her glove-covered hands. I sat on the couch beside Emmett and Rosalie to look carefully. Bella's purse and phone were in a sealed bag alongside the wedding and funeral invitations Riley had sent us.

"We already have teams canvasing a five-mile radius to see if any clues are leading us to Bella and Jack," Heidi Jones said as she lifted a page from the invitation. "Look at this. Bella has written something."

I took the sealed bag from her grasp. Bella had scribbled Jenna Hull-Acton and Jonathan Cullen next to it. Jesus fucking Christ. Another anagram. Jack was the target for some reason. The anagram was mentioned in every invitation. Bella protected Jack by being with him. Tears blurred as I passed the sheet to Emmett and Rose. They were gaping at the paper in utter shock.

"Oh my god," Rose leaned against Emmett. "Bella solved it. That's why she got Jack from school! She was saving him! But why did she come here?"

Emmett gazed at me. He looked slightly composed. "Did Bella tell you anything?"

"Nothing concrete. Bella said that she wanted to get something from home and couldn't trust anyone with it."

"Do you think Polo knows?"

"Maybe," I ran a hand through my hair. "Depends on how much Polo remembers."

Agent Jones took hold of the card. "We'll look at the surveillance from places that Jack had been in the last week to see if anybody was stalking him in various places. Emmett, can you tell me if Jack has visited any new places? Yusuf, take the nanny's statement after Dr. Cullen checks her. See if she remembers seeing anybody peculiar around Jack."

My phone buzzed with a text message from Seth. Skylar was awake. I excused myself and made a beeline for the Family Room. Numerous thoughts were running through my head. Bella came home to keep Jack safe and collect something. Skylar was found locked in her fence. But there were no bite marks or blood on Skylar. She didn't attack the person who locked her or took Bella and Jack out of the room. I suddenly concluded the only outcome: Skylar knew the person!

I found Agent Snyder pacing the hallway, furiously typing on his phone. He paused when his eyes fell on me. He took a deep breath. "Hello, Mr. Cullen."

"Agent Snyder. Any leads from the statements of my staff and the CCTV footage?"

"Not yet. We're still looking into it. It's strange how there is no footage of Bella and Jack leaving the house, but they disappeared."

I sighed tiredly. "Agent Snyder, give me solutions, not problems. Can I have some privacy here?" I pointed to the Family Room. "Thank you."

I watched the federal agent walk away before I entered the room. I shut the door behind me. Skylar was sitting next to Seth, tugging on Bella's sock. Then, gazing at me, she ran in my direction. I stroked her head with a small smile. "Hey, Sky. It's so good to see you not pouncing around."

Seth pointed at her bowl. "She ate. That's a good sign."

Skylar barked lightly in my direction before walking toward the coffee table in front of the couch. She sniffed against a book before looking at me. Seth and I shared a confused look. I strode toward the book, and Skylar nuzzled my hand. I stared at the book for a long second. It was the novel Ula gifted Bella on Tuesday morning when she came to pick up Jack after his sleepover.

"What is it, baby?" I lifted the book in my hands as Skylar jumped on the couch. She barked toward the door before looking at me. Skylar was trying to tell me something. I flipped through the pages until an object slipped onto the carpet. My heart stilled, staring at my shoe. It was Bella's wedding band. Skylar hopped off the couch to sniff the ring. She barked again.

My hand shook as I took hold of the platinum wedding band. Amidst the hint of hope bubbling inside me, my heart felt heavy. Bella must have been terrified, trying to save herself while protecting Jack. My wife was irritatingly selfless.

I snapped out of my reverie to sort out the obvious facts. Bella ensured that Skylar saw her put the wedding band inside the book. She was leading me toward something. The book. The nanny. Ula. Holy fucking shit. Was that the reason why Bella came home? To carry the book with her? She suspected Ula to be involved with this. The nanny had the closest access to Jack. Skylar knew the nanny; that's why she didn't attack her.

At this moment, Ula was inside the house. She was trying not to be the object of suspicion. I suddenly wanted to walk over and choke her to death, but I resisted. I couldn't let her near Ava. It wasn't possible that she was alone. Somebody was helping her. How did she carry an unconscious Polo to the third floor? Polo. Polo would have answers. This information couldn't be shared with many people, only the ones I trusted.

I gazed at Seth with a sigh. "Can you take Skylar for her walk a bit early today? I think she could use some fresh air."

Seth jumped to his feet. "Sure."

I pointed toward the French Door that opened to the backyard. "Take her from this door. She'll get agitated staring at the FBI Agents," And Ula.

I fed Skylar a treat and kissed her head before attaching a leash. Her face looked distracted. "Thank you for helping, Sky. We're going to bring Mommy and Jack home. I promise, baby."

Seth led Skylar onto the backyard, and I returned to the long hallway of my home. Agent Jones looked disappointed as she made her way toward me. I offered her an expectant sigh. "What, Agent?"

"Polo can't remember anything. So we are looking for any prints on the third-floor library."

A wave of disappointment crashed over me. Just when I held a little hope, it was taken away from me. I nodded and looked past her to see Polo approaching me. I sighed with relief when I noticed he wasn't heavily harmed. Thank god, he was fine. I cleared my throat. "Can I speak to Polo alone for a moment?"

Agent Jones nodded. "Of course. I'll keep you posted."

Polo nodded at me, and his eyes warily stared at the hallway. "Mr. Cullen, I apologize I couldn't—"

I cut him off. "Polo, you don't have to be sorry about it. I know you did your best to protect Bella. I had warned you; my wife was a magnet for trouble."

He let out a rare chuckle. "Bella is a tenacious woman."

"You should rest. Heidi informed me that you can't remember anything."

Polo switched to a neutral expression. "Bella and I came here to take a copy of the novel Ula gave her. During the drive, we joined the dots of everything. The nanny was around when Bella's computer got hacked, and she is interested in puzzles and anagrams. She was giving Lauren instructions and working for Riley. Her name is Ula Cain. That's an anagram for Luciana. Somebody had locked Skylar in her fence when we arrived. Bella set her free before going to grab the book. I heard movement in the Master Bedroom, so I checked the space. Once it was clear, I came to this doorway," He pointed to the Family Room. "Ula pressed something against my mouth, and I became unconscious. I don't remember anything after that. She seems trained in everything, or somebody has trained her."

"Fucking hell," I murmured, taking in the entire incident. Oh, Bella. "Why did you lie to Agent Jones?"

"Because we believe someone from the FBI is involved. How was I carried to the third floor without getting a bruise? Not many people know about the elevator down the hall. We provided FBI Agents with blueprints of the house. FBI has been surveilling this estate for many weeks. When we arrived, there was an FBI van parked around the corner. I think the person must have entered the house through the gray areas in the garage. There is direct access to the house. Maybe Bella and Jack were taken the same way."

I held the nearest wall for support as the situation became overwhelming. All I cared about was Bella and Jack. They were scared and alone. Bella had already helped solve 50% of the mystery with her clues. We had to take care of the rest. I couldn't trust any FBI Agents until we found the one helping Riley. We needed Ula's prints to find her identity. I called Sam and Emily to the Family Room.

"Lock the door," I informed Sam when the couple entered. He did as instructed. Polo repeated the information he gave me, and I watched Emily pale, hearing everything. Finally, I showed them Bella's wedding band, which I found in the book.

"Oh my god!" Emily gazed at the closed door with wide eyes. "She's out there right now! She is a kidnapper! We have to get her. Ava is out there. What if she harms the baby?!" Her voice got louder with every word she uttered.

I gave her a patient look. "Em, I know how infuriating it is, but we need concrete evidence. A background check would solve the problem."

Sam touched her back. "The agents frisked her before she entered the house. Ula is unarmed, and too many people and federal agents are around for her to pull something."

Polo looked thoughtful. "This must be her assigned work. Riley is smart. He gave her the first task and, after she finished, told her to join back in the house as if she didn't do anything. Clears her off suspicion."

"We need her prints," I walked toward Emily. "We're going to need your help for this."

Emily put a trembling hand over her mouth as a tear trickled down her cheek. Fuck, she was not in the right headspace for this. "Emily, we have to bring Bella and Jack home, don't we?" I touched her shoulder. Her dark eyes looked into mine. "This isn't possible without you. Please help us."

Emily took a deep breath and nodded her head. "What do you need?"

"Ask Ula to help you make coffee or something. Put any of the mugs she touches in a sealed bag, don't let your prints get on it. I'll make sure Demetri sends it for a scan. Don't let anybody see you. After we have her prints, the FBI can get more information about her whereabouts—addresses and aliases."

"Okay, I can do that," She said shakily.

I checked my watch. "It's quarter to four. Sam will collect the sealed bag in twenty-five minutes. Don't discuss anything with anyone."

Emily nodded and efficiently left the room. I sighed heavily. "Polo, you should get some rest. You've been through a lot today."

"Mr. Cullen, I'm fine. I—"

"Go," I said sternly. "You have already given your statement to Agent Jones. Get some rest. I'll call if there is an update."

He tried to hide his irritation with my instruction. "We need to find the FBI Agent."

"Demetri and I have it covered. He's gathering everyone's background information. The two of us will find out. Go now."

I nodded toward Sam, who took a reluctant Polo out of the room. I peered from the French Door to see Skylar playing catch with Seth. I sighed with relief. She was distracted and happy. That was a good sign. To avoid spooking my family with the events unfolding, I decided to join them in the Family Room. Everyone was sitting in silence with no words left to exchange. Agent Snyder was examining the items from Bella's purse.

I approached Emmett and Rose, who hadn't moved from the couch. They looked distraught and hopeless. I knelt in front of them to catch their attention. I grabbed Rosalie's hand. "We'll bring them home, I promise."

Rosalie sniffled. "Why haven't we received a ransom call yet? This could mean anything."

"Riley will call," I nodded. "We'll give him whatever he wants. I promise."

Emmett agreed. "Riley needs cash more than anything right now."

"Yeah."

Rosalie squeezed my hand. "Edward, Bella will be home soon too. I know this sounds terrible, but part of me is relieved that Jack must be with Bella. She'll keep him safe."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "That's exactly why my wife is with him."

"Ed, I'm sorry about earlier," Emmett looked crestfallen. "Bella is like my little sister. I shouldn't have been insensitive toward your situation. We're going through the same thing."

"Thank you for saying that."

"You seem to be working on something. Let me help."

I ran a hand through my hair. "Emmett, I have my team with me. I think our family needs you here."

My brother didn't argue. "Okay. Keep me posted."

"I will."

"No, you won't," Emmett patted my cheek. "But be careful."

"Yes, Sir," My lips turned a little, and I rose to my feet. I kissed Rosalie's cheek. "He'll be home soon. I promise."

I went to the Sun Room, which was our usual breakfast space. Surrounded by French doors, the room was always light and open. It made me feel refreshed to start my morning. Unfortunately, the room had lost its charm today. My heart stuttered when I realized the reason. My Bella wasn't here. On rare mornings she was ready for breakfast before me. I often spent my time in amusement, watching her rush around as she ran late.

My hand instinctively reached inside my pocket to touch Bella's wedding band. The cold platinum metal felt soothing. Bella was here, helping us.

I snapped out of my reverie when I saw Demetri seated on a faraway couch with Agent Heidi Jones towering over him. Demetri looked uncomfortable. Agent Jones flashed her eyes toward me; there was frustration in her gaze. She wanted answers. She waited until I reached her, and Demetri sighed with relief. He wasn't fond of any kind of federal agents.

"Edward, I know you are—"

I cut Agent Jones off before her anger could escalate. "I'll explain."

It took me ten minutes to explain the entire situation to Agent Jones; the ring, the nanny, and the involvement of an FBI Agent. She seemed shocked but perplexed by the case. It was difficult to digest the suspicion because no kidnapper would abduct someone and pretend that nothing happened. Ula was more lethal than expected. She was in the house, around family and federal agents.

"Are you sure?" Heidi confirmed.

I nodded. "My Bella wouldn't have put that ring in the book unless she was sure."

"We don't have evidence to prove that Ula did it. She does have a bruise which probably happened during a moment of struggle. I can't arrest her on those grounds."

"Please don't do that. We don't want to startle their plan. Leave Ula be. She won't do anything surrounded by so many people. The baby is safe. There is also a possibility that somebody from your squad is involved. You shouldn't disclose what I shared with them."

Agent Jones scoffed. "That is a baseless accusation. I trust these people with my life."

"But I don't trust them with my family's lives, Heidi," I snapped. "Find someone you trust, and Sam will give you the prints to run through your database. I need my wife and nephew back here by the end of the day."

She sighed heavily before dialing a number. "You shouldn't keep important information from me, Edward. I am the case agent. Everything is vital for the investigation."

"You couldn't figure out something, but my wife did it in fifteen minutes," I muttered. "My security knows what they need to know."

Heidi eyed Demetri for a long second. "He has a sheet in DC's database."

"Plausible deniability," I shrugged. "We are trying to decipher Riley's location through his old safe houses. I'll keep you posted."

She nodded. "Let me run the prints. Then, I'll send you an update."

"Sure, thanks."

Agent Jones left the room, and Demetri and I sat silently for a few seconds. Demetri was perusing through the background checks of the FBI Agents in Heidi's squad, including her. I gave her false information, knowing she would object to suspecting her team of wrongdoing. But I also knew she wouldn't disclose the information I told her since she trusted me.

Demetri opened Agent Jones' background check. "Do you think she is involved, Mr. Cullen?"

"No," I said instantly. "Heidi has a spotless record, and she's ambitious."

"She likes you. Love can make people do crazy things."

I shook my head. "Clearly. Look at me. I'm doing background checks on federal agents because my wife thinks someone is involved. But it's not Heidi."

"Bella wasn't wearing her pendant, was she?"

"No," I buried my face in my hands. "Did you recheck Bella's bracelet tracker?"

"Just when I received the notification. It blinked thrice. Five seconds. Five seconds. Two seconds. Then it stopped."

My heart felt heavy. "Check again."

A few seconds later, I heard Demetri's shark intake of breath. "It's on."

I sat bolt upright and snapped my head toward him. "What? Bella's tracker?"

"The paw charm on her bracelet. It's on," Demetri looked closely. "It has been active for the last two hours. The location is right here. Inside the house."

I looked at the laptop screen. "It better be," I frowned when the dot was moving. "It's shifting. What the fuck?" I swallowed hard as the green point fluctuated at a certain point. What was Bella's bracelet moving around so close to us?

"It's coming toward us," Demetri said urgently, and my eyes remained glued to the screen. I watched the dot approach our current location. My ears perked, hearing footsteps stomping toward the Sun Room. "Almost here… almost here."

There was an invisible pressure in the room to identify the person aiding Riley in everything. I knew it wasn't Ula carrying the tracker. Bella had already given a clue by planting her wedding band in the book. I knew my wife always planned something. She was letting us know the other person involved in this dangerous operation.

"Mr. Cullen?" The tension broke when I looked at the doorway. I found Agent Jared Snyder giving me a pensive look.

I clenched my fists until my knuckles turned white. Demetri put a hand on my shoulder to restrain me. I imagined walking over to the man, throwing him against the glass wall, and kicking the shit out of him. Kicking him until he suffered the same pain my Bella did when she almost died in the car crash and when she cried in her sleep from her injuries. All because Agent Jared Snyder decided to help a man who wanted to harm the one person I loved the most.

Agent Snyder was the mole. He was helping Riley. From the beginning, his providing intel put Riley ahead of us. At that moment, I felt like worshipping my wife. How did Bella manage to secretly put that paw charm tracker on him?

"Mr. Cullen?" Agent Snyder called my name again.

I gave him an unreadable look. "Yes?"

"Heidi wanted the blueprints of this estate. We are trying to figure out the ways the kidnapper might have escaped with your wife and nephew. If there are any escape routes…" He trailed off, and I chuckled without humor.

"Agent Snyder, I gave you the blueprints in March, remember?" I reminded him gently. "You are the one patrolling my house since the wedding invitation arrived. You have the copies and know every escape route of my house, don't you?"

Agent Snyder glanced away from my death stare. "Yeah, but we still believe we can't figure out something. The blueprints are back in the office. Can you provide us with a copy?"

I nodded at Demetri. "Tell Lex to give him the blueprints from my study. Cabinet C. It's the brown leather tube."

The FBI Agent took a step toward us. "Mr. Cullen, I know this must not be easy for you."

"It's not. I'm going to get my hands on the people who did this," I said in a deadly calm voice, staring intently at his terrified face. "And those people will suffer for the rest of their lives. They can try to run and hide, but I will never let them rest easy. They will beg for mercy. People have suffered heavily due to their actions. Not anymore. Justice needs to be served," I paused for a few seconds, watching his face lose its color. "Anyway, why don't you wait in the reception lobby? Lex will give you the blueprints."

Agent Snyder scurried out of the room, and Demetri chuckled under his breath.

"Demetri, open the file we have on him."

"Already did," Demetri slid the screen toward me. "Jared Leonard Snyder. 43. Divorced. 4-year-old son Henry. His ex-wife is Stella Foster. A primary school teacher. He majored in Criminal Justice in college and worked in Seattle PD for eight years before enlisting in the FBI. He has been working under Agent Heidi Jones for the last two years. He lives in West Seattle, and his wife and son live in South Park."

I ran a hand through my hair. "Bella and I saw his son on Tuesday. He was in the car. Poor kid. His father will go to jail tonight."

"Everything that has happened suddenly makes sense," Demetri noted. "There was no footage of an intruder entering the FBI Office because Agent Snyder was planting everything on Riley's behalf."

My eyes widened at a peculiar realization. "The Christmas party."

"What?"

"After meeting Agent Snyder this week, Bella told me he sounded familiar, but she couldn't remember. Bella had overheard Lauren talking to someone in the office during the Christmas party. When we checked the list of visitors, everybody was clean. It was the same night that Agent Snyder had come to meet me after I returned from New York. He was the man talking to Lauren and giving her instructions."

"That makes a lot of sense."

"I think it's time to send Agent Snyder and Ula home so we can narrow the locations. We need to plant a bug on the nanny."

Agent Heidi Jones reentered the room with an expectant look. "Did you find any details from Riley's safe houses? Ula's prints are on their way for scanning. I've only informed Agent Yusuf. He has recently moved from the Chicago office. He wasn't involved with the case before."

"We found the mole," Demetri said in a smug tone.

"I think it's presumptuous of—"

I sighed tiredly. "Heidi, just get here and check this out. I don't have the energy to argue."

Demetri briefed Agent Jones about the paw charm tracker from the bracelet with Jared Snyder. She seemed shocked by the allegation, and her dark gaze met mine. I knew it would be difficult for her to accept that one of her co-workers was helping Riley.

"How is this possible? I've known Jared for two years. I can't be certain about this." She shook her head.

"My Bella was wearing that bracelet in the morning. Her tracker had stopped working, but it is active now. Why didn't he turn it in if Agent Snyder found it lying around? Which officer came for the afternoon surveillance of my house?"

"J—Jared."

"Exactly," I pointed to the laptop screen. "Jared was in the house with Ula when Bella planted the tracker on him. They were aware of the gray areas where the cameras didn't reach because of the blueprints I shared. He had access to everything, and that's why they did this. It's funny how the people who take the oath to defend the Constitution help burn it down. Agents like these are why criminals like Riley walk free while my wife and nephew are unsafe."

Agent Jones took in the information, and her features seemed apologetic. "Edward, I know this must be difficult for you. Despite the evidence, we can't arrest him right now. We need to figure out what he does next. I'll stay back with Yusuf and send everybody back to the office. We'll track his location, and my CI can follow him. As for Ula—"

"I'll take care of Ula. I know somebody who can help."

She arched an eyebrow toward me. "Another person with a charge sheet in some other state?"

"Not technically," I said, and Heidi gave me an exasperated look. "She's a fence—"

"That's a crime."

"She is a former fence," I corrected and stared at the reluctance on Demetri's face. He wasn't fond of what will happen next. "Demetri, you're not going to like this."

"No, I'm not, but you'll be talking, Sir."

I sighed heavily. "Yes, sure."

Zoe was my first choice for everything. She worked as Riley's assistant to help me steal the ledgers, keep an eye on Riley's people who canvassed Bella's old apartment, and even stay on top of every former security detail Riley had. She always carried a different appearance, making it impossible for people to recognize her at first. Even Bella found it difficult to recall her features. As impressive as Zoe was, she loved to chat. A lot. Demetri never liked it.

Demetri called her and screwed his eyes shut. "Yes, it's me… He's alright… He needs your help—" Demetri paused when she babbled on the other line. He passed me the phone as she chatted a mile a minute.

"Hello, Zoe," I said politely, cutting her off.

"Mr. Cullen, it's been a few months! How is Bella since the accident? I haven't seen her since March!"

I swallowed the lump in my throat. Deep breath. "I can't tell you everything, but we need your help."

Zoe listened carefully as I assigned her the task of following Ula after we sent her home. Agent Jones took that time to arrange a bug transmitter. Somebody needed to go close to Ula to put the bug on her. We chose to retake Emily's help. Demetri gave Emily a few suggestions on how she could plant the transmitter on the babysitter.

Once the set-up was decided, we joined my family in the Great Room. Agent Snyder was in the room, intently staring at the blueprints of my house. Ula was standing behind Mom's armchair, holding the baby. I saw the nanny for the first time since finding the truth about the incident. I felt disgusted staring at her. There was no way I would let her get away from this quickly. She needed to know there were consequences to her actions. Ula needed to know that she made the biggest mistake of her life the moment she thought of hurting my family.

Agent Jones gathered her team and tasked everyone to return to the bureau and continue searching for Bella and Jack with the Organized Crime Unit.

"Heidi, I think we're getting somewhere with this," Agent Snyder pointed to the blueprint, trying to persuade her to let him stay.

Agent Jones shook her head. "It's best if we limit the agents in the house. If the media gets alerted, it could turn ugly. Everyone will keep working from the office. Yusuf and I will stay back."

"But—"

"Now, Jared," She said sternly, with no room for argument.

For a brief second, I saw Agent Jared Snyder flicker his eyes toward Ula, who was already staring at him. She nodded infinitesimally before resuming her focus on the baby. Agent Snyder stared at the room for a final time before reluctantly leaving with the other federal agents.

I put my hand on Emily's shoulder, signaling her to put the bug on the nanny. I watched Emily walk toward Ula with a neutral face. I knew how much Emily wanted to beat the shit out of that woman. How could somebody want to hurt an innocent child? Jack trusted her with his life, unaware she entered his routine to abduct him from his parents. Why was a five-year-old stuck in this mess? There was no limit to the emotional damage this would cause him growing up.

Emily conversed with Ula about baby Ava and slowly dropped the bug inside her jacket. Since it was a cold night, she won't take off her heavy clothing.

I refocused on my family, who were unable to hide their anxiety. There was no ransom call, and they were clueless about everything. I preferred to keep them in the dark. Things often went haywire if many people were involved. This was a sensitive issue. There was only one thing left; to get rid of Ula. I knew we would receive a ransom call after both had left my home.

Rosalie stared into space painedly as I settled at her side. There were tear streaks on her face and gut-wrenching pain in her eyes. I was desperate to ease the worry from her face, but my hands were tied.

"Rose, they'll be here soon," I squeezed her hand. She didn't respond to my statement. "I want to talk to you about something."

"What is it?"

"Agent Jones sent away her other agents so things would be less cluttered. We don't know how long this might take. I think you should tell Ula to go home. She already looks shaken from her attack in the afternoon. Emily and Mom are here to help you with Ava," I said persuasively.

Rose blinked up at me. "Ula is also worried about Jack. They have gotten quite close."

My poor, sweet Rosalie. I wanted to walk over to Ula and rip her head off with my bare hands. But instead, I concentrated on the task at hand. "I know, and this must be overwhelming for her," I choked out. "It's best to just have the family around."

"Okay," Rosalie agreed to my suggestion before gazing at the nanny. "Ula, you can go home. This must be too much for you. I'll call your agency regarding your return. It's best if we have minimal people around."

Ula shot her a panicked look. "N—No, I'm perfectly fine. I can stay here with Ava. Everyone seems anxious. I want Jack to come home," She stuttered desperately.

I gazed at Agent Jones, waiting for her to signal that the bugging transmitter was successfully installed on Ula. Once Yusuf sent her a confirmation text, she nodded at me. Alright, now she can fuck off.

I rose to my feet and walked in her direction. "Ula, it's fine. We can take care of Ava. But, of course, Rosalie and Emmett will call you once Jack is home. He will be home soon," I said, my voice laced with a deathly warning. Her eyes widened with fear, but I could see a hint of irritation on her features. I carefully took Ava in my arms. "You should go. Thank you for all your help."

Mom agreed, behind me. "Ula dear, go home."

"But, I—"

I had enough of her. "Emily, help her, will you?"

"Of course." Emily was all too willing to escort Ula out of the house.

Ava squirmed in my arms, and I glanced at her. Her big blue eyes quietly stared at me as she stretched her tiny hands in my direction. I kissed the top of her head, and she smiled at me. Her innocent smile brought me to tears. Then, Agent Jones walked over to show me the transmitter's status. It was active. She seemed thoughtful for a second.

"I still don't understand something."

I frowned. "What is that?"

"What were they doing here instead of helping Riley? There must be a reason," She whispered.

"Maybe they were trying to clear their tracks," I shrugged.

"We can expect the ransom call soon, I suppose."

I ran a hand through my hair. "When can I expect the results of the fingerprints?"

"We are sending it to the lab. We'll have to dig deeper if there is no criminal background."

Disappointed with the answer, I sat with Ava on the couch. The baby cooed to herself as she played with my wedding band. She let out a big yawn before stretching her arms toward Rosalie and Emmett. Rose took the baby from me and held her close. Emmett protectively put his arms around them. I blinked back my tears. I wish my Bella were here with me. I touched her wedding band in my pocket for a brief second. She was here. She was right here.

Everyone stared at the doorway when Sam entered, holding a bouquet of lilies. He put it on the coffee table for Agent Jones to examine it. She rummaged through the flowers before plucking the small white envelope tucked at the bottom. She read the message with a thoughtful face before passing me the sheet.

Is Jack allergic to anything? It's better to be safe than sorry! Don't worry; I'm taking good care of them. If you don't believe it, check your TV.

PS- Give Skylar a big kiss from me. You know I love dogs.

I glared at the paper before passing it to Emmett. Alice leaned over to read it before she sprinted out of the room. Rose held in her tears as she rocked Ava to sleep. Emily took the baby from her as everybody hurried toward the Family Room. I could hear Skylar's loud barks and Rosalie's sobs as I followed my family and Agent Jones.

I gazed at the ashen faces of my family members before staring at the screen. I inhaled sharply, trying to wake up from this nightmare. The television screen was displaying a live stream from a dingy room. The lighting was inadequate, but it wasn't difficult to recognize the outlines of two figures curled on the floor, shaking with fear. A three-hour countdown was blinking at the bottom of the live footage.

"Ho—What? What the hell is happening?!" I sent Dad an alarmed look, who was equally shell-shocked. My heart was hammering in my chest as I felt a tear trickle down my cheek.

Agent Jones held out her hand toward me. Her eyes looked patient. "Edward, your phone. We have to connect it to the tracking device. Riley will call you any minute."

I tossed the phone toward her and found Skylar rushing toward me. She scratched against my pants, trying to hop in my direction. I dropped myself on the carpet by the couch. Skylar curled onto my lap with a sigh. I stroked her head. My dog tried to comfort me, but nothing could make me relax. I knew Skylar was anxious because she hadn't even looked at my parents, who were her second preference after Bella and me.

I buried my face in my hands and shut my eyes. How the fuck was this happening? We needed the locations of Agent Snyder and Ula. I was counting on Zoe and Heidi's CI to help us give the proper updates. I needed to see my wife! For some reason, I knew we couldn't track Riley's location via a phone call. He will use a burner phone. I was mentally and physically exhausted. Nothing would make sense until Bella was in my arms again.

"Edward!" Jasper shouted, trying to get my attention. He was holding my ringing phone in his hands. It was an unknown number. "It's probably Riley."

I caught the phone he tossed at me. I glanced at Emmett for a second. He nodded at me. "Answer it. Put it on speaker."

My brother sounded surprisingly calm. Agent Jones and Yusuf were seated in front of their setup, trying to track his location. I answered the incoming call.

"Hello, Edward," Riley's voice sounded warm and welcoming. I clenched my fist, fighting every instinct to throw the phone against the nearest wall. I stared at the apprehension on my family's faces. Except for Grandpa Anthony, Bella, and me, nobody had spoken to Riley in the last five years. "First things first, congratulations on the wedding. You know I love a happy ending. And Skylar is quite adorable, I must say."

I instinctively drew Skylar closer to me. My baby already had a rough day because of him. I didn't want to respond to his voice. Agent Jones motioned me to talk as they tried to decipher his location.

"What do you want?" I snapped, making him laugh. His laughter chilled me to the bone. "You are on the FBI's Most Wanted List and Interpol's radar. I can't give you any of my companies, even if I want to."

"Hmm, you're right," He mused. "That ship sailed a long time ago."

I muted the call before glaring at the FBI Officers. "I can't keep talking to this asshole! Track him!" I hissed.

Agent Yusuf shook his head defeatedly. "His location isn't steady. It keeps changing to a different part of the world." Fucking hell.

I unmuted to resume the conversation. "Riley, what do you want?" I repeated tiredly.

"Hold on, I've perfected the kidnapper lingo," The humor dripped from his voice. "If you want your wife and nephew to live, you'll do as I say. But first, let me give you an overview of the room. It's a state-of-the-art space with smart locking technology and a single impenetrable window. Believe me; nothing can break that thing. And they tried."

I stared at the figures on the screen. They were holding onto each other as their shoulders shook from sobs. I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Let me talk to them. I need to know they are safe."

Riley sighed. "They are safe. For now. For two hours and fifty minutes, to be precise. Then the room will blow up," He said casually, making Rosalie gasp in anguish. Riley chuckled. "Oh, is that Rose? Tell her I said hello."

"What do you want, Riley?!" I yelled angrily. Skylar whimpered and put her paw on my free arm. Dad put his hands on my shoulders from behind to remind me to stay calm.

"Temper, temper, Edward. Don't worry, they are fine. I need you to wire transfer me $30 million."

"Okay, fine," I readily agreed.

"Talk to the bank… make arrangements. You have two hours. You'll wire transfer me the amount once we meet. I'll text you the location. Come alone. Do not get your FBI friends or personal security with you. If I see even a single FBI Agent within a one-mile radius, your wife and nephew will blow up. Am I clear? Tell Agent Jones I said hello."

"Riley, let me talk—" And the line went dead.

Everything always came down to money with Riley. After running a multi-billion dollar company to the ground, he barely had funds to pay off the people waiting to kill him. I expected him to ask for more money than his asking price. I bet there was more to this.

I could hear Agent Jones contact the bureau with an update regarding the ransom amount while Mom tried to console a distraught Rosalie. For once, I wasn't scared. Bella would expect me to face this problem head-on. Only one goal was to protect Bella and Jack at any cost.

Jasper, the voice of reason, decided to speak. "Ed, I think we should inform Bella's family."

Before I could speak, Dad interjected. "Not yet, Jasper. Bella and Jack will be home in the next three hours. So it's unnecessary to make them paranoid."

Emmett cleared his throat. "Ed, I'm coming with you."

"No," I said sharply. "Didn't you hear what Riley said? He wants me to come alone."

"You know it's going to be a trap, Edward. It's too risky. I don't want you to go alone."

"Emmett, you need to be here," I threw a pointed look toward Rosalie. "Let's not argue about this."

"Fine," He nodded, displeased with the decision.

"Dad, can you call Benjamin? He'll send a lawyer from his Seattle office for the documents," I said while focusing on Skylar. She made a beeline for Rose, trying to cheer her. My sweet baby.

"Sure, Son."

Agent Jones frowned at me. "Are you arranging $30 million in two hours?"

"Yeah."

She shook her head. "We don't negotiate with kidnappers, Edward. So we cannot give him the money."

All eyes turned in her direction. I cleared my throat. "You are unable to find where Bella and Jack are right now. Nobody knows Riley better than I do. If I don't meet him with the details to wire transfer, that place will burn down," I stabbed a finger toward the television screen.

"I will talk to my ASAC and get permission for a dummy account. You'll put those dummy account details when Riley asks for a wire transfer. We'll have proof of evidence of the money being transferred regarding the kidnapping."

It sounded sensible.

"Sure, I'll work on the backup. Just in case something goes wrong," I nodded.

She blinked a few times. "You are going to arrange $30 million in two hours? Banks can't do that. It's evening. Everything's closed."

Alice stared at Heidi. "We have a trust fund. Grandpa Anthony has set aside a sizeable amount for Edward, Emmett, and me. It's a fixed trust. He has equal amounts for us. Dad is the trustee. He's talking to the lawyer. We'll have the documents signed and ready in two hours."

Emmett gave us a thoughtful look. "We'll transfer $10 million each to a separate account for the transfer."

"That's time-consuming," I ran a hand through my hair. "I'll just withdraw from my amount. It's alright."

Heidi seemed taken aback. "Was Riley aware of this?"

"Clearly not. Riley would've asked for more," I explained. "He doesn't know about the trust fund by Grandpa Victor and Nonna Ginevra yet. That's bigger than Grandpa Anthony's fund. It's for Emmett, Alice, Vanessa, and me."

"It's a discretionary fund with Uncle Eleazar as the trustee," Emmett eyed me momentarily. "We get different amounts. Edward gets 50% of that fund."

My eyes widened in shock. "You know about that?"

"Nonna was drunk, and she accidentally told me," He waved me off. "You are their favorite grandkid. With everything you are doing tonight, you deserve it," His eyes filled with unshed tears. "Please bring Jack home, Edward."

"I promise. Bella and Jack are coming home tonight."

I gazed at the television screen, staring at the dingy room with barely any furniture. Just a couch and an impenetrable window. It was suffocating to imagine anybody staying in that confined space. I knew there was a slight possibility that Riley intended to hurt me. I knew it was possible that I wasn't returning home tonight. But this has to be done. Riley couldn't escape this time. He wasn't going against an unaware Bella or somebody from my family. He was facing me. I hoped deep down Riley was aware that this was his last night outside a supermax prison cell.

Hi, everyone! Thank you so much for reading the update! Since the next chapter will be a follow-up to this one, I'll post it soon! Review and let me know your thoughts. Thanks again for reading!