Lifting her head, she spotted Dexter, her face lighting up with joy. With a beaming smile, she stood up with the wolf pup in her arms. “Daddy! Daddy! You found me at last!” she exclaimed, excitement evident in her voice.
Dexter opened his arms, ready to envelop her in a warm embrace as she rushed toward him. “Yes, sweetheart. Where have you been? I’ve been searching everywhere for you!”
Since Wayne had managed to take Grape, it meant he had some tricks up his sleeves. For the time being, Dexter didn’t know what those tricks were, and he couldn’t reveal the truth in a way that might traumatize Grape.
Carefully holding Grape, Dexter examined her from head to toe. “Do you feel any discomfort anywhere?”
Grape shook her head, then nodded, her stomach grumbling audibly. “I’m so hungry, and the puppy is too. I’ve been waiting for so long. You’re silly, Daddy, only finding me now. I want Mommy.”
A child would undoubtedly be terrified being left alone in such a place. Grape’s fear seemed to dissipate when she saw Dexter, replaced by a sense of relief and security.
She clung to him tightly, unwilling to let go.
Dexter effortlessly lifted her into his arms, his gaze shifting to the black wolf cub nestled in her embrace.
She couldn’t even tell whether it was a dog or a wolf, yet her compassionate nature prevented her from abandoning the helpless creature.
“Sorry, Grape. I’ll get you out of here right away. How long have you been waiting?” Dexter inquired, concern etched in his voice.
Grape counted on her fingers before pointing outside. “It’s been several hours. I came in when it was still light, and now it’s already dawn.”
Dexter’s heart ached at the thought. “Weren’t you scared?” he asked gently.
“I was scared at first, but I had the puppies to keep me company. The nice lady assured me that Daddy and Mommy would find me soon,” Grape replied, her innocent face tinged with a hint of resilience.
Dexter’s brow furrowed. “What nice lady?” he inquired.
“I’m not sure. She was really nice, though. She said she’s your assistant and wanted to play hide and seek with me,” Grape explained innocently.
Dexter had a faint inkling of who the “assistant” might be. He gently pinched Grape’s cheeks.
“I’m sorry I’m late. Let’s get out of here.”
Grape held on to the wolf pup. “Can I bring this puppy home?”
Dexter couldn’t help but smile at her request. “Sure, why not,” he agreed. Keeping a wolf as a pet, huh?
Tranquility had been restored outside as the pack of wolves had been dealt with by the bodyguards.
Upon seeing Grape still energetic, Justin couldn’t contain his relief. “Sweetie, who were you with? You had me worried sick.”
Dexter shot Justin a meaningful glance, silently signaling him not to press further into the matter.
Justin fell into immediate silence at Dexter’s unspoken signal.
Once back at their residence and with her hunger sated, Grape began missing her mother. She clung tightly to Dexter’s arm, tears streaming down her face as she pleaded, “Phone. Mommy. I want to see Mommy.”
Dexter gathered her close, attempting to reason with her. “Look at the time, Grape. It’s nap time. Mommy is resting too. Why don’t you take a nap? When you wake up, I’ll take you to see Mommy.”
Though reluctant, Grape wasn’t an unreasonable child. She relented, her lower lip jutting out in a pout. “You can’t break your promise.”
“I promise,” Dexter reassured her with sincerity.
Larry finally spoke up after the housekeeper took the child away. “We still haven’t received any definite news about Arnold. We can’t confirm his whereabouts. However, it seems Wayne will need some time to recover from the significant blow he’s suffered.”
Dexter’s gentle demeanor hardened. “When will La Oriele be completed?” he inquired, his tone crisp and businesslike.
“One month.”
Turning to his computer, he began to scrutinize the investigation report about Josie that had been forwarded from Wavery.
There appeared to be no significant issues.
“Let’s head back to Wavery,” he declared, catching Larry off guard.
“What about Paul?” Larry asked.
“Bring him back as well,” Dexter instructed without hesitation.
A servant entered the room, interrupting their discussion. “Mr. Russell, what should we do with the wolf Grape brought back?” the servant inquired.
