Mr billionaire's regret chasing his irresistible wife by Gabby Emmanuel

The call

(JARED'S POV)

I had just wrapped up a virtual meeting and was about to dive back into work when Arielle's call flashed across my screen.

The unexpected sight of her name made my heart skip a beat. There was a flicker of hope. Stupid, maybe, considering how firmly she'd shut me out before, but I couldn't help it. Perhaps this was it. Maybe she had a change of heart. Maybe she was calling to let me meet my son.

I know, it sounded foolish. But a man was allowed to dream.

"Hello," I answered the call, trying to sound casual but I knew it betrayed how my heart was leaping with anticipation.

But no amount of preparation could've braced me for what I heard next. Her voice-sharp, frantic, panicked-broke through the phone, jagged and hysterical. "Maverick's missing! Someone took him from school... I thought it was you..." Her words hit me like a gut punch, stealing my breath.

I hated hearing her so terrified, so out of control. I immediately tried to calm her, assure her that I hadn't taken Maverick and that I would never do something like that. But as I pressed for more details, the line went dead.

I stared at the screen in disbelief. She hung up.

Frustration boiled inside me, and I immediately redialed, but the call wouldn't go through.

What happened? Was Maverick okay? I felt my stomach twist in knots.

"Oliver," I snapped, voice sharper than I intended. "Call off the meeting. We're done for now."

My personal assistant blinked, clearly taken aback. "But, sir, this project is critical for the next queue_"

"Then postpone it. Until I get back." I was already turning away, heading for the door. My voice was low, but the tension in it was undeniable. "Take me to Valley View School."

The drive to the school was a blur of thoughts and questions, each one darker than the last. Nothing about this made sense. Arielle was meticulous about security, about keeping her family safe.

systems in the city. How could someone just snatch a child

of the car the second we arrived, my feet barely hitting the ground before I

eyes wide with terror. She held her phone in her shaking

recognition flashed in her eyes, before it quickly dimmed again. "Jared, Maverick..." Her

feel the tension between us, a gulf of unspoken words, but I didn't pull away. "You're going

gave a small nod, though her lips

tone ice-cold. "Mr Robert. I'm Jared Smith. You know who I am. Now, tell me what the hell

we can, Mr. Smith, but there are few clues. The teacher who saw the man said he had a J&S Capital license, and... she assumed it

What the hell kind of identification is that?" My temper flared, but I managed to keep my voice low. "Are you all that careless? Get your damn teachers together. Find out everything about this man. What did he look like? Who saw him? From the custodians to the students-everyone who was here during

Oliver were both standing there, stunned into silence. But I couldn't help

turning back to Arielle. She was pale, and her hands were trembling-cold, almost

her tighter, trying to calm her, but the

be fine," she whispered, but it was a lie she was telling herself.

fine," I repeated, my voice more firm than I felt.

at me, desperation raw in her red-rimmed eyes. "He will be fine, right? Jared... please... tell

face, making her meet my gaze. "Look at me, Arielle. Look at me. Yes, our son's fine. We just need

She wasn't listening, not really.

still. My mind was a storm of doubts

likely he's not a stranger to Maverick. But Arielle

Arielle had returned,

She'd been so absorbed in rebuilding her career, leaving little time to interact with anyone outside of her business circle. It was possible

for two days, lying low, recovering from whatever had been plaguing her. According to

the man who claimed to be Maverick's "uncle" had shown a

kept that part of our lives tightly under wraps. So, how could this man possibly know? And even if this was somehow

carefully neutral, but her exhaustion was impossible to hide. I could see through her