William gave a slight nod. James understood immediately.

He raised his phone to his ear. "Good. Withdraw now."

It was done.

As he pocketed his device, he turned and found Victoria watching him intently. He acknowledged her with a curt nod.

A triumphant smile spread across Victoria's face, impossible to conceal.

Her eyes then scanned the crowded ballroom, searching for William.

After the wedding date announcement, William had excused himself to the restroom.

Someone had approached her for a toast, preventing her from accompanying him.

But that was a while ago... Why hadn't he returned?

A cold dread began to coil in Victoria's stomach. She hurried towards the restrooms, propriety forgotten. She pushed through the door to the men's room without hesitation, her eyes frantically searching every corner.

He wasn't there.

Panic seized her. She rushed back into the ballroom, her composure shattered. The guests who saw her frantic expression were visibly confused. As the hostess, her disheveled state was undignified.

James swiftly intercepted her, his grip firm on her arm as he pulled her into a nearby private lounge. "Get a hold of yourself!" he hissed, his voice cold. "Look at the spectacle you're making!"

"James... It's William. He's vanished!" Victoria's voice trembled with raw fear.

James remained outwardly calm, but his eyes darkened. "Are you certain?"

"He said he was going to the restroom! I checked—he's gone!" she cried out, her composure crumbling.

"Perhaps he's just elsewhere in the venue. This ballroom is massive."

"James!" she nearly shrieked.

"Calm. Down." He pulled out his phone, his voice turning authoritative. "Locate William Levine. Immediately. Do it discreetly. The charity ball must not be disrupted."

"Yes, Mr. Stuart."

He ended the call and immediately made another. "Check the security feeds. Find out where William Levine went."

"Yes, Mr. Stuart."

He put his phone away, his expression now mirroring Victoria's grim anxiety.

Moments later, his phone buzzed. A voice reported from the other end. "Mr. Stuart, Mr. Levine is not in the ballroom. We've searched the entire building. He's gone."

Victoria's face went pale.

Another call came through almost instantly. "Mr. Stuart? We've reviewed the footage. Mr. Levine exited the building through a side entrance approximately twenty minutes ago."

Twenty minutes ago?!

That meant he left almost immediately after parting from Victoria!

Where did he go?

Did he leave to find Elise?!

No.

He couldn't allow William to find her. He certainly couldn't allow him to save her.

Elise had to die.

"James, are you absolutely sure about Patrick and Elise? Are they dead?!" Victoria demanded, struggling to keep her voice level.

"Their car went over a cliff. The chances of survival are virtually zero," James stated flatly.

"No!" Victoria's agitation peaked, pushing her towards a breakdown. "We need to see the bodies! Send your men to confirm! I can't tolerate any surprises!"

"Patrick's people will have reached the crash site by now. We've done all we can. If they survived and we're caught there, it gives them leverage. We can't be linked to this."

But Victoria was beyond reason. "I can't let that woman live! I won't survive it!"

"William alone can't change the outcome. Calm yourself," James insisted, his voice hardening. "He isn't going to save Elise."

"But what if he does?!" she screamed, her fear making her irrational.

"Even if he does," James snapped, his voice cutting through her hysteria, "you've already publicly announced your wedding date! Given his current position and the control our family holds over him, he would never dare annul it, no matter how bold he thinks he is! He's trapped, Victoria. He isn't going anywhere."