Chapter 129: Chapter 129

Michael closed his eyes, almost in exasperation. “Dad, I have no time for this. I have to stop this man before he gets away,” he said.

John’s expression hardened. His face turned red, and he looked like he was about to explode again. “You’re being irrational! You’re under enough scrutiny already. If you make any sudden moves, it will only make things worse. So don’t go and escape your fate now! After all I have done for you, you still—”

“John!” Diana’s voice suddenly rang through the room, startling all three of them. She appeared in the open doorway with a determined look on her face.

“Diana,” John said icily, “stay out of this.”

“No,” Diana said, shaking her head. “Can’t you see that Michael knows something? Let him do what he has to do. You are not helping the situation one bit.”

Michael stared at his mother, slightly stunned.

This was possibly the first time she had ever stood up to his father and spoken her mind without any filter.

And she seemed quite determined this time, because he could detect no fear or hesitation in her eyes.

He didn’t know what to feel about this all of a sudden.

John waved a dismissive hand. “And let him go off on some ridiculous vigilante crusade based on an anonymous tip? Hell no! The authorities still have their eyes on us, Diana!” he told her in exasperation.

Michael opened his mouth to retort, but Will cut him off firmly.

“I can vouch for whatever lead he’s following,” Will said resolutely. “And I’m going with him to make sure it’s handled the way it should be.”

John’s jaw clenched as he looked at his two sons with a mixture of surprise, uncertainty, and disappointment. The redness in his face lessened somewhat, but he still didn’t seem ready to back down.

The three of them stared at each other in a battle of wills.

Finally, Diana spoke. “Let him go, John. Our son has to do what he thinks is right.”

Her husband looked at her in disbelief, but Diana stood her ground.

“For once, have some faith in Michael. We loved him when he was born. We cared for him so much before and after the accident. We endured his rebellious phase in high school, and even after everything that happened when our children grew up,” she said softly. “I know you still care about each and every one of them, and that includes Michael. Our son would never do something so terrible, and you know that deep down, don’t you?”

The tense silence stretched, and Michael thought briefly that it was never going to end. That his father was going to keep doubting him and never let him leave.

But much to Michael’s surprise, that didn’t happen.

John eventually gave a curt, reluctant nod before turning on his heel and walking away.

“Do not disappoint me,” he said.

Michael slowly let out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

“Thank you, Mom,” he said.

Diana just smiled sadly. “Go, both of you. And be careful.”

***

Michael grabbed his coat while Will made a quick call to his office. After a few minutes, they left the house and got into the car.

Michael slid into the driver’s seat and drove off. Meanwhile, Will barked orders into his phone.

“Every possible exit is now covered,” Will assured him after disconnecting his last call. “If this guy tries to flee, he won’t get far.”

Michael nodded distractedly as he focused on the road, replaying Camille’s text over and over in his mind.

The deliberately vague description burned in his memory: six feet tall, with red hair, brown eyes, and a prominent scar on his chin.

It wasn’t much to go on, but it was their only lead.

“You know that this could be a trap, right?” Will said carefully after a pause. “An attempt to lead you into an ambush.”

“By who?” Michael’s tone was sharper than intended. “If it were the real culprit or mastermind, they would have no reason to warn me at all.”

Will’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue any further.

They fell into a tense silence, the sounds of the city rushing by outside. Michael fought to keep his mind from wandering down darker paths regarding Camille’s motivations.

He still couldn’t figure out how she knew all this and why she wanted to keep it a secret. Maybe she really was threatened, as Grady had suggested to him back then.

What if Grady was being threatened too, and Christian Callahan was actually the one behind all of this?

Michael drove towards the downtown area. Suddenly, the ringing of Will’s phone broke the silence.

“Yes?” Will said immediately after answering the call. He was silent for a moment, his gaze sharp as he listened intently. “All right. Good work. We’ll be there soon. Stall him.”

He broke off and met Michael’s gaze intently. “They spotted our man trying to board a private charter out of Westbrook Airfield. His appearance matches the description that you were given.”

Michael felt his heartbeat quicken as he accelerated the car, Will giving rapid instructions beside him and their bodyguards’ cars following close behind.

Michael tried to keep his mind from jumping to a confrontation, not until they had the full truth.

The drive to the airport seemed to last an eternity.

Fifteen minutes later, they finally arrived, soon joined by two black SUVs carrying Will’s security team.

Michael was out of the vehicle in a flash, scanning the pre-flight lounge area.

Heads turned as people spotted and recognized them in an instant. They murmured to themselves excitedly and pulled out their cameras.

The McGregors were practically celebrities under the spotlight lately, so the public was eager to capture everything they could see.

The bodyguards sprang into action, preventing any unwanted attention. Airport security, alerted to Michael and Will’s arrival, escorted them to the private area where the man, the real culprit, was being held.

As they entered, they immediately saw the man matching Camille’s description being held by airport security. His face was a mixture of fear and anger.

“Is this the man that you wished to apprehend?” one of the security officers asked.

Michael nodded, his eyes narrowing. “Yes, that’s him.”

Their bodyguards stepped forward and surrounded the man.

“You’re coming with us,” one of them said firmly, guiding him toward the exit.