Chapter 20

Maverick charged into his study like a cornered animal, frantically hunting for any clue of where Nicole had gone. He burned through every resource he had—business contacts, personal connections, even an elite hacking team hired at an astronomical price. They tore through anything that might suggest where Nicole was—flight manifests, customs records, and hotel databases. He didn't sleep. With bloodshot eyes, he sat hunched over his desk, staring at the data on his screens. Any hit for "Nicole" or "Pasinia" sent his pulse racing. A few days later, his assistant, Sam, informed cautiously, "Mr. Pitt, we found something. Ms. Watson is in Pasinia. We tracked her registration for a short-term course at a top business school. We've narrowed her down to that area." Pasinia. Nicole really had gone to the city he could never reach because of his fear of flying. The realization chilled his blood. But a stronger resolve pushed past the fear—even if it were hell itself, he was going. The door