chapter 19

Chris's Point of View;

The sun had barely risen, and I was already feeling the weight of another day pressing down on my shoulders. Emily's stress was palpable, and it was eating me alive. Kelsey was still missing, and each passing day without word from him was like a knife twisting in my gut. Tony and I had done everything we could to keep things normal for Emily, but the worry in her eyes was a constant reminder of our failure.

I sat at the kitchen table, staring at my phone, waiting for any news. The rest of the house was still, the calm before the inevitable storm. Xander and Austin arrived, their faces etched with the same concern and frustration I felt.

"We can't keep this up," Xander said, slamming his fist on the table. "Emily's falling apart, and so are we."

Austin nodded, his expression grim. "We've exhausted all our resources, Chris. We need to try something different, something drastic."

I knew what they were getting at, but it was a step I had hoped to avoid. "You mean c