ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY ONE

I sat on the couch, trying to steady my breathing as the penthouse felt suffocatingly quiet. The silence was heavy, almost unbearable. My heart ached with every beat, the worry gnawing at me like a relentless predator. Zenith and Zendaya, my babies, were out there somewhere, and I had no idea where. My hands were trembling, and I could barely focus on anything around me. The buzzer from the intercom jolted me out of my thoughts.

Paul glanced at me, silently asking if he should answer. I nodded, trying to compose myself. He pressed the button, and Raymond's voice crackled through the speaker, "It's me and Beverly. Let us in."

Paul looked at me for confirmation, and I managed a small nod. He buzzed them in, and I could hear the elevator ascending. My heart raced with a mix of anticipation and fear. The moment the elevator doors opened, Beverly rushed towards me, her arms wide open. I stood up, and as soon as she reached me, I collapsed into her embrace. The tears I had been holding back