Chapter One Hundred-Fifty Six

That night, Lucas drove crazily to see Anita. His knuckles were now white from gripping the steering wheel too tightly, his face a mask of rage and frustration. He swerved through traffic recklessly, his thoughts a chaotic whirl of anger at Aidan, guilt over his actions, and fear of the situation spiraling out of control.

When he finally reached the Salvatore Mansion, he barely paused to park the car properly before storming inside. He found Anita in her room, pacing back and forth with a mix of worry and irritation on her face.

“Anita, this is getting out of hand,” Lucas snapped as he entered the room. “The police are doubling their efforts. They’re going to find Sophie any day now.”

Anita turned to him, her eyes narrowing. “Calm down, Lucas. Panicking isn’t going to help us.”

Juliana walked in, her face lined with anxiety. “She’s right, Lucas. We need to think this through. The police can’t be that close yet. We still have time to fix this.”

Lucas ran a hand through his hair, his ex