Sophia’s POVI couldn’t help but laugh softly at the dynamic between them. “Okay, enough about that already. I think we have to stop considering what Morgana or Anderson or even Elijah wants. This is Lila’s life after all. And it’s Kayla’s company. So there.”Connor chuckled and threw his hands up. “Alright, alright, I give up. You’ve convinced me. I’m officially out of this debate.”Kayla smirked triumphantly, then leaned back in her chair. “Thanks, Sophia. It’s good to know I’ve got your support.”Suddenly, I decided to switch gears. “Speaking of Elijah, what has he been up to lately?” I tried to sound casual, but I could feel my curiosity creeping in.Kayla’s eyebrow shot up, a knowing look flashing across her face. I ignored it, more focused on the fact that Elijah hadn’t been in touch with me as much recently. Reese had mentioned a few days ago that Elijah had dropped by the apartment, but since then, I hadn’t heard a peep from him.Connor leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful e
Sophia’s POVWe rushed to the car, and Connor drove swiftly through the streets. My thoughts were a jumbled mess of fear and worry. I could barely breathe, the panic constricting my chest.When we arrived at the school, I ran straight to the office, my voice urgent. “I need to speak to whoever’s in charge. My daughter is missing.”The principal, a stern-looking woman, came out to meet us. “We’re doing everything we can,” she assured us. “We’ve checked all the security footage and asked all the teachers and staff. No one has seen her leave the premises.”Kayla and Connor fanned out, speaking with the teachers and parents who were still lingering around. The responses were disheartening—no one had seen Reese leave or noticed anything out of the ordinary.“We’re going to drive around the neighborhood,” Kayla said, her voice filled with determination. “Maybe someone saw something.”We all piled into the car, driving slowly through the area, scanning every corner. My eyes were blurred with
Sophia’s POVDaniel looked shaken, perhaps because he’d never seen me this angry. Especially not at him. “Sophia… Please forgive me,” he said in a pleading voice, stepping forward with an apologetic, almost shameful expression. “I wasn’t thinking straight… I just… I wanted to make Reese happy, and I didn’t think it through.”I felt so overwhelmed with the various emotions in my chest that I just didn’t want to face him at the moment. I shook my head, trying to calm myself because I didn’t want to blow it up further. “I can’t talk with you right now, Daniel.” Then before I could help myself, I added, “Perhaps you had no idea how it would make me feel because you don’t have any kids yourself.”He looked really hurt, and a part of me instantly regretted my words. But there was also a part of me that didn’t care how it affected him. I just sighed and instead faced Reese. My heart ached as I looked at my little girl. “Oh, Reese,” I said, trying to speak in a steady voice. “You know I lov
Julia’s POVThe walls of my cell felt like they were closing in on me, pressing against my sanity. The plain gray cement, the steel bars, the incessant drone of fluorescent lights—they all blended into a maddening blur. I paced the tiny space like a caged animal, trying to keep the panic at bay. My mind raced with thoughts of how it all had gone so wrong. I had worked so hard, put so much effort into everything, and now I was here, in this godforsaken place, with nothing but my own fury and regret for company.“Aarrrggghhh!” I would sometimes scream out of frustration, banging my fists on the wall. But no one would even bother to come because the prison guards and police officers already knew that I wasn’t ill or in danger. The boredom sometimes drove me to the edge. I’d sit on the hard cot, staring at the same patch of wall, my thoughts circling in an endless loop. This is just temporary, I often reminded myself. The trial’s just around the corner. I tried to cling to the hope th
Julia’s POVI heard the clatter of a metal tray being slipped through the small slot in my cell door. I glared at him through the steel bars I was gripping with my hands. “I’m right here, Idiot!” I shouted. But the guard just kept on going, his expression impassive.I walked over and glanced at the tray. The food looked bland and unappetizing, a sad heap of grayish slop that seemed to mock my misery. My stomach churned at the sight, and I suddenly felt like throwing up. I pushed the plate away with a disgusted groan.“I’m not hungry,” I muttered to the empty cell. “I couldn’t even stomach that if I tried.”As I turned away from the food, my mind suddenly shifted to thoughts of Sophia. The idea of her being here instead of me seemed to fan the fire inside me. I grew even more livid. Why was I stuck in this hellhole while she was out there, living her life?It was then that a distant memory surfaced, one I hadn’t thought about in years. I remembered meeting Sophia for the very first tim
Elijah’s POVThe rain had finally let up as I left the Goldwell Business School, the sky a gloomy canvas of gray. I slipped the list of contact numbers Peter had given me into my jacket pocket, my thoughts a tangled mess. Peter was a professor there now, but he used to be a close friend of Henry during their university days. “Henry’s very intelligent and responsible,” he’d told me. “He simply breezed through school without having to work that hard. However, he did tend to mix with the wrong crowds.” When I’d asked him to explain further, he told me he didn’t know the details and it would be better if I called Henry’s other friends. All of them basically said the same things. But one of them mentioned that Henry had been suspended for beating up a guy who was dating his sister Julia.“He’s very protective of her,” the friend told me. “They’re quite close, but kinda opposites. Julia’s very friendly and outgoing.”On my way to Henry’s former workplace where I learned he’d stayed the lo
Elijah’s POVOver the past few days, I was able to speak to more of Henry’s college professors and friends, as well as some more former colleagues and bosses. I also had the chance to chat with former employees in his companies. Their stories painted a complex picture of a man driven by massive ambition, willing to do anything and everything to get to the top. I even had a chance to meet with the police investigators who had handled Henry's case before. They informed me that they planned to form a new team to resume the investigation and catch him once and for all. Thank God for that. At least the authorities here will also be looking for him, along with those back home. Maybe we’ll have some answers soon. But today, there was another very important task on my schedule — I intended to talk to Henry and Julia’s parents. And pretty soon, I was driving to the Stanford family estate in Meaux. It was a long drive, but the French countryside was serene and lovely. As I approached the gr
Elijah’s POVI had barely unpacked my bags when I dialed Connor’s number, eager to push the new leads from France into action. The call connected, and his voice came through, upbeat and professional.“Mr. Sinclair! I heard you’re back. Congratulations on the new information. It was a fruitful investigation, wasn’t it?”“Yes, it was,” I said, my voice betraying none of the urgency I felt. “I need you to forward everything I emailed you to the police and the private investigators. Make sure they follow up on it right away.”“Consider it done,” Connor replied. “So, what’s next for you? Any more globe-trotting?”I hesitated. “I’ve got something urgent to attend to back home. I can’t go into details, but it’s important.”“Alright, just let me know if you need anything else. And once again, congrats.”“Yeah, thanks, Connor. Talk soon.”I hung up and glanced around my office, the familiar space now seeming oddly distant. My thoughts were already on Sophia. I needed to find her, but she wasn’