Chris’s POVFor a split second, I stood frozen, trying to make sense of it. She had just been there, smiling at me, waving, the candlelight dancing in her eyes. But now… nothing.A cold chill ran down my spine as I quickly scanned the surrounding area. People were walking by, casually enjoying their evening. No one seemed alarmed, no one seemed to have noticed anything unusual.“Emily?” I called out, taking a few steps toward the table while scanning the area. I tried to stay calm, telling myself she’d maybe gone inside the café or taken a quick bathroom break. But something in the air felt wrong. Off.I hurried toward the entrance of the café, peeking inside. “Emily?” I called again, louder this time. Heads turned in my direction, but none of them were hers.I moved quickly through the café, checking each corner, each table, hoping to see her, but Emily was nowhere in sight. The soft murmur of conversations around me felt muffled as panic crept in. Where could she have gone?“Emily?
Sophia’s POVI sat at the sleek conference table, my hands folded in front of me as Morgana rattled off yet another list of revisions. Another set of changes. My team had already poured months of work into this project, offering every possible option and angle, yet nothing ever seemed to satisfy her.The words blurred together as I struggled to remain composed. I had rehearsed this in my head so many times, the polite but firm boundary I’d been meaning to set. Today was the day I would finally say it.Morgana’s voice droned on, "...and I was thinking we should rework the lighting concept again, make it warmer, no, wait—cooler—but not too cold, just a hint of warmth—"I cleared my throat softly, interrupting her for the first time. “Morgana,” I said, keeping my tone even. “I understand you want this to be perfect. But we’ve already provided you with countless options. If we keep making changes like this, we’ll never get to the implementation stage, and the restaurant won’t open in tim
Elijah’s POVI stared at the dim light of my phone, the message from the former investigators pulsing in my mind. They had contacted me out of the blue after a long time of silence, saying they had a lead on Henry and Julia. I had almost dismissed it as another wild goose chase, but something tugged at me.I have to follow up every lead, see where it gets me.When Sophia came home later that evening, I could see the fatigue on her face. She dropped her bag by the door and looked at me with curiosity. “Hey, what’s got you so tense?” she asked, walking over to where I sat at the kitchen table. “Is it about Henry and Julia?”I stared at her in surprise. “How did you know?”“Trevis mentioned it but he didn’t go into any details. What did you find out?”I explained the situation. “Somebody saw them at a café a few towns over, and heard something suspicious. I want to check it out tomorrow.”“You really think this will go anywhere? They’re criminals on the run, Elijah. What if you get in o
Chris’s POVI sat at the police station in Paris, my heart racing as I leaned forward to review once again the security footage from the cafe. It was the last place Emily had been seen, and I had to find something—anything—that could lead me to her.“Pause it there,” I instructed the officer, who had been going through the footage with me. As the video froze, I pointed at the screen. “See that guy? The one in the black hoodie? Look at his arm.”The officer squinted at the screen. “What about it?”“Check out the tattoo. It looks familiar.” I felt a chill run down my spine as I recalled a conversation I had overheard.The officer leaned closer, then nodded slowly. “I know that symbol. It’s the mark of Les Ombres Écarlates. They’re a dangerous mob group operating in the area.”My heart dropped. “Les Ombres Écarlates?” I repeated, trying to keep my voice steady. “That’s connected to Isabelle. Fuck, she’s still pulling strings, even from behind bars.”“Looks that way,” the officer replied,
Chris’s POV“What? Murder? I—I don’t even know anyone named Jonathan Rousseau! This has to be a mistake! I’m just visiting the country!” One of the officers stepped closer, his expression unmoved. “We have evidence that ties you to the crime scene. You’ll be taken in for questioning.”“Wait! This is insane! I didn’t kill anyone!” I shouted, my heart racing as I tried to process the situation. How had this happened? I was here to find Emily, to rescue her from God knows what, and now I was being accused of murder? It felt like I had fallen into a nightmare.The officers weren’t listening. One of them was already guiding me toward the police car, while the other picked up my phone from the ground.“You have the right to remain silent, and anything you say can be used against you in court,” the officer recited in a monotone voice.“Chris! What’s happening?” Phoebe’s panicked voice cut through the chaos as she rushed out of the apartment building, her eyes wide with fear. She reached the
Phoebe’s POV“Save my sister!” I screamed, my voice raw. “Please! Please save my sister!” Suddenly, I jerked awake, my chest heaving, soaked in sweat. I blinked against the soft morning light filtering through the curtains, the harshness of my nightmare slowly giving way to reality. My heart was still racing, and I could feel the fear sticking to me, refusing to let go.Everything rushed back to me all at once. The call from Lance last night, the fragments of hope he’d offered. Lance—my old friend turned journalist—had mentioned that he knew someone, an ex-member of Les Ombres Écarlates. His contact had ideas on where Emily might be. He had given me the names of three possible places, and today, that old connection was supposed to lead us through those dark corners of Paris.I wiped my eyes, pulling myself together, and jumped out of bed. My legs felt shaky as I rushed to the bathroom, turning on the shower. I needed to move fast. As the hot water poured over me, I went over Lance’
Phoebe’s POVThe guy’s eyes darted between us, his breathing ragged. “Look, I don’t know what you’re talking about, alright? We’re just moving some merchandise. No girls here, I swear.”Chris shoved him harder against the wall. “Merchandise? You better be telling the truth, or I swear—”Before Chris could finish, we heard it—sirens, faint at first but growing louder by the second. The police.“Damn it,” Rémy hissed under his breath. “We need to go.”I froze, panic flooding my veins. “What? No, we can’t leave. What if Emily’s still—”“She’s not here,” Rémy cut me off, his voice cold and certain. “They tipped off the cops. This place is a dead end.”Chris looked like he was about to argue, but the flashing lights outside told us we didn’t have time. The police would be swarming the place any second.With one last shove, Chris let the guy go, his frustration evident. “If I find out you lied…” He didn’t need to finish the threat.We bolted, slipping out through a side door just as the fir
Emily’s POVMy heart raced as the man who had been watching me ripped the cloth away from my mouth. I screamed at the top of my lungs, the sound echoing off the cold, damp walls. “Shut up!” he shouted, his voice a snarl that sent chills racing down my spine.Before I could catch my breath, he swung his fist, connecting hard with my jaw. Pain exploded in my mouth, and I tasted the metallic tang of blood. I gasped, tears spilling down my cheeks. I wanted to sob, to give in to the darkness creeping in at the edges of my mind. But as I sat there, blood dripping from my lips, I felt something stir within me—a flicker of defiance. I can't let Isabelle win. She won't get the satisfaction of breaking me.“And Jared needs me,” I whispered to myself, the thought igniting a spark of determination. My son deserved better than to lose his mother to this nightmare. I couldn’t let them take me without a fight.The man standing in front of me gave out an evil laugh. He had just been playing with me