CHAPTER 453

Chris’s POV

For 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?