Chapter 30 Lucas’s POV I couldn’t find anything on that company name. No records, no mentions, nothing. It was as if the email had come from thin air. After spending what felt like hours searching, I finally gave up, convincing myself it was just some prank, someone trying to mess with my head. With everything going on, it wasn’t hard to imagine. Maybe I was overthinking it. The next morning, I dressed for work, hoping for a normal day, one without drama, without complications. It was always one everyday. I needed to focus on the company. When I got to the office, the atmosphere was surprisingly good. People were busy, heads down, working like they had a purpose. For the first time in a while, it felt like things were going smoothly. Ken was standing by his desk, grinning like an idiot. He looked over at me, gave a thumbs-up, and went back to whatever he was doing. I nodded, feeling really good. I started walking toward my office when I heard commotion near the entrance. At
Chapter 31 Sienna’s Pov “Here’s your order, ma’am,” a voice said, almost too calm, too steady. I opened the door expecting to see the delivery guy, but the moment I looked up, my stomach tightened. It wasn’t who I was expecting. The man standing there had the uniform and the delivery bag, but something about him felt wrong, off. His eyes were too focused, too intense, and he didn’t look like someone who was just here to drop off food. “We need to talk. Privately,” he said, his voice low, as he pushed the bag toward me. I froze for a second, my mind racing. “Excuse me?” I managed to say, glancing at Daphne who was still in the room behind me. The man didn’t move, just stood there, watching me carefully. “Not here. Outside.” Daphne, sensing something was off, looked up from the bed. “Mama, where are you going?” I forced a smile, trying to keep my voice light. “Just going to meet a friend for a few minutes, sweetie. I’ll be back soon. Enjoy your food, okay?” Daphne tilted her h
Chapter 32 Lucas Pov “You’re leaving already?” Lisa murmured without looking at me, her voice barely a whisper as she stirred beneath the sheets. “Yeah,” I replied, leaning down to kiss her cheek, but she didn’t turn to meet me. “I’ll see you tonight.” “Mm-hmm. Be safe,” she muttered, still facing away from me. I stood there for a second, waiting for her to look at me, maybe give me one last glance before I left. But she didn’t. I sighed, grabbed my keys, and left the house. Things with Lisa had been tense lately,like something was off, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Or maybe I just didn’t want to. The drive to work was quieter than usual. Too quiet. The thoughts in my head were louder than the world outside the car, and none of them were good. As I pulled into the company parking lot, a part of me was bracing for disaster. But when I stepped into the office, everything seemed normal. People were working, the buzz of phones and keyboards filling the air. It was business
Chapter 33Sienna's Pov"Mama, why did you say I can go out with Lucas now?" Daphne asked, her small voice breaking through the morning quiet.I looked at her, trying to hide the conflicting emotions swirling inside me. I had just told her not to follow strangers, but when it came to Lucas, I hesitated. Why did I still trust him with her after everything? I brushed the thought aside, trying to focus on Daphne."You like him, don’t you?” I asked, forcing a smile. “And if you’re happy, I don’t have a choice, do I?"Daphne beamed, her eyes lighting up. "So, does that mean I can go out with him again?"I hesitated for a second before nodding. “Yes, sweetheart. But only if I know where you're going.”Her smile widened. "What about you, Mama? Will you come out with me today? Can we go somewhere fun?"I smiled softly, glad to see her excitement. It had been a while since we’d spent time together like this, and after everything, I owed her more than just apologies."Of course! How about we g
Chapter 34 Lucas’s Pov“Lucas, what are we going to do?” Lisa’s voice had cracked with frustration earlier that morning, but now, as I stood in my office staring at the latest email, everything had changed.I was reading the confirmation over and over, not fully believing it. After so many losses, it felt surreal to finally have something solid.It had all started with a single email that caught my eye. The offer wasn’t massive, but it was enough to keep us afloat, to keep the company going. I could still hear the faint ping of my inbox, the subject line reading: Urgent Project Proposal – Immediate Attention Required.I opened it cautiously, half-expecting another hoax, but as I read through the details, my heart began to race. This was it. A real chance. The company was legitimate, the project clearly defined, and they were offering a contract that we desperately needed.I didn’t waste a second. I quickly sent a message to Ken…“Ken, we’ve got a new project. Start preparing the team
Chapter 35Sienna’s Pov“Daphne! Daphne!” My voice cracked, hoarse from hours of yelling, searching, running from one corner of the park to the next. The carousel, the rollercoaster, the stalls, none of it mattered anymore. Nothing but finding her. It had been hours since she disappeared, and every passing minute made my heart race harder. I had searched everywhere, asked every parent, every child, every worker. But no one had seen her. She was just... gone.Tears stung my eyes, but I didn’t have time to cry. I had to think, to keep moving. The sun was already setting, casting long shadows over the park, making it harder to see clearly. My stomach twisted in knots. Where was she?I knew what I had to do, even though the thought of leaving the park terrified me. I had to go to the police. I had to get help.I jumped into the car, my hands trembling as I gripped the steering wheel. The drive to the police station felt endless, every second ticking by like an eternity. My mind raced wit
Chapter 36Sienna's PovAs soon as we got home, I locked the door behind us, letting out a long breath I didn’t realize I was holding. I knelt down in front of Daphne, gently brushing her hair out of her face.“Sweetheart, how did you end up there? With that family?”Daphne blinked sleepily, rubbing her eyes. “I don’t know, Mama,” she mumbled. “I was on the horse ride, and then... I don’t remember. I just wanted to sleep. Can you sing me a song?”Her innocent words tugged at my heart, making it ache. She didn’t even realize how scared I had been, how close we came to losing each other. Tears welled up in my eyes before I could stop them, my emotions crashing down all at once.“Mama, why are you crying?” Daphne asked, her small hand reaching up to touch my face.I tried to smile, but the tears kept falling. “Oh, baby... don’t you know how worried I was? I couldn’t find you. I thought... I thought something bad had happened.”Daphne tilted her head, confused. “But I’m here now, Mama.”I
Chapter 37Lucas’s Pov“Here’s your phone,” I said, stretching it toward Lisa, who grabbed it quickly, almost too quickly. “Thank you,” she muttered, not even looking me in the eye before disappearing upstairs to get ready for her night out. I watched her leave, feeling a strange unease settle in my chest. Lately, something about Lisa felt off. She seemed distant, jumpy even. I couldn’t understand why. She said she was going to a friend’s place, and I believed her, but the way she clung to her phone and avoided me... it just didn’t sit right. I sighed, sinking into the couch, letting my mind drift. Maybe it was just the stress of everything, the company, the money, our strained relationship.The silence was broken by the buzz of my phone. I picked it up, noticing the familiar number from Men, our senior project manager.“Lucas, we’ve just bagged another contract,” Men’s voice came through, sounding excited but trying to keep his composure.A smile broke across my face. Finally, som