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
Chapter 38 Lucas’s PovI stared at the screen, Daphne’s face still plastered across the news report, that awful word missing glaring back at me. My stomach twisted in knots. I couldn’t believe it. How could this have happened?Ken leaned over my desk, glancing at the TV. “Lucas, relax,” he said, his voice steady. “The kid’s been found. It’s old news. They just haven’t updated the broadcast yet.”I blinked, trying to process what he’d just said. “She’s been found?” My voice came out shakier than I intended.“Yeah, man. I read it in the police report this morning,” Ken replied, giving me a reassuring look. “She’s fine. There’s no need to worry. They’ll pull the story down soon enough.”I let out a long breath, feeling a weight lift off my chest, but only slightly. I needed to know for sure. Without thinking, I quickly shot a message to Sienna.“Is Daphne okay?”Her response came almost immediately, short and sharp.“She’s fine. Don’t bother caring. She’s not your child.”The words stun
Chapter 39 Lucas's Pov I stared at my phone, waiting for any sign from Lisa. It had been hours since I tried calling her, and still, nothing. No calls, no texts, not even a missed notification. I tried to push away the growing worry gnawing at me, but it was getting harder. *Maybe she’s upset,* I thought. After Ken had stupidly told her I didn’t want to see anyone, it wasn’t unreasonable to think she was pissed off. Hell, I would be too if I were in her shoes. I sent a few more texts, each one sounding a little more desperate than the last. “Lisa, where are you? Call me.” “Look, I didn’t mean to ignore you. Can we talk?” “Please, just text me back.” Still nothing. I wanted to leave the office, to drive home and check on her, but I couldn’t. The day was a mess of meetings, project briefings, and constant back-and-forth emails. I was swamped with work, and as much as I wanted to drop everything and go, I knew I couldn’t. Not today. The company was hanging by a thread, a
Chapter 40Sienna's Pov“Daphne, can you pack up those toys? The floor’s a mess,” I called out, watching her from across the room. Daphne glanced up at me, then down at the scattered toys around her. “Okay, Mama!” she chirped, hopping off the couch to start gathering her things.As I watched her, I couldn’t help but feel a strange satisfaction bubbling up inside me. Everything was falling into place, at least for now. I’d started assigning companies to work with Lucas’s business, building him up, letting him taste success again. But it was only temporary. He didn’t know what was coming. Soon enough, I’d take it all away, just like he took everything from me.*Let him enjoy it while it lasts,* I thought. He had no idea what was waiting for him on the other side.The thought made me smile, but it was a cold, calculated smile. I wanted Lucas to feel the way I did, miserable, trapped, and helpless. He thought he could escape me, but I was always a step ahead. He’d regret making me love
Chapter 41Lucas’s Pov“Where the hell have you been, Lisa?” I asked the moment she answered my call, my frustration spilling out as soon as I heard her voice.There was a pause on the other end, long enough for me to start regretting my tone, but then she finally responded, her voice quieter than usual. “I told you, Lucas. I was at Jessica’s. Why are you freaking out?”I let out a breath, trying to reel in my temper. “I’ve been calling and texting you all day, Lisa. You could’ve at least let me know you were okay.”Another pause, and this time, when she spoke, there was a hint of annoyance. “I didn’t think I had to check in every five minutes. I’m fine, Lucas.”I could feel my grip tightening on the phone. “It’s not about checking in every five minutes. You didn’t come home last night, and then Ken tells me you stopped by the office and didn’t even bother saying anything to me. What’s going on with you?”“I didn’t want to interrupt your work,” she said flatly. “And honestly, Lucas, I