Adrian Hart’s boots clicked against the marble floor echoing unnervingly through the sleek and almost sterile lobby of Cortez’s tower while the lights above reflected off the polished surfaces making the building feel impossibly cold and impossibly sharp like it was daring him to step inside.Two men stepped forward immediately as he approached the inner elevators blocking his path while their faces were stoic, unreadable and professional “Sir” one of them said with voice firm, “We need your name and purpose before you proceed.”Adrian’s eyes didn’t leave them “Adrian Hart… and tell Cortez he’s been expecting me” he said calm but deliberate with a voice carrying a weight that made the men glance at each other.The taller one’s brow furrowed “Adrian Hart?” he repeated, “You do realize…”“That I’m not here for pleasantries?” Adrian interrupted with his tone ice-cold, “I’m here for Seraphina. Nothing else matters.”The men exchanged a brief and tense look while one reached for a radio bu

Seraphina didn’t sleep and the night stretched endlessly while Mara’s words kept circling her mind like shadows that she couldn’t chase away and her thoughts dragged her back to the same tormenting question every time she closed her eyes ‘What am I doing?’She was sitting outside Mara’s small house by dawn with her arms wrapped around herself with the early light washing softly over the village and her palms resting over her stomach and in a voice barely above a whisper she murmured “I don’t even know where to go anymore”She listened to the stillness, the birds beginning to call and the distant sound of someone chopping wood while the peace around her was gentle which made the storm inside her feel louder.Mara’s door creaked behind her but the older woman didn’t speak yet and Seraphina didn’t turn but just kept staring at the horizon rubbing her thumb slowly over her belly.Mara finally said softly “You didn’t rest.”Seraphina gave a small, tired laugh “How could I?”Mara didn’t pus

Elena’s hands shook as the phone vibrated against the polished surface of her desk as she had been pacing the apartment for hours with her mind spinning in endless loops ‘what if Marcus never called back? What if this chance slipped through her fingers like sand leaving Adrian lost to her forever?’She pressed her palm to her forehead exhaling a shaky breath and then snatched the phone up the moment it rang.“Marcus Hale” the voice was calm deliberate and cold like he had measured every word before speaking.“Detective Hale” Elena said with her voice barely containing the trembling urgency, “thank you… thank you for calling me back.”“I’m not calling for you, Elena” Marcus said immediately cutting through her relief, “I’m calling for Adrian. That’s why I agreed to this… Make no mistake.”Elena blinked swallowing hard “I… I understand. I just… I need your help to find Seraphina. I…”“You’ll get your chance,” Marcus interrupted, firm but not cruel. “But this is about Adrian. You’re coll

Clara adjusted the collar of her coat as she parked outside a quaint townhouse nestled between flowering hedges and cobblestone walkways and then she took a deep breath trying to steady the nervous flutter in her chest though every step felt heavy but she reminded herself why she was here that Seraphina was out there somewhere alone and every minute counted and this friend someone Seraphina had trusted could be the key to finding her.The door swung open before Clara could knock. “Please, can we talk? It’s… it’s important… and private” Clara said quickly while forcing a smile.The friend whose name was Lila stepped aside gesturing for Clara to enter while her eyes held concern even before Clara spoke seeing Clara’s tense expression.Clara shook her head subtly lowering her voice “I can’t say everything right now but Seraphina is in danger. She’s safe at the moment but we don’t know for how long. I need your help to understand where she might go if she wants to be alone… somewhere she

The drive felt endless while Adrian barely blinked the entire way with his hands clenching so tightly around the steering wheel that the veins in his arms rose like cords under his ski and Marcus kept checking his phone and maps cross-referencing the location Seraphina had been traced to while Clara typed reports to Elena as though the speed of her fingers could rewrite reality.“She’s really alive” Adrian murmured for the fifteenth time but it wasn’t reassurance, it was panic fighting for dominance.Marcus answered without looking up “Yes… and we’ll meet her today if she’s where the tracker last pinged.”Clara added “Madam Elena says we should approach calmly since Seraphina may be overwhelmed.”Adrian shot her a look sharp enough to cut “Elena doesn’t get a say in how I approach my personal matters.”Clara swallowed and then lowered her gaze and texted quietly.The roads grew narrower as the village approached with dust rising beneath the tires like small clouds while Adrian leaned