2024-08-10 03:37:54
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399. Gone
Van rose before dawn, the house still cloaked in the soft quiet of sleep. He stood in the kitchen, the marble countertops gleaming under the warm glow of the pendant lights. For a moment he just stared at the polished surfaces, his reflection rippling faintly in the sheen. He hadn’t cooked in weeks —not since everything had begun with Daniel —but today, he needed to. Today, he needed his family to feel something close to normal.He cracked eggs into a bowl, whisked until his arm ached, and set bacon sizzling in the pan. The smell filled the air, wrapping the house in the memory of easier mornings.By the time Ivy came downstairs with Leona, still in her robe, her hand resting protectively on her baby bump, Van had already set the table. She blinked at the plates as though they were an illusion.“You cooked?” she asked, her voice soft, touched with surprise.Van managed a smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I thought we could use a normal morning.”Isadora arrived with Celes
398. The Weight Of Fear
The ride home from the station was quiet, the tension inside the car heavy enough to make breathing difficult. Two uniformed officers sat in the back, their gazes scanning the streets as though Daniel himself might emerge from the shadows at any moment. Van sat in the passenger seat, his jaw tight, his hands clasped so hard his knuckles whitened.Detective Paul, the one overseeing the case, sat at the wheel. He’d been calm all through the day, his voice steady and his manner professional, but Van could tell the man was alert— watchful in a way that spoke volumes about how seriously he was taking the threat.When they finally pulled up outside Isadora and Brandt’s home, the front door opened even before Van could climb out. Ivy and Isadora stood side by side on the porch, their faces pale. Ivy’s hand was already on her belly, a gesture Van recognized —it was how she steadied herself when fear threatened to overwhelm her.“Van?” she called, her voice trembling. “What’s happening?”He ba
397. The Message
Van’s day began with the weight of exhaustion pressing against his temples. He hadn’t slept properly since the attempted kidnapping, and the sight of Ivy leaving with the children still gnawed at him. He buried himself in paperwork at the office, trying to push away the unease crawling under his skin.Around mid morning, his receptionist knocked on his door. “Mr Everest,” she said softly, peeking inside. “A man dropped off something for you earlier. He said his name was Daniel.”The name alone was enough to make Van stiffen. He rose from his chair, every nerve in his body alert. “Where’s the package?”She handed him a neatly wrapped box, no larger than a shoebox, tied with plain twine. There was no card, no name —just the weight of menace hidden beneath the folds of cardboard. Van didn’t even set it on his desk. He held it at arm’s length as though it might explode.“Cancel my meetings for today,” he told her. “I have something urgent I need to take care of.” he didn't wait for her re
396. The Statement
The fluorescent lights at the police station hummed faintly, the sound mingling with the low murmur of conversations and the shuffle of papers. Van sat rigid in the chair opposite the officer’s desk, his hands clasped tightly together as if trying to anchor himself. Brandt sat beside him, leaning back, but his jaw was set and his eyes never left the officer’s face.The officer, a broad shouldered man with close cropped hair and a calm but piercing gaze, flipped open a thin case file. “The suspect finally broke,” he said, his voice even. “He admitted he was hired. He said a woman gave him money and the instructions to go to the school, say he was the twins’ uncle, and pick them up. No violence unless absolutely necessary. He said they only spoke on the phone though, so he doesn't know what she looks like.”Van’s stomach lurched violently. A thousand faces flashed through his mind, but only one name tumbled out, unbidden, burning his throat as it left him.“Bianca.”The officer paused,
395. New Plan
The late afternoon sunlight stretched long shadows across Brandt and Isadora’s front lawn when Van’s car pulled into the driveway. Ivy sat quietly in the passenger seat, a suitcase on her lap, her knuckles white from holding it too tightly. The twins were asleep in the back, their cheeks flushed from exhaustion, their little arms tangled together.Isadora was watering the potted plants near the porch when she spotted the car. At first, her heart lifted, thinking it was just a casual visit, but when she saw Ivy step out with a suitcase and Van’s drawn expression, her stomach tightened.“Van? Ivy?” she called, already setting the watering can aside. “What’s going on?”Van tried to smile, but it was tight, strained. “Isadora… we need your help. Just for a little while.”By the time Ivy reached the porch, Isadora had already taken the suitcase from her hands and wrapped her in a hug. Ivy clung to her a little longer than usual, and Isadora immediately sensed the heaviness pressing down on
394. An Attempt
Van’s pulse hadn’t slowed down since the phone call. Even with the flashing red and blue lights reflecting against his car windows, his grip on the steering wheel stayed tight, his jaw clenched. When he arrived at the school, his eyes immediately locked onto the sight of a man pinned down by two security guards, thrashing wildly in their hold.Van jumped out of the car before it had even fully stopped. “Where are my kids?” he barked, scanning the area with frantic eyes.“They’re safe inside, Mr Everest,” the officer reassured quickly, nodding toward the classroom doors. “This man tried to take them, but the teacher acted fast.”Van stalked closer, his fury radiating like heat. But when he got a good look at the would be kidnapper, he froze. His chest tightened with confusion. The man wasn’t Daniel. He wasn’t even familiar.Van’s brows furrowed. Who the hell is this?The police restrained the man as he spat out panicked excuses. “I was told —he said the kids were in danger! Their fathe
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