Chapter 92 092
EMILY
“What do you mean… missing?”
The words came out uneven.
I was trying my best to pretend like I misheard Morgan. She definitely did not mean my Zara is missing.
Morgan stood in front of me, shaking.
Tears streaming down her face.
Her lips trembling so badly it looked like she was struggling just to breathe.
“I—I…” she stammered.
I took a step closer.
My heart was already racing.
Too fast.
Too loud.
“What do you mean my daughter is missing?” I repeated, my voice sharper now. “Morgan, talk to me.”
She broke.
Completely.
“I’m so sorry,” she cried, her voice cracking under the weight of it. “Some men—they hit me with their car just outside the hospital—”
Everything in me froze.
“What?”
“It wasn’t hard,” she rushed to explain, her words tumbling over each other. “But I fell—and when I stood up—when I looked around—”
Her voice shattered again.
“Zara wasn’t there anymore.”
Silence.
A deep, suffocating silence.
Like the air had been sucked out of the room.
“No…” I whispered.
My head shook slowly.
Automatically.
“No… no, no, no—”
This wasn’t happening.
This couldn’t be happening.
Not to her.
Not to my child.
“I’m so sorry,” Morgan sobbed, covering her mouth with her hand. “I didn’t see them—I didn’t see anything—I just—she was right beside me and then she was gone—”
“No!” I snapped.
Louder.
Desperate.
Like if I said it enough times, it would become true.
“No, that’s not possible. That doesn’t make sense. She wouldn’t just disappear—she wouldn’t just—”
My chest tightened painfully.
My breathing turned shallow.
Too fast.
Too uneven.
I couldn’t think.
Couldn’t process.
All I could see was Zara.
Her face.
“I need to go,” I said suddenly.
My body moved before anyone could react.
“I need to go find her.”
I turned toward the door immediately.
But before I could take more than a step—
A hand grabbed my arm.
Firm.
Stopping me.
“Emily—”
“Let me go!” I screamed, yanking against the grip.
Hazel.
It was Hazel.
Her hold tightened, trying to keep me steady.
“You can’t just run out like this—”
“My daughter is missing!” I shouted, my voice breaking violently. “Let me go!”
“You’re not thinking clearly—”
“I don’t care!” I cried. “She’s out there—she’s alone—she’s scared—”
My voice cracked completely.
Tears blurred my vision.
“I need to go find her.”
“Emily, listen to me,” Hazel said, her voice urgent but controlled. “Our parents will handle it.”
I laughed.
A broken, bitter sound that didn’t even sound like me.
“Our parents?” I repeated, my eyes snapping to hers.
Anger flared instantly.
Sharp.
Hot.
“How are they going to find my daughter,” I said, my voice rising with every word, “when they couldn’t even find me for more than twenty-four years?!”
The words hung in the air.
Heavy.
Ugly.
The moment they left my mouth—
I saw it.
The way my mother’s face fell.
The way her eyes filled with hurt.
Real hurt.
Not anger.
Not defensiveness.
Just pain.
She didn’t say anything.
Didn’t argue.
Didn’t try to explain.
She just nodded slowly.
Like she accepted it.
Like she believed she deserved it.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered softly.
And then—
She turned.
And walked out of the room.
My chest tightened again.
But this time—
Not just from fear.
Something else crept in.
Something uncomfortable.
Something I didn’t want to feel.
Guilt.
“Emily.”
My father’s voice was calm.
I turned toward him, my breathing still uneven.
“It wasn’t her fault,” he said gently.
I didn’t respond.
Couldn’t.
“My wife started searching for you the moment she knew you were alive,” he continued. “She never stopped. Not once.”
His words settled heavily in my chest.
I looked away.
Swallowing hard.
“You should give her some grace,” he added quietly.
Silence followed.
Thick.
Heavy.
But he didn’t push it.
Didn’t force me to respond.
Instead, he stepped closer.
His expression shifting.
More focused now.
More serious.
“As for your daughter,” he said, “we’re going to find her.”
My heart clenched.
“I need a picture.”
I blinked.
“What?”
“A picture of her,” he repeated. “Show me.”
I turned immediately to Morgan.
“My phone—no—your phone—do you have pictures of Zara?”
Morgan nodded quickly, her hands shaking as she fumbled with her phone.
“Yes—yes, I do—”
She unlocked it hurriedly, scrolling through her gallery with trembling fingers.
“Here—”
She turned the screen toward me.
And there she was.
Zara.
Smiling brightly.
My throat tightened painfully.
“That’s her,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
I took the phone and handed it to my father.
“This is her.”
He studied the picture carefully.
His jaw tightening slightly.
Then he nodded.
“I’ll find her,” he said.
Not maybe.
Not we’ll try.
I’ll find her.
Something about the certainty in his voice made my chest ache.
Made me want to believe him.
Without another word, he turned and left the room.
The door closed behind him.
And suddenly—
Everything felt too quiet again.
Too still.
Too wrong.
I stood there, unmoving.
My heart still racing.
My mind still spiraling.
Then slowly—
I turned.
Facing Hazel.
She hadn’t moved.
Still standing there.
Watching me.
“Why are you still here?” I asked.
My voice was softer now.
But still strained.
Still fragile.
She didn’t hesitate.
“Because I’m not leaving you alone like this,” she said simply.
I stared at her.
Something in my chest shifted again.
Different this time.
Not anger.
Not fear.
Something quieter.
I stepped forward.
And before I could overthink it, I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into a hug.
Tight.
Unexpected.
She froze for half a second, then hugged me back.
Gently.
“I can’t lose her,” I whispered.
My voice broke again.
“I can’t—”
“You won’t,” she said softly. “We’ll find her.”
I nodded against her shoulder.
Even though I wasn’t sure I believed it.
I pulled back after a moment.
Turning toward Morgan.
“Take me to Ryan,” I said.
She blinked.
“What?”
“Take me to his room,” I repeated, more firmly this time.
If Zara wasn’t outside… If something had gone wrong… If…
My heart pounded harder.
“She could be there,” I added quickly. “Maybe she went back. Maybe—maybe she’s with him—”
Hope.
Desperate.
Fragile.
But it was something.
Morgan nodded immediately.
“Yes—yes, okay—”
She wiped her face quickly, turning toward the door.
“I’ll take you.”
I didn’t wait.
Didn’t hesitate.
I moved instantly.
Hazel right beside me.
Morgan leading the way.
And as we stepped out of the room—
One thought echoed louder than everything else in my head.
Please.
Please let her be there.
Please let my daughter be safe.