One Hundred & Thirty six

One Hundred & Thirty six
It had been a month and two weeks since Amara had walked out of Darius’s life, and the emptiness still gnawed at him.

Every room in the mansion felt hollow, every sound a reminder of her absence. Even with the beach breeze brushing through the windows, the house was cold. Silent.

Darius hadn’t slept properly in a long time. Every time his eyes closed, he saw her… walking away, tears staining her cheeks, suitcase in hand, the note left behind like a dagger in his chest. He had replayed the CCTV footage over and over, memorizing every step, every hesitation, every glance. And still, he had no idea where she had gone.

He had called, texted, reached out to Valen, Maya, even Colin, but every lead ended in frustration. No one knew where she was. The fear in him had evolved into something sharper… desperation. His heart ached constantly, a deep, gnawing pain he couldn’t ignore. He didn’t just miss her. He needed her.

Some nights, he would sit on the balcony overlooking the sea, running a hand through his hair, staring at the horizon as if willing her to appear out of the waves. The sunset reminded him of her smile, the way her hair glowed in the evening light, the way she laughed when she felt safe. Those memories were both comfort and torture.

Colin had been a constant presence, tirelessly tracking, questioning, digging for anything that could lead them to her. Yet, week after week, nothing. And each time Darius called, he held his frustration in check, biting back the fury, the panic, the heartbreak. Every lead that came up false made his chest tighten, every dead end felt like losing her all over again.

And yet, despite the fear, the hurt, the anger, there was still a small thread of hope that refused to snap. Hope that she would come back, hope that she hadn’t given up on him completely, hope that she was safe.

The mansion was quieter than usual that evening. Darius walked through the halls, hands clenched at his sides, stopping by the large windows overlooking the ocean. The sky was a wash of orange and purple, fading into the coming night. He thought of her lying somewhere, maybe crying, maybe scared, maybe wondering if he still wanted her.

Of course, he did. He had never stopped. He never would.

Colin appeared behind him, a tablet in hand, his expression cautious. “Darius… there’s been an update,” he said.

Darius turned sharply, his chest tight. “What is it?”

“It’s a lead,” Colin said. “Not confirmed. But a taxi company spotted someone matching Amara’s description three days ago, heading toward the northern coast. Beyond that… nothing. But it’s a start.”

Darius’s jaw tightened. His heart raced, a mixture of anger, hope, and fear. “That’s all?”

“That’s all,” Colin admitted. “I’ve already got a team looking into every port, every hotel, every small town in the area.”

Darius nodded, his mind already racing. He couldn’t waste a moment. “Then we move fast. We have to find her.

Colin gave a grim nod. “Understood. We will.”

Darius stared out at the darkening sea. The thought of Amara out there, alone, scared, maybe thinking she had no one… it burned him from the inside. He had lost her once, and he would never forgive himself if he failed again.

The night stretched on. Lights glimmered along the coast in the distance, but none of them were hers. None of them were Amara. And yet, he refused to stop looking.

He whispered into the night, voice barely audible over the crashing waves, “I’ll find you. No matter what. No matter where you are, I’ll find you Amara.”

And with that, he turned back to the house, already plotting the next move, every fiber of his being focused on finding her and bringing her home.

The hunt had begun again. And Darius would not rest until she was back in his arms.

Darius didn’t sleep that night. He paced the halls of the mansion, every shadow stretching long under the dim lights, every floorboard creaking like a warning. Even the hum of the ocean outside seemed to echo her absence, a constant reminder that Amara was out there somewhere… alone, scared, and far from him.

He stopped at the large windows, staring out at the black sea that stretched endlessly into the night. The northern coast.. zthat lead Colin had found was all he had. Three days old. That wasn’t much, but it was something. A thread he could pull. And he would pull it, no matter what it took.

Colin sat at the table nearby, quietly coordinating the search. “I’ve got men combing the coast towns, checking all the ports, every hotel, every private dock,” he said. “If she’s there, we’ll find her.”

Darius ran a hand through his hair, jaw tight. “I don’t care if it takes days, weeks, months. I’ll find her.”

Colin nodded, understanding the intensity in Darius’s voice. “Understood. You have to rest too. The plan with the police to catch Don Matteo is in motion, but that doesn’t mean he’s not up to something.”

“I don’t care about him,” Darius said sharply, eyes narrowing. “Right now Amara is all I care about That’s all that matters.”

He sat down heavily, running his hands over his face. The thought of her walking out, crying, scared, thinking she had to leave him… it burned him alive. He hated that Lorenzo had come, that his uncle’s words had poisoned her mind, and that he had let it happen. He had failed to protect her.. not from her father, not from his own family.

A flicker of movement on the tablet caught his eye. Colin was already tracking her route, tracing the taxi, tracing every stop, every hotel. The northern coast stretched long, remote towns and small harbors, perfect for someone trying to disappear.

Darius stood abruptly. “I’m going. I can’t wait. I can’t sit here while she’s out there alone.”

Colin’s eyes widened. “Darius, you need to calm down.”

“I don’t need a plan,” Darius snapped, voice low and dangerous. “I need her. She’s out there and i don’t know if she’s safe.”

Colin exhaled, seeing the fire in Darius’s eyes. He knew there was no stopping him. “Alright,” he said carefully. “I’ll prep the car, the team. Just… promise me you’ll be smart about this. Matteo won’t wait around.”

Darius turned back to the sea, jaw tight, fists clenched. “I don’t care about him. I only care about her.”

And with that, he grabbed his jacket and keys. The hunt was on. The man who had taken her from him, the world that had conspired to make her leave, didn’t matter. Only Amara mattered.

As he stepped into the night, the wind carrying the faint smell of salt and freedom, his heart beat faster. Fear, anger, and hope all mingled together, each one driving him forward. He whispered to himself, barely audible over the crashing waves, “Hold on, Amara. I’m coming. I’ll never let you go again.”