Us inside

Emily's POV

The moment my phone rang, my heart skipped a beat. The house was too quiet, and the unease in my chest grew with every passing second as I fumbled to answer the call. My voice trembled as I spoke. "Lila?"

"Hey, Emily," she answered brightly, completely unaware of the storm brewing inside me.

"How are the babies?" I asked, skipping pleasantries. My twins had just turned a year old, and any mention of them tugged at every maternal nerve in my body.

"They're fine," she said casually. "They went to bed a while ago. The nanny took them back to their rooms since."

I closed my eyes, my stomach twisting. Something didn't feel right. "Lila, can you go check on them for me? Right now?" I tried to keep my voice steady, but the urgency was impossible to mask.

There was a long pause on the other end. "Emily, seriously? They're asleep-"

"Just check, Lila!" My voice broke, and I blinked back the tears threatening to spill.

"Okay, okay," she muttered, clearly confused but willing to comply. I could hear her moving through the house, her footsteps echoing faintly over the line.

I held my breath, clutching the phone so tightly it felt like it might shatter in my hand. Each second dragged, and my heart pounded louder with every passing moment.

"Emily," Lila's voice returned, quieter now, and something in her tone made my blood run cold. "They're... they're not here."

My knees nearly buckled. "What?"

"Their cribs are empty," she said, her voice trembling. "I don't understand. The nanny said-"

"Find her," I interrupted, my voice shaking with a mixture of fear and fury. "Find her now, Lila!"

I didn't wait for her response. I hung up and stared at the phone in my hand, my mind racing. My babies were gone. A sob tore through me, and I stumbled outside, the chill of the evening air hitting me like a slap. I needed to move, to do something-anything. My hands shook as I tried to hail a cab, my voice cracking as I called out to passing cars, but none of them stopped.

Headlights flashed in the distance, cutting through the dark, and Ethan's car screeched to a stop in front of me. He parked haphazardly, barely pulling the handbrake before jumping out and striding toward me, his expression frantic.

"Emily," he called, his voice breaking.

I wiped at my tears, trying to pull myself together, but the sight of him only made everything worse.

"Don't do this," he pleaded, his tone desperate. "You don't have to go back to work. We can figure this out, Em. Just... just don't leave me."

"Ethan," I said sharply, my voice trembling as I tried to focus. "This isn't about us right now."

"What are you talking about?" he demanded, stepping closer. "It's always about us. You're running again, aren't you? You're scared, but we can fix this."

"Calm the fuck down," I snapped, my hands shaking as I pushed him away. "There's something more pressing than your damn insecurities."

He froze, his brow furrowing as he studied me. "What's more pressing than us, Emily? What's going on?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, a sob escaped my lips, and I doubled over, clutching my stomach as if the pain were physical.

"Reuben," I finally managed to choke out, the name tasting bitter on my tongue. "And the babies... the babies are gone."

Ethan's expression shifted in an instant, confusion giving way to alarm. "What do you mean gone? What the hell did Reuben do?"

"I don't know," I whispered, my voice breaking. "But I know it's him. It has to be him."

He reached out, gripping my shoulders firmly but not unkindly. "Emily, look at me. Breathe. Tell me everything."

I took a shaky breath, trying to steady myself. "I called Lila to check on the twins. She said they were fine, that they were asleep, but when she went to check... they weren't there. They're gone, Ethan. And I know Reuben has something to do with it."

His jaw tightened, a vein pulsing in his temple as he processed my words. "That son of a bitch," he muttered, his grip on my shoulders tightening briefly before he let go. "We need to move. Now."

He grabbed my hand, pulling me toward his car. I barely had time to register what was happening before he opened the passenger door and practically shoved me inside.

"Where are we going?" I asked, my voice still trembling as I wiped at my tears.

"To the Frost Mansion," he said grimly, sliding into the driver's seat. "We're going to get answers."

The drive was a blur, the streetlights flashing by in streaks of yellow and white. Ethan's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles white.

"Ethan," I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper.

"What?" he snapped, though his tone wasn't directed at me.

"What if we're too late?" The thought clawed at my mind, threatening to drown me in despair.

He glanced at me, his expression softening just slightly. "We won't be," he said firmly. "We're going to get them back, Emily. I promise."

I nodded, though his words did little to ease the knot of fear in my chest.

As we approached the Frost Mansion, the imposing structure loomed in the distance, its grand silhouette illuminated by the soft glow of the moonlight. The sight sent a chill down my spine, the weight of the moment pressing heavily on my chest. Ethan parked the car and turned to me, his expression serious.

"Stay behind me," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "No matter what happens, let me handle it."

I nodded, my throat too tight to speak, as we stepped out of the car and approached the mansion's towering doors. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat echoing in my ears as we prepared to face whatever awaited us inside.