Chapter 165
But when I saw her figure, I recognized her immediately: "I know this person."
The police officer's eyes turned to me right away: "Do you know who this person is?"
"She's a caregiver at our house." I bit my lip. "I just think the figure looks similar, but I can't be sure."
I'd been watching Faye these past few days. I couldn't be wrong about her figure, but with Aura involved, I had to be careful.
"Do you have any information about Faye?"
I nodded.
I had James stay there while I ran back to get the files about Faye that we'd gathered over the past few days.
I handed them over to the police.
James and I spent the whole day searching with the police, but we couldn't find Aura.
Andrew's eyes were red as he slapped his own face: "Sophia, I'm sorry. This is all my fault. If I'd been more careful, Aura wouldn't have been taken."
James grabbed him by the collar: "What's the point of saying this now? Will your guilt bring my daughter back?"
I grabbed his other hand before he could do anything: "James, don't do this. Andrew feels terrible about losing Aura, too."
"Instead of hitting him here, you should save your energy to look for Aura."
"Besides, if Andrew gets hurt, that's one less person to help find Aura."
James let him go: "If anything happens to my daughter, I'll never forgive you."
Andrew smiled bitterly: "You don't need to say it. I'll never forgive myself."
Just as Andrew and James reached a truce, my phone rang.
The caller ID showed an unknown number.
My heart started pounding as I answered with shaking hands.
"Mommy!"
It was Aura's voice.
I choked up calling her name: "Aura, where are you?"
"Mommy! I was caught by a bad woman..." Aura's mouth was covered, and she could only make muffled sounds.
"Sophia." A woman's voice came through the phone, distorted so I couldn't recognize it. "Want to see your daughter?"
"Who are you?"
"Don't worry about who I am. Just tell me - do you want to see your daughter or not? If you do, come to the cemetery in the north part of town."
"Remember, you must come alone. If I find out you brought anyone else or called the police, you'll never see your daughter again."
The call ended.
"It's Faye... no, I should say Amelia. She's the one who took Aura." I put down my phone, my voice hoarse.
James's face darkened: "What did she say?"
"She wants me to go to the cemetery in the north part of town alone."
"No, it's too dangerous. You can't go alone."
I grabbed James's arm. "James, she has Aura. I have to go."
"You know how much Amelia hates you. Going alone is like walking to your death." James objected. "I'll go with you, or we can get the police..."
"She said if I bring anyone or call the police, I'll never see Aura again." I interrupted him, tears streaming down my face. "James, that's our daughter. I can't take any risks."
James looked at me, his eyes full of struggle and pain.
He took a deep breath: "Fine, you go alone. But I'll follow behind. If there's any danger, I can rush in right away."
"No, she'll notice..."
"I'll be careful." James gripped my shoulders. "Sophia, I can't let you go into danger alone. Aura is my daughter, too. I don't want to lose either of you."
I looked into his eyes, full of determination.
"Okay." I finally nodded. "But you must be careful. Don't let her find out."
I drove alone to the cemetery in the northern part of town.
James and the police took a different route to get there.
Except for the cemetery caretakers, almost no one came here, and no one maintained it.
Grass and trees were everywhere, which made it easy for Amelia to hide.
I parked at the foot of the hill, got out alone, and walked toward the cemetery.
The wind blew through the wild grass, making rustling sounds.
My heart was racing, and my palms were covered in cold sweat.
My phone rang.
I immediately pulled it out to look.
[Come to the northwest corner.]
I walked in the direction she gave.
"I'm here," I said loudly. "Where are you?"
"Mommy!" Aura's crying came from a corner.
I followed the sound and ran over, seeing Aura tied to a tree, her little face covered in tears.
"Aura!" I tried to rush over, but a figure blocked me.
It was Faye.
No.
It should be Amelia.
She took off her mask, revealing her whole face.
Four years had passed, and Amelia's face seemed different, but if you looked carefully, you could still tell it was her.
"Amelia, is that you?" I stared at her. "Whatever grudge you have, don't take it out on the child. Let Aura go. Come at me instead."
Amelia laughed, her smile twisted and crazy: "Sophia, I didn't expect you'd still recognize me after plastic surgery. I don't know whether to cry or laugh."
I stared at her hard: "Let my daughter go."
"Why should I let her go? She's my most important bargaining chip."
"What do you want?" I forced myself to calm down. "Whatever it is, I can give it to you."
Amelia sneered: "What I want most is for you to taste what it's like to lose everything."
Her eyes were full of hatred: "If it weren't for you back then, I wouldn't be in this situation today."
"I have nothing left! And you - why do you get to live so well?"
"Amelia, back then you were the one who did those things..."
"Shut up!" She screamed, interrupting me. "It's all your fault! If you didn't exist, none of this would have happened!"
She pulled out a knife from her pocket and held it to Aura's throat: "Sophia, I'm going to make you watch your daughter die in front of you. I'll make you feel what heartbreak really means."
Aura started crying hard.
"No!" My legs went weak, and I almost fell to my knees. "Amelia, please, let Aura go. I'll do anything you want, please..."
"Sophia, so you can be scared too?" Amelia threw her head back laughing, her smile gradually turning cruel: "Sophia, you took everything from me back then. Today I'm going to take everything from you."
"Starting with your child..."
The knife tip moved closer and closer to Aura's throat.
I knelt on the ground: "Please, don't hurt her."
Amelia stopped her hand and smiled: "Fine, if you kill yourself, I'll consider letting your daughter go."
She threw a knife over: "Hurry up. I don't have patience."
Without a moment's hesitation, I picked up the knife she threw and stabbed myself in the stomach.
She watched me and burst out laughing.
"Sophia, since you care so much about this child, I'll let her die with you."
Her knife moved closer to Aura's throat again, and a line of blood appeared on Aura's neck.