Chapter 227: Return to the Mountains

Jasmine's POV

The mountains looked different now. The snow had largely melted, revealing the stark, rugged beauty of the Alps in early summer. It had been nearly two months since Louis fell from that cliff. Two months of searching, of hoping, of grieving.

My doctor had been reluctant to clear me for travel, especially to an area at high altitude, but after numerous promises to take it easy and stay with my father at all times, she'd finally relented.

Now, standing at the same lookout point where I'd lost Louis, I felt both closer to him and further than ever. The cliff edge had been fenced off now, a safety measure implemented after the "accident."

"The teams have covered every inch of the valley below," Marcus explained, standing beside me at the fence. "They've explored all the caves, all the crevices. They've used dogs, drones, heat sensors..."

I nodded, already knowing what he was going to say next. They'd found nothing. No body, no blood, no clothing. Nothing to indicate Louis had ever been there.

"It's like he vanished into thin air," Marcus continued, frustration evident in his voice.

Richard joined us, his face weathered from weeks spent in these mountains, searching for his son. "The river was high from snowmelt when it happened," he said. "If he... if he fell into the water..."

He didn't need to finish the thought. We all knew what it meant. The river could have carried Louis's body miles downstream, depositing it in places the search teams hadn't thought to look. Or worse, it might never be found at all.

I shivered, despite the warm sun. The thought of Louis, lost forever in these mountains, was unbearable.

"The local authorities have officially called off the search," Richard said quietly. "They're classifying it as a presumed death now."

I flinched at the words. Presumed death. As though Louis's life could be reduced to a bureaucratic classification.

"Our teams will continue," Marcus assured me quickly. "As long as it takes."

I nodded, grateful for his determination even as a small, rational part of my mind acknowledged the futility. If Louis hadn't been found in two months, what were the chances they'd find him now?

Back at the resort, I sat with Richard and Marcus in a private dining room, picking at food I had no appetite for. At four months pregnant, I was showing now, my body changing to accommodate the new life growing inside me.

"The investigation into Alan's murder has stalled," Richard said, breaking the heavy silence. "Whoever did it was a professional. No evidence, no witnesses."

I looked up from my plate. "Do you think it was someone from a organization? Tying up loose ends?"

Marcus and Richard exchanged glances.

"It's possible," Marcus admitted. "Or it could have been someone from our world who wanted revenge."

"But not one of ours," Richard added quickly. "Daniel has been tracking our people. Everyone's accounted for."

I nodded, not really caring who had killed Alan. His death brought me no satisfaction, no closure.

The days in Switzerland passed slowly. Each morning, I joined the search teams at their base, reviewing maps, discussing strategies. Each evening, I returned to the resort, hope dwindling a little more.

On our fifth day back, I stood at the edge of the resort's balcony, watching the sun set behind the mountains. The peaks were bathed in golden light, beautiful and indifferent to human suffering.

"Jasmine?"

I turned to find Emma approaching, her face concerned. She'd arrived the day before, unable to stay away any longer.

"You should come in," she said gently. "It's getting cold."

I shook my head. "I like the cold. It helps me think."

Emma hesitated, then moved to stand beside me, wrapping a warm shawl around my shoulders. "What are you thinking about?"

"That I don't know how to let him go," I admitted. "How to accept that he's really gone."

Emma's arm came around me, pulling me close. "Maybe you don't have to. Not yet."

"The official search has been called off. Everyone thinks he's dead."

"Since when do we care what 'everyone' thinks? Mitchells and Russos make our own rules, remember?"

Despite everything, a small smile tugged at my lips. "You sound like Louis."

Emma's eyes filled with tears. "He'd be so proud of how strong you've been. And so excited about the baby."

My hand moved automatically to my growing bump. "I keep thinking about all the things he'll miss. The birth. First steps. First words."

"I know," Emma whispered, her voice breaking. "It's not fair."

We stood in silence for a long moment, watching as the golden light faded from the mountains, leaving them dark and imposing against the twilight sky.

"We should go home," I said finally. "Back to New York. There's nothing more we can do here."

Emma looked surprised. "Are you sure? I thought you wanted to stay until..."

"Until what? Until they find his body? Until I accept that he's really gone?" I shook my head. "That might never happen, Em. And I can't... I can't live in this limbo forever. Our child deserves better than a mother who's half-dead with grief."

Emma squeezed my hand. "Whatever you decide, I'm with you. We all are."

Later that night, I sat alone in my hotel room, staring at the mountains outside my window. Part of me felt like I was betraying Louis by leaving, by giving up the search. But another part knew it was time. Time to start building a life without him, for the sake of our child.

I placed my hand on my belly, feeling the slight movement beneath my palm. The baby had started kicking recently, tiny flutters that reminded me I wasn't truly alone.

"Your daddy loved us both so much," I whispered. "And he'd want us to be happy, even without him."

For the first time since losing Louis, I allowed myself to imagine a future—raising our child, keeping Louis's memory alive, perhaps even finding joy again someday. It wouldn't be the future we had planned together, but it could still be a good life. A meaningful one.

As I drifted to sleep, I made a silent promise to both Louis and our unborn child: I would live. Not just exist, but truly live. For all three of us.

The next morning, I announced my decision to Marcus and Richard. They both looked relieved, though Richard tried to hide it.

"The private teams will continue the search," he assured me. "And we'll follow any new leads that emerge."

I nodded, grateful for his promise even as I acknowledged it was likely a formality now. The harsh reality was that Louis was gone, and no amount of searching would bring him back.

As our cars pulled away from the resort, I looked back at the mountains one last time. Somewhere in their vastness, Louis had disappeared. But somehow, I would find the strength to go on without him. For the sake of our child, I had to.

"Goodbye, my love," I whispered as the mountains receded in the distance. "Until we meet again."