Chapter 238: Lost Again

Louis's POV

Looking at Jasmine's face, it felt as if the missing part of me had finally returned to its place.

"Eva is missing?" she repeated, her expression shifting from joy to concern.

I couldn't help but look at her a moment longer. Four years had left subtle changes on her, and she radiated a maturity that wasn't fully formed when I left. A mother's quality, I realized. The mother of our daughter.

"What do you mean she's missing?" Marcus demanded, his voice pulling me back to reality.

"She said she was going to the bathroom," Daniel's voice came through the speaker. "Ten minutes later, we discovered she had escaped through the window. I've sent people to search, but she seems to have arranged transportation in advance."

I shook my head, not surprised: "She's gone back to her father."

All eyes turned to me.

"Are you sure?" Richard asked, his voice—my father's voice—filling me with a sense of familiarity.

"Quite sure," I answered. "Eva has always been afraid of her father. If she's disappeared, either she was forced, or she believed returning to him was safer than staying here."

Jasmine squeezed my hand: "Louis, if she's gone back to Heinrich Weiss and tells him you've returned to New York, that you've remembered everything..."

She didn't finish, but I understood her concern. Mr. Weiss's hatred for the Mitchell family was real. Eva never hid this fact, even though she claimed I was kept on the island as a "guest" rather than a prisoner.

"We need to get Louis to a safe house," Marcus decided. "Then bring Grace over. We must keep a low profile until we determine the level of threat."

But I couldn't wait any longer. For four years, I had lived with lies and fragmented memories. Since my memory began to return, my mind had been filled with images of a little girl, my daughter, a child I had never met.

"I need to see Grace first," I insisted. "Before anything else happens. Please, Jasmine."

Her expression softened, tears gathering again in her beautiful eyes: "Alright. I'll ask Isabella to bring her over immediately."

"Do you want to know about these years?" Jasmine asked softly, her eyes full of tenderness.

I nodded, my throat tight with emotion: "Tell me everything about Grace. I... I didn't even know you were pregnant when I left."

Pain flashed in Jasmine's eyes: "I didn't know either. I only found out after you disappeared."

The realization hit me like a blow. When I "died," Jasmine not only lost her husband but had to face pregnancy and childbirth alone.

Jasmine smiled, a new kind of smile, filled with a mother's pride and love: "She's like you, Louis. She has your eyes, your stubbornness, even your smile. She's smart, brave."

Tears welled in Jasmine's eyes: "I told her everything about you. Your picture sits by her bed, and we say goodnight to it every evening. She may have never met you, Louis, but she loves you. So much."

I couldn't control my tears. Four years. I had missed four years of my daughter's life. Her birth, her first cry, her first steps, her first words, all happened while I was gone. And Jasmine had to bear it all alone.

"I'll make it up to you," I promised, not just to Jasmine but to myself. "I'll be the husband and father you both deserve."

The sound of a car in the driveway made Jasmine stand up: "They're here."

My heart raced, my hands trembling with nervousness. I was about to meet my daughter, my flesh and blood, my mark on this world.

Isabella entered first, her eyes widening when she saw me: "Louis? My God, it really is you!"

And then, hiding behind her, was a small figure—dark curly hair, wearing a blue dress, shyly looking at me.

Time seemed to freeze. I slowly knelt down to her eye level: "Grace?"

Her eyes curiously examined me: "Are you my daddy?"

Her voice was clear as a bell, striking straight to my heart. I nodded, unable to speak. This little girl was my daughter.

"But Mommy said you were in heaven," she continued, her little eyebrows furrowing. "She said you became an angel."

"I was lost, baby," I said softly. "But I was always trying to find my way home."

She tilted her head, considering my words, then suddenly stepped forward: "You look like in the pictures. Except your hair is different."

I couldn't help but smile, though tears blurred my vision: "I guess I've gotten a bit older."

"Are you back to stay with me?" she asked, with the directness only children possess. "Forever?"

"Yes," I promised, reaching out my hand. "If you want me to, I'll never leave you again."

She didn't immediately take my hand, but turned to look at Jasmine, seeking confirmation. Jasmine nodded encouragingly, tears sliding down her cheeks.

And then, just like that, Grace turned back, took a decisive step, and placed her small hand in mine: "I want that. I've always wanted a daddy."

I could no longer control myself. I gently, carefully pulled her into my arms, feeling her small body against my chest. She smelled like sunshine and some fruity shampoo, her heartbeat quick and strong, full of life. My daughter. I was finally holding my daughter.

Jasmine joined us, and the three of us held each other tightly, a family finally reunited. Despite the dangers surrounding us, despite the gaps still in my memory, in this moment I felt complete as never before.

But happiness was brief.

A shrill alarm suddenly broke the tender moment. Richard and Marcus became instantly alert.

"Someone's breached the fence," Richard said, quickly moving to the security console. "Multiple entry points."

The screens showed several groups of men in black advancing toward the mansion. Marcus picked up the phone: "Daniel, we need backup. Now."

Jasmine held Grace tightly to her. I stood up, instinctively placing myself in front of them: "Take them to the safe room."

Richard nodded: "You go too."

"No," I shook my head. "This is happening because of me. I won't hide anymore."

"Louis," Jasmine pleaded, "please. Grace needs you. We just got you back."

Her words hit me, but I knew this wouldn't end if I kept hiding. Whether it was Alan's revenge or Weiss's hatred, they wouldn't stop hunting me.

"Go to the safe room," I told her. "I promise I'll be careful. I just need to end this."

Just then, the sound of breaking glass came from below. The intruders had breached the first-floor windows. Security personnel quickly returned fire, the sound of gunshots echoing through the house.

"Go!" Richard shouted, pushing Jasmine and Grace toward the safe room.

Isabella and Marcus followed, but I hesitated. These people were here for me. If I hid with my family, they would tear apart the entire mansion until they found us.

"Louis!" Jasmine called from the end of the hallway, her eyes filled with fear.

"I love you," I told her. "I love Grace. Take care of them."

Then, before she could stop me, I turned and ran in the opposite direction. I could hear her desperate calls, but I didn't look back. This was the only way to protect them.

I rushed through the corridors, looking for a way out. If I could draw these people away, make them chase me instead of my family...

Bang! Searing pain spread from my shoulder. I stumbled, steadying myself against the wall. Warm liquid soaked my shirt—blood. I'd been shot.

"Louis Mitchell," a familiar voice made me look up. Eva stood there, complex emotions flickering in her eyes, with two armed men beside her. "You shouldn't have left the island."

"Eva," I gritted through the pain. "This isn't worth it. It's not worth letting your father's hatred destroy all our lives."

"Don't talk to me about worth," she said bitterly. "Two years, Louis. I cared for you for two years, loved you for two years. And what did you do? The first chance you got, you ran back to her."

"Because I love her," I answered calmly. "I've always loved her. Even when I couldn't remember who I was, I remembered what it felt like to love her."

Pain flashed across Eva's face, quickly replaced by coldness: "You owe me, Louis. You owe me your life."

"I'm grateful you saved me," I said sincerely. "But that doesn't mean I belong to you."

She stepped forward: "I can forgive your betrayal, Louis. Come with me. Let my father know you've chosen the right side. We can be together, start a new life."

"You know I can't do that," I said, the pain in my shoulder growing more intense. "I have a wife, a daughter. My place is here, with them."

A flash of madness crossed Eva's eyes: "Then, if I can't have you, no one will."

She raised her gun, aiming at my heart. I closed my eyes, thinking of Jasmine, thinking of Grace. Thinking of everything I had just found only to lose again.

"Stop!" a voice interrupted the moment. Alan stood at the other end of the corridor, also holding a weapon. "He's mine, Eva. Your father promised me."

Eva hesitated, her gun trembling slightly: "You already had a chance to kill him once, and what happened? You failed. Now it's my father's turn."

"Your father and I have an agreement," Alan sneered. "Mitchell is my target."

I used their argument as an opportunity to slowly back away. If I could reach the stairs, maybe I'd still have a chance...

But just then, a deafening sound came from behind me, followed by the painful impact. My vision blurred, and all I could hear was the sound of blood rushing in my ears.