Chapter 154 Vanished in Five Minutes

Chapter 154 Vanished in Five Minutes
At Mr. Hary’s House

The morning sunlight filtered through the thin curtains, casting a warm glow across Sera's face. On her lap, Baby Leon was nursing peacefully, his tiny fingers reaching out for hers.

"Yum... yum... are you full now, my love? Were you really thirsty?" Sera whispered softly, gently caressing her baby's chubby cheek.

Leon paused his nursing for a moment. He looked up at Sera with his clear, round eyes, then let out a soft coo while blinking slowly.

"Such a good boy..." Sera smiled brightly, gazing at his innocent face as tears suddenly welled up in her eyes. "Look at us now, Leon. We are free. Mommy isn't Auntie Maya's maid anymore."

Sera pulled Leon's tiny body into a tight embrace, whispering warm promises directly into her child's ear.

"Mommy is so happy, sweetheart. So incredibly happy," Sera continued, her voice trembling as she held back the overwhelming emotion surging in her chest. "Starting today, it's just you and me. I don't have to listen to Auntie Maya yelling at me every day anymore. I don't have to cry every night in that freezing servant's room. I'm going to raise you with my own hands."

Sera slowly loosened her hug and sat Leon up on her lap. She made a funny voice to try and make him laugh.

"Say it with Mommy... 'Bye-bye Auntie Maya! We're never coming back to that grand yet creepy mansion!'" Sera teased, gently wiggling Leon's little hands.

Leon giggled, and the pure sound of her baby's laughter filled Sera's heart with even greater joy.

"That's it! Laugh for Mommy! My handsome boy needs to laugh a lot more in our new home," Sera said, bringing her face close to plant a long kiss on Leon's forehead. "Now, time to sleep, okay? Mommy needs to step into the kitchen for a bit to make some warm tea and carrot soup for us."

With extreme care, Sera placed Leon in the middle of the bed beneath a thick blanket, stacking plush pillows all around his small body.

"Tuck... tuck... look at that, the pillows are Leon's fortress," Sera giggled softly. "Mommy will only be in the kitchen for a short while, sweetie. Just five minutes, not long at all. Be a good boy, okay?"

Leon let out a wide yawn, closed his eyes, and drifted into a peaceful sleep. Sera smiled with satisfaction, stepped out of the bedroom, and walked toward the small kitchen at the back of the house.

In the kitchen, Sera turned on the gas stove and set a kettle of water to boil. While waiting, she chatted happily to herself, full of excitement.

"Maybe I'll take Leon for a walk to the park in front of the neighborhood this afternoon?" Sera muttered as she pulled her favorite mug from the shelf. "Yeah, while the air is fresh. Plus, I can ask the neighbors if there are any typing jobs I can do from home. The important thing is that I can keep an eye on Leon all day."

She took a tea bag and dropped it into the mug.

"Living simply like this feels so much better than being in that mansion," Sera continued, shaking her head. "They had everything there, but every second felt like torture. Now? I'm free. Leon is free."

Suddenly, the kettle began to whistle softly, indicating the water was ready.

"Alright, the water is boiled!" Sera poured the hot water into her mug, dissolving the tea bag with a little bit of sugar.

She picked up a spoon and stirred the tea slowly. But out of nowhere, an eerie quiet settled over the house. The strange silence sent a cold shiver straight down Sera's spine.

Sera froze mid-stir. She furrowed her brow in confusion.

"Why is it so quiet?" Sera whispered to herself. "Usually, I can hear Leon's soft breathing or cooing all the way out here. Why is it dead silent?"

Sera set the spoon down on the table in a rush. A terrible sense of foreboding crept into her chest. She stepped out of the kitchen and hurried toward the bedroom.

"Leon? Is Mommy's handsome boy awake yet?" Sera called out from the narrow hallway in a playful tone, trying to calm her own nerves. "Mommy finished making sweet tea..."

Sera pushed the slightly ajar door open.

"Leon, look what Mommy brought..." Sera's words choked right in her throat.

The bed was completely empty. The barrier pillows were still neatly arranged like a fortress, but Leon was gone.

"Leon?" Sera called out, her cheerful voice vanishing instantly, replaced by a suffocating panic.

She rushed over to the bed and whipped the thick blanket aside. Empty.

"Leon! Where are you?!" Panic surged through her. She slapped her own cheeks. "No way... there's no way he fell! The barrier pillows are still completely intact!"

Sera dropped straight to her knees on the cold floor, peering under the bed with her breath hitching wildly.

"Leon! Stop playing around, sweetie! Leon!" she screamed, sweeping her arm frantically under the mattress. Nothing. There was nothing there except a thin layer of dust.

She scrambled to her feet like crazy and yanked the wardrobe doors open so hard they slammed against the wall.

"Leon! Are you in here?! No... he's not here either!" Sera shoved the hanging clothes aside, sending them tumbling to the floor.

Sera bolted out of the bedroom, searching the cramped, dimly lit living room.

"Leon! Leon! Where are you, baby?!" she cried out hysterically.

Sera's eyes darted toward the front door. She gasped in horror when she noticed the wooden door was slightly open, letting in the chilling outside breeze.

Her heart stopped dead in her chest.

"The door... didn't I lock this door from the inside?" Sera whispered, trembling violently. Her eyes widened in absolute terror. "It's impossible... Leon couldn't possibly reach the doorknob and open it by himself! He's just a baby!"

Sera dashed out to the doorway, threw the door wide open, and stared out at the deserted street in front of the house. There was no one in sight.

"HELP! SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME!" Sera screamed at the top of her lungs outside the house. She burst into uncontrollable tears. "MY BABY IS GONE! LEON! LEON!"

Sera collapsed onto her knees on the hard ground, clutching her chest as if hit by a giant boulder. She gasped for air between terrifying sobs.

"Auntie Maya... did Auntie Maya send someone to take Leon?!" Sera whispered hysterically to herself, her eyes wide with terror. "No... no, she can't! Don't take my baby! Don't ruin our happiness!"

Sera slammed her palms against the dirt below, tears streaming down her pale face.

"WHOEVER TOOK HIM, GIVE HIM BACK! LEON! GIVE MY BABY BACK!" Sera shrieked at the top of her lungs, her raspy, hysterical voice tearing through the quiet morning, turning it into a terrifying nightmare.