20
The city was cloaked in the deep violet hues of twilight, the air carrying a faint drizzle that slicked the streets and gave every shadow an ominous edge. Elena and Adrian had been awake for hours, moving between the villa, surveillance cameras, and the streets, following every lead that might bring them closer to Emma—or the trail of the kidnapper they still hadn't fully uncovered.
They hadn't told anyone yet—not the guards, not the authorities—but sometime before dusk, Emma had vanished again. One moment she had been safe within the villa's walls, the next reduced to unanswered calls, silent trackers, and a sickening absence that made the house feel hollow. Whatever protection they had built, someone had slipped through.
Adrenaline had become a second skin. Exhaustion and tension wove tightly around their nerves, making every movement sharper, every glance more vigilant.
