Chapter 24
Scarlett
The familiar sight of the office building loomed before us as we pulled into the parking garage. Despite the emotional rollercoaster of the past few days, there was comfort in returning to the mundane routines of work. Graham had insisted we stop by to handle a few pressing matters before heading home, and I was grateful for the distraction.
"We won't be long," Graham assured Brody and Drake, who were settling in for a quick nap in the car. The fatigue of constant vigilance was evident in the dark circles under their eyes.
As we made our way through the lobby, I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Every shadow seemed to hold a potential threat, every stranger a possible danger. Graham's hand on the small of my back was a constant reassurance, grounding me in reality.
The elevator ride was silent, both of us lost in our own thoughts. As the doors opened to our floor, I steeled myself for the inevitable curious glances and whispered conversations. News of Maddy's death and my connection to it had spread quickly, despite our best efforts to keep it quiet.
What I wasn't prepared for was the sight of Aria, standing by the reception desk with an unsettling smile on her face. Her eyes locked onto mine, and a chill ran down my spine. There was something in her gaze that felt... off.
Before I could process what I was seeing, April appeared at my side, her grip on my arm surprisingly firm as she steered me towards my office.
"April, what-" I began, but she cut me off with a sharp shake of her head.
Once we were safely behind closed doors, April's professional demeanor cracked, revealing a mix of worry and frustration.
"Walter's been keeping an eye on Aria," she explained in a hushed tone. "He saw her talking to some guy during lunch yesterday. Said there was something suspicious about him."
My heart rate quickened. "Suspicious how?"
April shook her head. "He couldn't put his finger on it, but he said the guy gave him the creeps. And the way Aria was acting... it wasn't normal."
I sank into my chair, my mind racing. Could Aria be connected to all of this somehow? The thought seemed absurd, and yet...
"I've called Christian," April continued. "He's on his way. Until then, I think it's best if you stay out of sight."
I nodded, too overwhelmed to argue. "Does Graham know?"
"Georgia's filling him in now. Don't worry, we've got this under control."
But even as she said it, I could see the tension in April's shoulders, the worry in her eyes. Nothing about this felt under control.
The next hour passed in a blur of anxiety and forced productivity. I holed up in my office, going through the motions of work while my mind spun with every conceivable scenario. Each sound from outside the door made me jump, half-expecting to see Aria's unsettling smile or worse.
Graham joined me after a while, his presence a balm to my frayed nerves. We worked side by side, setting up the details for Brody's upcoming photoshoot. It was surreal, focusing on something so normal when our world felt like it was teetering on the edge of chaos.
A soft knock on the door announced Christian's arrival. The relief on April's face as she saw him was unmistakable.
"Time to go," he said, his tone brooking no argument. "We've arranged for a security escort to take you home."
As we made our way out of the office, I couldn't help but notice Aria's absence. The unease in my stomach grew.
The ride home was tense, each of us lost in our own thoughts. Brody and Drake had been filled in on the situation, and I could see the worry etched on their faces. Graham's hand never left mine, his thumb tracing soothing circles on my skin.
As we pulled into the driveway of the house, I felt a mixture of relief and apprehension. Home meant safety, but it also meant facing the reality of our situation head-on.
The garage door closed behind us with a finality that should have been comforting. Instead, it felt ominous, like the closing of a trap.
As we exited the car, the sight that greeted us sent a chill through my body. Sensei stood there, his usually calm demeanor shattered. His face was a mask of worry and barely contained panic.
"What is it?" Graham asked, his voice sharp with concern. "What's happened?"
Sensei's eyes met mine, and in that moment, I knew. Whatever he was about to say would change everything.
"It's Jenny," he said, his voice breaking. "The killer... he's taken her."
The world seemed to tilt on its axis. I heard gasps of shock from the others, felt Graham's arm tighten around me, but it all seemed distant, muffled.
"No," I whispered, shaking my head in denial. "No, it can't be!"
But even as I said it, I knew it was true. The doubt that had been gnawing at me since Drake's conversation with Sensei blossomed into full-blown terror.
"How?" Brody demanded, his fists clenched at his sides. "When?"
Sensei took a shaky breath. "It happened about an hour ago. Jenny was on her way home from a friend's house. Her brothers were supposed to pick her up, but they were running late. By the time they got there..."
He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. The implications hung heavy in the air.
"Do the police know?" Drake asked, already pulling out his phone.
Sensei nodded. "They're at the scene now. But they don't have much to go on. No witnesses, no clear evidence. It's like he just... vanished with her."
A sob escaped my throat, and suddenly, I couldn't breathe. The walls of the garage seemed to be closing in, the air thick and oppressive. This was my fault. All of it. If I had never involved Jenny, if I had never gone to that gym...
"Scarlett!" Graham's sharp voice cut through the fog of panic. "Scarlett, look at me. Breathe."
I forced myself to meet his gaze, to focus on the steady rise and fall of his chest. Slowly, agonizingly, I felt my breathing start to sync with his.
"This isn't your fault," he said firmly, as if reading my thoughts. "None of this is your fault. We're going to find her, okay? We're going to bring her home."
I wanted to believe him. God, how I wanted to believe him. But the weight of guilt and fear was crushing.
"We need to do something," Brody said, pacing the length of the garage. "We can't just stand here while that monster has Jenny."
"We will," Drake assured him, his hand on Brody's shoulder. "But we need to be smart about this. Rushing in blindly won't help anyone. Christian is right behind us with April. We’ll figure it out when he gets here."
As they discussed next steps, my mind wandered to Jenny. Sweet, brave Jenny, who had quite literally dragged me into a new life. Who had shown me what it meant to be strong, to face your fears head-on. The thought of her in the hands of that monster made me physically ill.
"Scarlett?" April's gentle voice broke through my spiraling thoughts. I hadn't even noticed her arrival. She’d come rushing into the garage through the house. "There's something else you should know."
I steeled myself, not sure how much more bad news I could take. "What is it?"
April hesitated, glancing at the others before continuing. "It's about Aria. She... she's gone missing too."
The pieces started to fall into place with sickening clarity. Aria's strange behavior, the suspicious man she'd been seen with, her absence from the office...
"She's working with him," I said, the words tasting like ash in my mouth. "Isn't she?"
April's grim nod was all the confirmation I needed. The betrayal cut deep, even though I'd never truly trusted Aria. She had been there, in our office, all this time. Watching. Waiting.
"We don't know that for certain," Graham cautioned, ever the voice of reason. "But it's definitely a possibility we need to consider."
As the reality of the situation sank in, I felt a shift within myself. The fear and guilt were still there, a constant undercurrent, but something else was rising to the surface. Determination. Anger. A fierce protectiveness for Jenny that overrode everything else.
"We need to find her," I said, my voice stronger than I felt. "Both of them. Whatever it takes."
The others looked at me, a mix of concern and pride in their eyes. They had been trying to protect me for so long, shielding me from the worst of it. But I couldn't hide anymore. Couldn't let them fight my battles for me.
"We will," Graham promised, his hand finding mine. "Together."
As we moved into the house, plans already being formed and calls being made, I felt a strange calm settle over me. The storm was far from over – in many ways, it was just beginning. But for the first time since this nightmare began, I didn't feel like a victim.
I was a survivor. And I would do whatever it took to make sure Jenny survived, too.
The living room became a hub of activity. Christian and Rory arrived, bringing with them maps and files. April and Georgia worked the phones, calling in every favor and connection they had. Brody and Drake pored over security footage from the gym and surrounding areas, looking for any clue we might have missed.
And through it all, Graham, Brody, and Drake remained constant presences at my side. Their love and support an indisputable force, revealing strength I didn't know I possessed.
As night fell and the search for Jenny intensified, I found myself standing by the window, looking out at the darkened street. Somewhere out there, a little girl was scared and alone, at the mercy of a monster. And somewhere out there, the answers we so desperately needed were waiting to be found.
Thank you for reading, please consider leaving a review!