Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
“What in the world is happening? How could Elma just vanish into thin air? Sophie, take a deep breath and walk me through it slowly, please.”
Sophie attempted to suppress her rising panic, her voice quivering with barely contained emotion.
“I went to the after-school program to collect Elma, thinking we’d head home together.
But even after an endless wait, she was still nowhere to be seen.
Even the nanny and driver hadn’t caught a glimpse of her.
Desperate, I questioned her teacher, who informed me that Elma had left much earlier than usual.
Now, her phone goes straight to voicemail.
I’ve organized a search party, but so far, they’ve turned up empty-handed, and her location tracker is ominously silent.”
A grave expression shadowed Leila’s features.
Elma was the epitome of reliability and good manners.
She always informed someone of her plans.
Concerned for the safety of her kids, Leila had equipped their phones with advanced trackers.
It was virtually impossible for Elma’s location to vanish from the radar unless her phone was intentionally discarded-a chilling thought that suggested she was facing a serious emergency.
The critical hours were slipping by.
Unable to call the police yet, Leila knew she needed to act fast.
Time was of the essence, and there was no moment to spare grilling Neal for information.
With a sense of urgent resolve, Leila swiftly gathered her things and dashed back to Burmoos, dragging Neal along.
He was confined in a different car, secured tightly with a guard on each side.
Escape seemed impossible for Neal, even if he miraculously sprouted wings.
Unexpectedly, their journey was interrupted by an aggressive convoy slicing through the traffic.
Their focus was laser-sharp as they barreled toward Leila’s car.
The onslaught left several of Leila’s cars wrecked.
In the chaos, Leila swiftly extricated Brysen and fled the scene.
Once outside, they found themselves eerily isolated on the deserted stretch of road.
The attackers, undeterred, stormed toward the car behind them.
Realization struck Leila like a cold wave.
She was not their target after all.
It was Neal they were after.
Leila, her mind racing, urged Brysen to find a hiding spot, made a quick call to the police, and rushed over with others.
But it was too late.
When they reached the scene, Neal was achingly gone.
The bodyguards lay scattered around, groaning in pain.
The precision and coordination of the attackers made it obvious they had planned every move in advance.
Leila’s expression darkened, her eyes clouded with a storm of realization.
The events were too aligned, too perfectly timed.
If only Elma hadn’t vanished so suddenly, she wouldn’t have been plunged into such frantic haste.
Without this unanticipated rush, perhaps this dire encounter could have been evaded.
But the nagging question remained, gnawing at Leila.
How had Neal’s associates anticipated her precise movements back to Burmoos? This suggested that the one orchestrating Neal’s actions was the same person who had abducted Elma.
Leila felt a wave of anxiety crash over her at the thought.
At the Kensington family estate, Lacey stepped out of the car and gestured to the bodyguard.
With sharp instincts, the bodyguard understood at once and guided Elma out of the car without hesitation.
Elma, with her mouth sealed with tape and her limbs secured, writhed violently, her eyes burning with defiance as she glared at Lacey like a wild, cornered animal.
Lacey loosened the bindings that restrained Elma.
Seizing her moment, Elma snapped at Lacey’s hand with a fierce bite.
Taken aback, Lacey nearly retaliated with a slap but caught herself just in time, mindful of the prying eyes at the Kensington family estate.
Lacey, through clenched teeth and palpable frustration, exclaimed, “I brought you here as a favor, and this is how you repay me?”
Elma shot back fiercely.
“You dragged me here against my will.
That’s kidnapping! I want to go home.
Be smart and back off.
You’ll regret tangling with me.”
“My mom is Leila, after all.”
The mention of Leila irked Lacey, who, nursing her bitten hand, advanced toward Elma with a chilling smile.
“Do you even realize where you are? You’re at the Kensington family estate, your father’s place.
Elma, seriously? You don’t recognize me?”
Elma scrutinized Lacey, sensing a vague familiarity.
After a brief moment, recognition dawned on her.
“You’re the one who stormed into my sister’s birthday celebration, claiming to be a sister figure to my mom?” Elma said with a dismissive laugh, her eyes narrowing.
“Well, don’t expect me to start calling you aunt anytime soon.”
Lacey, unbothered, crossed her arms and fixed Elma with a steady gaze.
“If I hadn’t been there that day, you’d have been six feet under.
I’m the reason you’re still breathing, and yet, this is the thanks I get? It appears your mom skipped some crucial lessons on gratitude.”