Today, I aimed myself to arise from my sleep earlier than usual. This is all for the request of dear Mrs. Catrin's early morning meal schedule. She needed a small bite to fuel her workout, and that meant I had to whip up breakfast for her just in the right time; before the city goes into a rush of hustle and bustle. .I slipped out of my cozy bed, leaving the bedroom. The entire apartment was wrapped in shadows; not a hint of sunlight yet. It was like a silent world before dawn, where the city was in a deep sleep. As I tiptoed through the apartment, I noticed that Amy was still lost in her dreams, her bedroom door firmly closed. Everything was serene, as if the world outside had yet to wake up..When I gently pushed open Amy's bedroom door, I found her still cozily wrapped beneath her warm, wooly bedspread. Nestled in her arms was the otter plushie she got from the zookeeper during our outing with Noah. It was like they were inseparable. Even the bunny plushie I gave her for her last
I took a taxi so I could board the subway as soon as possible. I didn't know why but I had a bad feeling ever since I was cooking dinner for the Ludovico's family. It was an unusual feeling that I rarely felt before. I think I could sense something negative happening, but I don't know exactly what..As I hopped out of the taxi and hurried down the subway stairs, that uneasy feeling bugged me so much like a nagging itch you can't quite scratch. You know the one, right? The Ludovico's family dinner had been pleasant enough but it left me with a sense of uneasy feeling that I could not shake off..The subway platform was dimly lit, and the hum of arriving trains echoed in the distance. I found an empty bench and plopped down as I wait for the train to arrive. My mind racing as I tried to pinpoint the source of my unease..Whatever it was, I could not shake the feeling that something was about to go down, and it was not going to be good. My palms were clammy, and my heart raced as I kep
I had known that I could not keep this huge problem from Harrison any longer. My heart was heavy with worry, and the weight of the truth had become too much to bear. Hours of scouring over the surveillance footage, that I had on my phone, had made it impossible to ignore the truth any longer. Amy and Poppy had been taken, and I needed Harrison's help more than ever..One evening, when we were both in the penthouse, I mustered the courage to speak. The tension in the room was palpable as I sat down next to Harrison on the plush sofa, the images from the security cameras fresh in my mind. I took a deep breath, my voice quivering.."Harrison, we need to talk," I began, my eyes searching his for any sign of understanding. "I have seen something in the security footage, something that I can't ignore any longer."Harrison turned to me, his usual calm demeanor replaced by a furrowed brow and a sense of urgency. ."What is it, Aria? You look so troubled. Tell me what you've found.".I nodd
Before the whole abduction, life at the apartment with Amy had been a whirlwind of exciting activities. Amy's laughter, sometimes accompanied by the sound of joyous singing, almost always filled the air. But after that damned particular day, the atmosphere felt very heavy and sad. I found myself lingering in the living room, my phone in hand as I texted Noah. The apartment, once filled with life and excitement, now seemed unnervingly silent..As I sipped my tea, the warmth failed to chase away the chill that had settled in my heart. I could not help but wonder about Amy's whereabouts and safety. It was hard not to let the worry consume my thoughts, like a shadow lurking at the edge of my consciousness. The absence of my daughter's vibrant presence was a stark contrast to the lively environment we had both cherished..Meanwhile, Harrison had gone out to gather more information about Amy's abduction, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I was deep in contemplation, my face buried in palm
I fixed my gaze on the stuffed toy from a distance. Could it be possessed? Had it somehow come to life? No, that couldn't be right. I slapped my hands over my face, blocking out the irrational thoughts that swirled in my mind. I had to think clearly, to conquer my fears-for my daughter's sake. With a deep breath, I lowered my hands. If the toy were truly alive, it would have made a move by now. In a worst-case scenario, it might have attacked me already. But there it lay, unmoving on the wooden parquet floor of Amy's bedroom..The realization hit me, and I couldn't afford to dwell on fantastical notions. I needed to act, to protect my daughter, the most precious part of my life. I couldn't allow fear to paralyze me. Slowly, I inched closer to the plush toy, my eyes never leaving it. The eerie light still emanated from its eyes, a constant reminder of its sinister nature..Cautiously, I reached out and picked up the stuffed toy. It was soft to the touch, just like any other plush, but
Harrison's POVI woke up today feeling lightheaded, my mind heavy from the night's restless hours spent scouring the internet for any lead, any tiny hint that could unravel the cryptic messages we had discovered in the cursed otter plush. The urgency gnawed at my every brain cell, propelling my fingers to rush across the keyboard as I opened numerous tabs, diving into the depths of the web in search of answers.News articles, forum discussions, investigative reports—all became my hunting grounds. I had to rule out the darkest possibilities. Nasty people abduct children for plenty of reasons, such as forcing bribes, or replacements for said people's dead children. Amongst all the reasons, there was one reason which I dreaded most. It was child trafficking. I prayed continuously that it was not the path that we had to tread. I could not even imagine it for one second.Frustration pushed me deeper, further, and I kept my focus on the screen, my heart a relentless metronome in the backgrou
I took off from the apartment to walk to the subway station, as Harry could not pick me up at the moment. He offered his driver to pick me up, but I declined because his driver could be somewhere else doing more important things and running errands rather than driving me around. .I was carrying the cryptic note that was written on a piece of small paper. I rolled it into a very small piece so that I could put it in my pocket safely without it getting ripped or torn apart. .I was feeling kind of queasy and a tad bit grossed out when I remembered that it used to be crumpled up inside the cloth along with the little otter corpse, and with the yellowing rotten teeth. Gross. Oh my goodness. Just thinking about it made me want to vomit out things this instance..I actually could have just sent the picture to Harrison, but I thought that I would not be able to bear the curiousity of deciphering the handwritten cryptic letters on the piece of paper. I was wondering about what it could mea
I was sitting inside the limousine that Harrison led me into. He sat right on one of the seats, and gestured me to sit right next to him. I was literally amazed by the sight of the limousine's interior. To be honest, I have never been inside a car that was designed to be this fancy. Sure, during my days as a callgirl, I used to be picked up with cars of different brands, shapes, and sizes. None of the men who booked me was this rich though. None of them was as rich as Harrison. None of them could compete with the Bonavich's family. .I was staring at the interiors. The seats were made out of luxurious leather. Just one touch and a quick stroke of the seats, then I could sense just how expensive the material is. The seat inside of the limousine was only built on one side. The other side of the limo were built-in racks that consisted of glasses, particularly tall wine glasses, and few sorts and different kinds of alcoholic drinks. I examined them one by one. Wow. Only one of them migh