A week later.
*Alexander*
I entered the living room with Desmond following closely behind me, and the atmosphere was as depressing as we left it. The living room has never accumulated a lot of people like this in the past. Every single member of the family was present, including Amelia's foster parents' family.
Granny, who was held in Kiara's embrace, saw us arriving and immediately sprang to her feet and rushed to me in tears.
“Tell me, Alexander. What did the police say? Have they gotten any clues? Will they find Amelia soon?” she asked a series of questions in a breath, peering into my eyes for positive answers.
I pressed my lips to a straight line and lowered my head, not sure how to drop the usual sad news.
“The same result, Granny. But the police have assured us, they said…”
“Keep quiet, Desmond” Granny shunned him, interrupting his unfinished words.
“Until when will the police stop assuring you and find my daughter? Huh!” she shrieked, glaring right into Desmond's eyes as if he was the reason behind her predicament.
“You need to calm down, Granny. Remember who Amelia is to Desmond as well” I advised, reaching out a hand to hold her, but she ducked my hand just in time and shot me a glare too.
By this time, Kiara was now standing right next to her, and then slowly pulled her into her embrace. She obediently went into Kiara's embrace and began to weep again.
I sucked in a sharp breath and sat on the nearby divan. I watched how Amelia's foster mom also sobbed bitterly, hiding her face in her daughter's chest.
One would really think Amelia is dead with their uncontrollable tears.
I raised my hand to hold my chin up, with a lot of mixed thoughts running through my mind.
“So, what's in for lunch?” Desmond tries to lighten the suffocating atmosphere.
“I'll go prepare something right away” Kiara announced while she made Granny sit back in her previous sit, “I'll come with you,” Desmond quickly said in a light tone.
I shook my head helplessly. It was obvious enough that he was only trying not to get weighed down by the whole situation. But deep down in his heart, he is deeply worried and scared.
At night.
Both Kiara and I sat quietly on the bed in our bedroom. The ambiance was extremely awkward, but this is how it has always been since the disappearance of Amelia.
“Do you think she's abducted?” Kiara asked in a low yet painful voice. I leaned my back against the headboard and breathed out tiredly.
“I don't have an idea, Kiara. Who could have abducted her and for what reason?” I nearly shrieked, feeling a big mess inside my heart.
“Amelia is such a carefree lady, who cares much about others before herself. I don't want to believe she's abducted, Kiara” I muttered irresolutely to myself, staring into the void.
Slowly and inadvertently, I recalled the dream I had a long time ago when Kiara was still with Henry. Does this mean that Amelia was the one I saw, instead of Kiara?
Oh, no. I swear, if Henry has a hand in this mess, then I'm going to kill him myself.
I felt Kiara's slender palm against my chest then followed by her words, “What are you thinking about?”
I looked down at her face which was now resting on my chest and managed to squeeze out a smile, “Go to sleep now. I believe Amelia would be found soon” I assured, and she barely nodded her head with a weak smile.
We remained in that position and were already sleepy when we suddenly heard Aiden's noise from the next room.
Kiara and I jumped out of the bed and rushed out of the bedroom.
I bent the doorknob and we both hurried into Aiden's new room. Kiara managed to scamper to the bed stand and switched on the lamp and, only for us to find Aiden lying on the ceramic floor and weeping.
“Aiden!” we both called out in unison and crouched next to him on the floor.
“What happened, Aiden? You didn't have a nightmare, did you?” Kiara asked amidst tears, reaching out her arms and picking him up.
After Kiara put him on the bed, we both sat with him, expecting him to say something already, “Mom, Dad, Aunt Amelia, I saw second mommy in my sleep” he told us with more tears rolling down his cheeks.
A sense of bitterness arose in my heart immediately as Kiara and I exchanged a glance.
“What happened to second mommy, Aiden? Tell us, what happened to her?” Kiara's voice become hysterical and tears spilled uncontrollably out of her eyes.
“Calm down, Kiara. You're scaring the poor kid” I coaxed, stroking her back tenderly in an attempt to make her stop crying.
Soon, I let go of Kiara and then reached out to carry Aiden. While wiping the tears out of his cheek, I asked softly, “Do you want Mommy and Daddy to sleep with you?”
He nodded vigorously. I smiled gently and hinted at Kiara to lie down, with that, I also lie down and positioned Aiden in the middle of us.
The following day.
I drove into his company premises, parked my car carefully in the parking lot, and came down afterward.
After a brief exchange of words with the receptionist behind the front desk, I left in the elevator and got off on the last floor.
“Good morning, sir” his secretary stood on her feet and greeted me warmly as soon as she saw me.
“I need to see your boss,” I told her sharply, and peeked out of the corner of my eyes to look at the guards standing at both sides of the door.
“I'm sorry, do you have an appointment with him before?” she questioned calmly, not liking to sound rude.
“Just go tell him Alexander is here” I responded flatly, and the lady scurried off to the door at once.
She came back almost immediately, “You can go in, sir”
With a long, fast stride, I went into his office and saw him standing in front of the French windows with his back facing the door. His tall frame was dressed in an immaculate business suit. I must commend that his body exuded a strong, manly presence.
“Mr. Alexander,” he called out cheerfully while turning around to face me.
“Have you come to check on me?” he asked sarcastically and begin to amble closer to where I was standing.
“Oh, yeah. I mean, after snatching Kiara away from me, you think it's necessary to check on how miserable I've been”
By the time he finished his words, he was already standing in front of me.
“Isn't it?” he added, with a deep smirk lingering at the corner of his lips.
Without a moment's hesitation, I raised my hand and sent a hard punch to his haw. He staggered backward continuously. He lost balance and fell to the floor.
“You scoundrel! You abducted Amelia thinking it was Kiara, isn't it? The lady in your captive isn't Kiara but Amelia, her twin sister,” I blasted through clenched teeth, striding to where he was squatting.
His eyes and mouth opened with terror as he looked at me and holding his chin.
“What do you mean?” he seethed as he slowly got back on his feet.
“You better release her this minute, Henry; otherwise, I'll kill you,” I threatened severely.
He scoffed in disdain and straightened out his collar, which wasn't wrinkled at all.
He stood straight and narrowed his eyes shrewdly at me, “I think you've lost your mind completely, Mr. Alexander. Now get out of my office before I lose it,” his voice was bone-chilling cold.
“I'm giving you just twenty-four hours, Henry, if Amelia doesn't return to us safely tomorrow, then I'll make sure I escort you to the jail. That I promise you,” after I finished my words, I shot him a final glare and then strode out of his office.
Some moments later, I returned to my office and lowered my head on the desk since I got back.
There was the sound of the door opening. However, I didn't bother looking up, knowing too well the only person around me who lacks simple courtesy.
“Excuse me, Boss, but your attention is needed,” he said with a giggle in his voice.
Releasing a light sigh, I raised my head to look at his face, and the smile playing around his face could no longer continue upon seeing my expression.
With reflex action, he tossed the file he was holding on my desk and sat on a seat opposite me.
“What happened, Alexander? You look disturbed. Is it related to Amelia's disappearance? But I already assure you that Amelia would come back to us soon” he rushed his words in a breath, looking anxious this time.
Another big sigh escaped my mouth while I leaned over the desk.
“Do you think this is some kind of punishment?” I asked him, and his brows knitted to a deep frown.
“What do you mean, Alex?”
I pursued my lips for a moment then began again, “I used to be someone who gives absolutely no damn about people, I was so nasty and care for only myself”
Understanding the hidden meaning behind my words within a second, Mack heaved a long sigh and lowered his eyes.
“First, it was Kiara, and now it's Amelia, later it would be Granny or you? Isn't it?”
“Come on now, Alexander, why are you talking like this? Be positive. Amelia would be found soon, believe me” he spoke up, his voice was quite compelling.
I didn't say anything thereafter, as I just remained quiet as a mouse.
“I went to Henry's office today,” I announced, reaching out to pick up the file he had dropped earlier.
“Why?”
“I thought back to the dream I had some months ago, you know before Kiara eventually returns to me. And I couldn't help but think he's involved in Amelia's disappearance” I explained to him and his eyes crinkled a bit as he stared at my face.
“So I went to give him a piece of my mind” I concluded and resumed flipping through the pages.
“And how did he react?” Mack pressed on. I looked at him briefly and responded, “What do you think, Mack, that he's going to concede just like that?”
He didn't utter any word anymore, and I raised my eyes to look at him.
“What? I shouldn't have gone there?” I questioned, dropping my pen.
He smacked his lips, “Don't you think it might be the other way round? I mean, Henry Torres might not be the one who kidnapped Amelia but someone else”
“Someone like who?” I quizzed in a sharp tone.
“Do you remember telling me that Nicholas once met Amelia and thought that she was Kiara?”
“Yes. So…” my voice trailed off as the thought lingered at me as well.
I banged on the table and sprang to my feet, “Are you saying Nicholas is the real culprit this time again?” I scowled, glaring right at Mack, who in turn got up slowly.
“How do I know? I'm just thinking. But come to think of it, Nicholas has been hiding his face for some time now. There's a high chance that he might be the one holding Amelia captive”
I shoved my fingers into my hair and walked out of my desk, feeling my heart ache terribly.
“I swear, if I should lay my hands on Nicholas this time, then I'll strangle him to death with my own hands,” I said ferociously through clenched teeth.
“I think the next plan should be like, how on earth can we track Nicholas if truly he's the one holding Amelia captive,” Mack said with an exasperated sigh, and I just shut my eyes and stumbled upon my seat again.