She just didn’t know where she’d gone wrong.
Meanwhile, Olivia got home from her private school and, out of habit, immediately looked for Clara.
The empty house felt strange.
She clutched the painting that had won her an award and wandered through the living room.
She’d won first place in the art competition, and every time she won something, her mom was always so excited. She’d just wait for her mom to get back
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But she waited all evening, and neither her mother nor her father came home.
The next morning, she found Zane sitting on the sofa, his phone on his lap, his brow deeply furrowed.
“Dad! Is Mom back yet?”
Zane looked up and saw a sleepy–eyed Olivia holding her painting.
“I got first place again. I have to show Mom!”
“Qh, and I’ve been craving Mom’s blueberry pancakes. They’re way better than Aunt Hailey’s!”
Her innocent words were a gut punch.
A strange fear flooded his heart.
He grabbed his car keys and bolted for the door.
“Something is wrong. Something is deeply, fucking wrong,” he muttered, his mind racing.
Something must have happened to Clara.
When Zane sped to the family home, he nearly collided with Clara’s father and Ethan, who were rushing frantically out of the
house.
“Dad, Ethan!” Zane stopped them. “Have you heard from Clara?”
His father’s eyes were red. “Nothing!”
“She signed the papers and vanished. We thought she just needed time to cool off, but it’s been four days!”
“Zane, I think something happened to Clara. We need to call the police.”
Zane felt the blood freeze in his veins.
“I have a friend on the force. Let’s go now.”
In the waiting room of the police station, the three men waited, the air thick with an unbearable tension.
The panic and dread in their hearts were magnified in the sterile silence.
Zane’s hands were clenched into tight fists, his knuckles white.
I must be overthinking this.
Clara’s just angry. She’s angry about that damned engagement plan.
When she comes back, we can fix everything. I’ll call off the engagement with Hailey. I’ll make it up to Clara.
There’s still time.
Clara is so good, so forgiving. Of course she’ll forgive me.
The door opened Zane’s friend, Officer Martinez, walked in, his face grim.
What is it?” Zane jumped to his feet. “Did you find her?”
Martinez looked at him, his eyes filled with pity. “Zane… is Clara your wife?”
“Of course!”
“Zane… we have a record here. A death certificate for Clara Vance was filed in King County four days ago. Her mother was the
one who filed it, listed as her primary emergency contact. Why are you just now reporting her missing?”
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The world stopped.
